Whether you're a fighter planning to compete on the amateur
or professional level, or whether you're an individual simply
looking for a non-traditional workout, the training you will
receive at the Muay Thai Institute
of Kunponli will give you the best overall workout
available. From serious toning to increased endurance
to a fight mentality, Thai boxing will get you where
you want to go, both physically and mentally. In addition
to the intense, full-body workout, you also get self-defense
skills that can be applied to real-world situations very quickly.
Cardiovascular Workout
Thai Boxing focuses heavily on a good cardio workout, which includes
both aerobic and anaerobic activities. Heavy bag work and pad work
are much like interval training because you are throwing kicks and
punches with a lot of power while working on your endurance.
Rope jumping is a mainstay of our classes, but you will also find
students warming up on stationary bikes, ellipticals, stair climbers,
or the treadmills. With two beautiful parks nearby, many of our
students incorporate a 3-mile run into their workout, as well.
Shadowboxing
Shadowboxing is excellent for balance, cardiovascular conditioning,
and fine-tuning techniques. The moves used in shadowboxing are the
same moves used in bag work, pad work, and in the ring. Being able
to practice these moves against an imaginary opponent is one of
the most crucial ways of understanding your opponent. You have the
opportunity to set up defensive and offensive techniques while "examining"
your opponent's moves.
Bag Work
There is nothing like a good heavy bag workout to build and
tone muscles, increase endurance, and relieve stress.
Working against a heavy bag gives you resistance to your contact,
making your body stronger. Wearing hand wraps and bag gloves, you
can unload on the 7-foot pole bags or shorter hanging bags, as well
as uppercut bags and double-ended balls. Because Thai boxing involves
the full use of the body, bag work includes how to throw a proper
punch, elbow, knee, and Thai kick. Different combinations of these
basic moves make the classes challenging and fun.
Pad Work
Doing Thai pad work in the ring is the closest you can come
to fighting without actually fighting! Instructors use focus mitts,
Thai pads and leg kick pads to simulate both defensive and offensive
techniques used with an opponent. It's a chance to engage in full
contact. You learn how to correctly use offensive techniques, defensive
maneuvers, and counters in a fast full contact manner on an opponent.
Pad work also teaches timing, distancing, weight transference,
balance, and a fighter's attitude under a simulated combat
situation.
Ab/ Trunk/ Back Workout
Tight abdominal muscles are a natural result of Thai boxing
workouts, as are a strong back and an overall strengthening of the
trunk. Bag work and pad work also contributes to a strong core.
At the end of every scheduled class, you will find extensive exercises
from standard crunches to medicine ball workouts. The emphasis on
a strong core will result in a stronger body overall.
Sparring
Sparring is the ultimate workout, but it's not for everyone.
Although it's not a required part of a Thai boxing workout, most
students do like to "mix it up" a little with light sparring.
Protective gear is worn in the ring, and students can choose "light
contact" to harder contact for fighters. Sparring allows you
to fully use all the skills being developed through shadowboxing,
bag work, and pad work. The mental aspect of getting hit and hitting
back is crucial to understanding the heart of Thai Boxing.
"You can do anything for three minutes."
The mental aspect of fight training, even for non-fighters, is
based on that three-minute round. Most of a typical Thai boxing
workout is focused on the fight bell, which goes off every
three minutes, indicating a new round has begun. Realizing that
no matter how tired you are, you can last for three minutes
puts an intense workout into perspective.
"Anybody can fight fresh; you also have to learn
how to fight when mentally and physically tired as well as
in pain." says Craig
Lamanna, owner and head trainer at MTIK.
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