Starting MT at 21, big disadvantage?

Nedrin

Nedrin

Green Belt
@Green
Joined
Dec 8, 2009
Messages
1,021
Reaction score
1
So I want to start and train MT but i'm wondering, since I've never done any form of striking how big of a disadvantage I'll have by not having any trained shins elbows etc.

How long will it take before leg kicks stop hurting like a motherfucker and is it good to keep hitting them with sticks just to train them? Yes I do not know shit about this so yeah. Any advice would be helpfull
 
Don't worry, leg kicks never stop hurting like a motherfucker. Learn to check them.
 
I'm starting MT at 26, so count yourself lucky!

I started boxing a year or so later than you, at 22, and this is what I have learned. You have to train hard, and you have to train SMART to make up the difference. Learn about things like conditioning and Weight training (Sherdog has amazing subforums for each), because, especially early on, fights are won by the guy with better conditioning, and knowing you are the strongest person in that weight class is a HUGE help as well.

Other than that, Take it Seriously. You can beat a lot of younger guys, or guys your age with a few years of experience, if you take it seriously. Don't be a 'life or death' thug, but work hard, and put your heart into it.

Do NOT rub bottles on your legs, kick trees, ect. All that will do is kill your nerves, not strengthen your legs. Spend some extra time every day working on your form, kicking the bag. You don't have to go all out. If you find you can't kick the bag anymore, because your shins hurt, put on some trackpants, or a light pads, and then resume. Every bit helps.

When you get home, ice your shins (put a cloth between the ice and your skin) while you eat, to prevent swelling, which willprevent you from being able to go hard the next day.

Hope this helps you some.
 
I already have plenty of conditioning thanks to BJJ and I do weighttraining so I guess I already got that covered. I'm looking forward to start!
 
You'll be fine just take your time learning. Have fun. Don't get in a hurry to compete.
 
You will get all the conditioning you need through normal training so just stick with it and you will be fine. Between the heavy bags, thai pads, and timing (and eventually sparring), you will not want to touch your shins with anything heavier than a feather most days anyways.

As far as being at a disadvantage, what exactly do you mean? If you are asking whether it will be harder for you to reach a competitive level by a certain age than it would be for someone who started earlier I would have to say thats a no brainer. If you are asking whether or not you will be at a "disadvantage" athletically compared to other beginners that are younger, who cares? . Everyone starts somewhere, so just concentrate on improving and you'll be in good shape. And to be honest, 21 is not that late at all. Most of the people on our team started at around 20 years old and we have been pretty successful on the amatuer and pro levels, so if you are worried whether you can gain the skills/conditioning/knowlege needed to compete before your too old to, put that out of your mind. If you have any aptitude at all going in you will be able to reach a competitive level as long as you put in the time and effort.

The best overall advice I can offer is pretty standard really...do as much research about the trainer as you possibly can. IMHO, the right coach is 95% of what makes a "successful" begginer, so take the time to look into any trainer you are thinking about joining up with and make sure it isn't some schlub who taught himself MT in his garage by kicking a Wavemaster while watching Van Damme flicks. You can take someone who has trained with that guy for 6 years and put him against someone whose trained for 1 year with a quality coach and 9 times out of 10 my money is on the well coached fighter. Once you find someone that you like, try a few classes and, if its for you, work as hard as you can to get a little better every day. Other than that, just have fun.

Speaking of quality coaches, where are you located? I've moved around quite a bit and trained at some good (and not so good) gyms around the country. Might could be able to point you in a decent direction.
 
^ Thanks for that writeup and about being able to help me I'm pretty sure you can't since I live in Belgium, Ghent, but thanks for the offer anyway :D.

Also while watching JCVD flicks, like CroCop?
j/k man, thanks again!
 
I think we should have a locked sticky up that says "Am I too old to start _"? and one post on it which just says "No"
 
Nedrin said:
I already have plenty of conditioning thanks to BJJ and I do weighttraining so I guess I already got that covered. I'm looking forward to start!
Click to expand...

I don't know how it feels for other people, but striking tires me in a very different way that grappling does. I remember a thread where people were discussin if wrestling or boxing was more tiresome. Some people said boxing, some said wrestling, the conclusion I got that really depends on the individual.

In my case, striking is more tiresome, since I get nervous and anxious about taking a punch. :icon_lol:
 
Although you have to be fast often for grappling, the most tiring components involve slow strength. Most submissions, holding guard, and passing guard all involve the application of continued force. While most of striking involves highly ballistic techniques that occur over very small time periods (relatively). As a result you will be tiring different muscles (thus one may be easier for a person based on the genetics). Furthermore, as a result, grappling is more aerobic and you are more likely to fatigue due to lack of glucose (energy), while in striking fatigue is almost always caused by lactic acid build up (different soreness and feeling of tired).

Just my two cents

Also, TS, just do it. I'm sure your boxing experience will help you a lot in MT, as it will give you a sense of timing, distance, staying relaxed, and you will have hurty punches.
 
21 is fine. i started at 24-5.

i went to training about 2-3 times a week. just with normal training n kicking the bags got me pretty conditioned. So 21 is def not too late.
 
No way. That's right below average age from my experience. I started at 19, and at 22, I am still one of the younger guys at the gym.

I'm pretty sure Masato started at 19, and look what he's done. I could be wrong though. I think Crocop started late as well.

Look at it this way. How dedicated would you have been to Muay Thai if you started any earlier? Could you have realistically trained in your early teens and taken it seriously?

21 is young man, go learn and have fun.
 
Well, in Thailand they do start around 8 years old but I started when I was 32 and I wish I started at 22.
 
Nedrin said:
^ Thanks for that writeup and about being able to help me I'm pretty sure you can't since I live in Belgium, Ghent, but thanks for the offer anyway :D.

Also while watching JCVD flicks, like CroCop?
j/k man, thanks again!
Click to expand...


Ya, the problem with this training method is if you miss a movie your screwed. For instance, the movie where JCVD gets kicked in the head by a 260lbs Brazillian was never released outside of the US so Crocop never saw it. :icon_lol:
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Latest posts

Forum statistics

Threads
1,236,576
Messages
55,428,132
Members
174,774
Latest member
Judoka_Noob

Share this page

Back
Top