There's no single best combat sport for beginners. The right one is the one you'll enjoy enough to keep turning up for. This guide sets out the main options in plain English, then the questions that will help you choose.
The main options
- BoxingPunches only, with lots of footwork and head movement. Few techniques, learned in depth
- Muay ThaiPunches, kicks, knees and the clinch. Known as the art of eight limbs
- KickboxingPunches and kicks. Rules vary by style
- Brazilian jiu-jitsuGrappling on the ground: holds, sweeps and submissions, with no strikes
- MMAMixed martial arts: striking and grappling combined
Every one of them will get you fitter and teach you a real skill. They differ in what you'll spend your sessions doing.
How to choose
- Do you want to strike or grapple? If you'd rather punch and kick, look at boxing, Muay Thai or kickboxing. If you'd rather wrestle and hold, look at jiu-jitsu.
- Hands only, or your whole body? Boxing gets you sharp with your hands, fast. Muay Thai uses your legs, hips and core too.
- What have you done before? A background in dance, football, running or any sport that uses your legs often suits Muay Thai.
- What suits your week? The sport you can get to twice a week beats the sport you'd prefer but can't get to.
- Do you want a goal? Training is easier to stick with when there's a date at the end of it.
If it's boxing or Muay Thai
Those are the two sports we coach. Both follow the same eight-week Fight Camp and end in three 2-minute rounds on Fight Night.
- BoxingGymbox Victoria, Tuesdays and Wednesdays at 19:30
- Muay ThaiGymbox Farringdon, Mondays at 18:00 and Wednesdays at 19:00
- KitThe same gloves, wraps, head guard, gum shield and groin guard. Muay Thai adds shin guards
- Which is harder?Muay Thai has more to learn because there are more weapons. Boxing has fewer techniques, so the detail goes deeper
The full comparison is in boxing vs Muay Thai. Or take the 60-second quiz and it will tell you which suits you.
Starting from scratch
Whichever you choose, you don't need to be fit to start. 85% of our fighters started with less than three months' experience. Our camps are for men and women, from 18 with no upper age limit. If you're starting later in life, read starting boxing over 40.
Questions
What is the best combat sport for beginners?
The one you'll enjoy enough to keep turning up for. If you want to strike, boxing and Muay Thai are both good places to start. If you'd rather grapple, look at Brazilian jiu-jitsu.
What is the easiest combat sport to learn?
None of them are easy, but boxing has the fewest techniques to learn, so beginners often pick it up fastest. Muay Thai has more to learn because there are more weapons.
Is boxing or Muay Thai better for beginners?
Both are taught from scratch. Choose boxing if you want to get sharp with your hands fast. Choose Muay Thai if you want to use your whole body.
Do I need to be fit to start a combat sport?
No. With us, week 1 opens with an assessment, and the conditioning builds every week up to Fight Night.
Your first round starts here
Eight weeks of free coaching, then a real Fight Night. Sign up in two minutes, then hear everything at the Intro Meeting before you commit to anything.
Join the camp →Take the 60-second quiz