Muay Thai in Thailand for Beginners

For many it’s a big hurdle just getting started with martial arts, finding the right martial art to learn and a good school to begin. And if you’re worried a little about who you might meet there, we can reassure you: At martial arts schools you will not only find fighters but people from all walks of life. Most of the people who practice our sport of Muaythai do it for sporting, safety and health reasons and are usually have very respectful characters and practice with a high degree of discipline.

Martial arts – Muay Thai is a very intense sport and has the advantage that you never really stop learning and can always keep developing. In Thailand we often get asked about this by people walking past the gym, who watch excitedly and then spontaneously decide to show up the next day and attend a class. After that, they’re hooked!

The Muay Thai schools in Thailand are mostly open and out in the fresh air and are not hidden in buildings and basements. This makes training all the more fun. The feedback we get is always very positive and certainly 90% of the participants are so enthusiastic about the training that they want to start with Muaythai in their home country when they return. And more often than not, the next vacation to Koh Samui is already in planning.

We also have weekly enquiries from beginners as to whether it is possible to visit a camp with us. Here are a few details and tips to help you plan and make your visit a big success.

Most enquiries we receive are from beginners who want to try something new or maybe just want to lose a little weight. Both are good approaches to Muaythai and we are sure that we are the right address to help. We currently run 4 classes per day. This allows us to respond specifically to the needs of our students and also means the professional fighters at our gym don’t have to struggle with teaching the beginners.

Training takes place up to twice a day. But this is usually to much of a challenge for complete beginners. We recommend a visit of at least three weeks for beginners. In the first week, it usually takes 2 to 3 days for the body to get used to the heat here (an average of 32 degrees in the shade). In most cases, there is also a time difference of a few hours to get yourself accustomed to. During this time, we recommend you to come to train with us just once a day. This way, the body can recover sufficiently from the journey, training, heat and the time difference. On the 4th day, when you have acclimatised well, it makes sense to also add one or two private lessons to your schedule. You will have a trainer all to yourself and can learn the techniques faster and effectively and importantly, in your own time.

In the second week you start with two training sessions per day. It is important here that enough minerals, vitamins etc. are taken. For beginners, who usually are new to this much intense exercise, try to do as much exercise before you arrive here. It is a real shock for the body when such the strain suddenly hits you, twice a day. Also make sure you provide the body with enough energy. Massages between training sessions are also extremely helpful and cost around 300-400 baht / 8 to 11 euros per hour in Thailand. Drink at least 5 to 6 liters of water a day and take regular vitamin-magnesium supplements.

If you want to lose weight, you can get healthy meals in two or three nice and healthy restaurants nearby the gym. There is also has a fruit shop next to the gym, selling fresh fruit from Koh Samui every day.

After three weeks of intensive training, most beginners have an incredibly good level. The level is usually about the same as someone who trained 2-3 times a week in his home country.

The language barrier is also something we are often asked about. Not everyone can speak perfect english and practically no one r that arrives here can speak Thai. But most of our trainers have over 10 years of experience and speak pretty good english. So don’t worry, you’ll be fine. What often happens again and again is that even those who do not speak a word of english and can still participate fully in the training without any problems. Over the years, our trainers have developed particularly good communication skills, without having to master the language.

It makes the whole process a bit easier if you start preparing for your trip a little before you arrive. Sometimes it’s a bit difficult for beginners to motivate themselves. For this reason we recommend booking early (4 months before arrival) and slowly beginning with an active lifestyle.

There is no need to visit a Muay Thai Gym. But what can be very helpful is if you start jogging once or twice a week (first month 1km, second 1.5km and third 2km). Swimming, squash, walking forest trails or strengthening your basic muscles in a fitness center all help. This makes the training here a lot easier and you can concentrate much more on the techniques when you get here.

You can easily find the prices for stays at our camp in our booking tool. Please visit Book Your Stay.

You will find 5 different accommodation suggestions ranging from 550 to 1000 baht / 15 – 30 euros per night. You can also choose the pick-up at Koh Samui airport, which guarantees you a carefree arrival. Here a short video with a summary of how our beautiful island and Punch it Gym look, have a safe journey and we look forward to seeing you soon!