You don't need to be fit, flexible or have done any martial arts to start Muay Thai. Your first class is about the basics: how to stand, how to move and your first strikes. This guide covers what happens in your first session with us, what to bring, and how the eight weeks build from there.
Your first class
Our Muay Thai Fight Camp trains at Gymbox Farringdon, on Mondays at 18:00 and Wednesdays at 19:00. You don't need a Gymbox membership for your camp sessions. Before your first session you'll fill in a health questionnaire, so the coaches know about anything that matters.
Week 1 then covers:
- An assessment. The coaches see where you are before anything gets harder.
- Stance, guard and footwork. Muay Thai stands more upright and square on than boxing, so you can kick and check kicks.
- Your first punches. Jab and cross.
- Your first kicks. The teep, a straight push kick, and the round kick.
- Basic defence. Keeping your guard up and staying safe.
Nobody spars in week 1. Controlled sparring starts in week 3.
What to bring
- From week 1Gloves and wraps. 16oz gloves, or 14oz if you're under 55kg
- By week 3A head guard and a gum shield
- By week 4A groin guard
- For Muay ThaiShin guards, padded from knee to instep
The full list, and how to get each item right, is in our boxing kit list.
The basics you'll learn
Muay Thai is known as the art of eight limbs: fists, elbows, knees and shins. On our Fight Nights the rules are adapted for first-time fighters, so you learn punches, kicks and knees, with no elbows and no knees to the head.
- Week 1Teep and round kick
- Week 2Punch-kick combinations
- Week 3Teep for range, checking kicks. First controlled sparring
- Week 4Clinch entries and knees. Matchmaking begins
- Week 5Kick and knee combinations. Team sparring
- Week 6Clinch under fight rules. Matches signed off
- Week 7Best kick and clinch set-ups. The fight card drops
- Week 8Light pads and movement, weigh-in and team briefing. Then Fight Night
Everything in the boxing programme is taught alongside it. New to the sport? Start with Muay Thai explained.
Is Muay Thai for you?
- No experience needed. 85% of our fighters started with less than three months' experience.
- Men and women. Our Muay Thai camps and Fight Nights are for both.
- Any age from 18. You need to be 18 or over by Fight Night. There's no upper age limit.
- Something different. We're London's only white collar Muay Thai camp, and you finish on a professional show.
Torn between the two sports? Read boxing vs Muay Thai, or see the Muay Thai camp at Gymbox Farringdon.
Questions
Can a complete beginner do Muay Thai?
Yes. 85% of our fighters started with less than three months' experience, and week 1 starts with stance, guard and footwork.
What happens in a first Muay Thai class?
With us: an assessment, then stance, guard and footwork, the jab and cross, the teep and round kick, and basic defence. Nobody spars in week 1.
What do I need for my first Muay Thai session?
Gloves and wraps from week 1. You'll add a head guard and gum shield by week 3, a groin guard by week 4, and shin guards for Muay Thai.
Do I need to be flexible to do Muay Thai?
No. You don't need to be fit or to have done any martial arts to start. The conditioning builds every week up to Fight Night.
Where can I learn Muay Thai in London?
Our Muay Thai Fight Camp trains at Gymbox Farringdon, on Mondays at 18:00 and Wednesdays at 19:00. The coaching is free.
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