The new era of martial arts has arrived. Roughly one decade ago, very few people knew about ONE FC, Rizin, Glory, Enfusion… Some fans are parents too, and they tend to push their children into the world of martial arts.
Muay Thai for kids sounds like a great choice. Your child will learn to strike with various parts of the body – knees, elbows, fists, and shins.
Muay Thai has been an unknown sport in the 80s and 90s. Nowadays, more and more Thai boxing dojos are opened all around the globe. I am sure that Thai boxing is one of the best choices for your kid for numerous reasons. Please keep reading and you’ll have no dilemma whether you should take your kid to a Muay Thai class.
Table of Contents
Why Should Kids Learn Muay Thai?
There are so many lovely benefits of Siamese martial art. Learning specific patterns of behavior in the early stages of life positively reflects on a child’s development.
Dealing with screen addiction is one of the worst problems today. If your kid spends endless hours on the tablet or phone, it might lead to numerous health issues – headache, spine issues, muscle atrophy, poor posture, vision problems, etc.
Muay Thai for kids sounds like a great way to deal with numerous problems related to your child’s growth and development. I will analyze why kids should learn ancient Siamese martial art, step by step.
Anti-Bully Defense
Many “powerful” kids will try to become “leaders” by harassing and humiliating other children. If your child learns to cut the bully open with a slashing elbow or put him to sleep with a brutal Muay Thai clinch knee, it will be beneficial. Nobody will mess with your kid in the future. Oh, it leads to less stress and better growing up, too.
Confidence
Some kids are born with a high level of self-esteem, while other children (especially the ones who live in strict families) tend to face numerous self-esteem issues. But if they achieve some results in the competition or learn a new strike, they might start loving themselves. You never know, do you?
Superb Focus
Children are usually having a hard time focusing on one activity. If your child is very young, a specific activity might become boring after 10-15 minutes. Muay Thai for kids means concentrating and focusing on learning new skills and throwing strikes (at least in the training session).
Stamina
The kid who sits at home and plays video games all the time will have to deal with poor stamina, which could lead to obesity and other health issues. Muay Thai is an intense activity, so it will fix the levels of cardio for sure. Your kid will be able to play or take part in physical activity for a longer period.
Social Aspect
Muay Thai is a great way to interact with other children. If there are no social contacts in the early stages of life, your kid could become a weirdo (no, I am not joking). A good way to protect your kid from isolation, isn’t it?
Fighting Spirit
Kids usually easily surrender and cry when they can’t complete a task. But Muay Thai teachers usually don’t allow such things, because they tend to create warriors. If your child survives the first few months, it might learn to battle for its goals and ambitions.
Creating Idols and Developing a Never-Surrender Mentality
Some kids are ready to take one step further. If they turn into sports fans, they might copycat fighters and become obsessed with ancient Siamese martial art. When that happens, you should be happy, because your kid becomes more active and ready for real-life challenges in the later stages of life.
How To Start Training In Muay Thai As A Kid?
This is tricky, but you must trick your kid into enjoying and loving Muay Thai. If you kick off with professional sports talk, you’ll probably irritate your kid and create resistance.
Your child needs to learn to play Muay Thai in the first place. Show some entertaining clips to your kid, talk about the positive sides of Thai boxing. If it has been attacked or bullied in school, explain all benefits of the ancient Siamese martial art. If you have some background in martial arts, show some moves to your child at home and check reactions.
Sorry, but I can’t help you much here. Every kid is different, so you’ll have to be a good psychologist. I hope you know how to intrigue your child.
Benefits Of Learning Muay Thai For Kids
Where should I start? There are so many top-notch benefits of Muay Thai for kids. Oh, sorry, I will have to mention only the most important ones, please forgive me.
Reaction Time
The Muay Thai fighter is trained to react and cover up in the split of a second. If a cup starts falling off the desk, your kid might catch the object before it hits the floor.
Staying Calm Under Pressure
Muay Thai teaches you that marching forward and getting battered is normal. For example, you get up in the morning and drink a cup of coffee. Thai boxer goes to the training session, gets hit, and tolerates pain. If a bully pressures or provokes, the kid stays calm and reacts only if there is no other option. But it can take a hit, counterpunch, and put bully to sleep!
Self-Defense Skills
Thai boxing is a great way to protect yourself in all kinds of situations. Good for clinch, close-range, and long-range fighting, the ancient Siamese martial art will teach your child to protect its vital organs and survive bully attacks with ease.
Positive Effect on Coordination and Flexibility
Unorthodox striking patterns will make your kid’s balance/coordination skills rock. Thai boxing demands regular stretching routines. For example, if your child slips and falls, there will be fewer chances of fracturing bones or suffering harder injuries.
A Different Way of Thinking
In some cases, your kid might develop different thinking patterns. While a majority of kids play video games all day long, your kid could be interested in improving Muay Thai skills and putting performance to the next level. It might learn strikes via the internet.
Training Gear You Need For Your Child’s First Class
Many parents will get straight to the point and buy lovely Muay Thai shorts and gloves. This is an excellent choice if you want to keep your kid entertained. It will look very professional ahead of teammates, and the coach could be very happy with your approach.
But let me ask you a question. What does your kid want? Is your kid keen on becoming a professional fighter by any means necessary or it wants to enjoy playing Muay Thai? Sorry lads, but professional and recreational sports remind me of mixing apples and oranges. So, which approach is correct and why?
Muay Thai for kids rarely means professional sport, unless you and your child live in Thailand. So I will write you some guidelines for the kid’s first class:
- Basic T-shirt – you don’t need a particular brand, just a basic, comfortable t-shirt that allows plenty of movement.
- Pair of shorts – please, short-length pair. If your pair limits flexibility, it’s bad, because your kid won’t be able to kick to the body or head. The child might start crying or get demoralized and believe me, you don’t need resistance in the first training session.
- Bottle of water – rehydration is very important, and coaches will probably give 2 or 3 breaks per training session for this purpose. Just don’t let your child drink too much.
- Change of clothes – this is essential because a sweaty kid might get sick easily. Pack at least a t-shirt and joggers.
- Pair of flip-flops – you’ll see a soft padded floor (training area) in many gyms. Shoes and socks are not allowed in the training session. But if it wants to go to the toilet quickly, a pair of flip-flops will come in handy.
- Gym bag (optional) – it is easier to pack everything in a bag. I put this step as “optional” because you can’t know whether your kid will continue to train Muay Thai after the first class.
- Gym towel (optional) – you can mop the sweat off your kid, Muay Thai training sessions are intense.
Conclusion
Muay Thai for kids is a great way to have fun, but it’s not a professional sport. The wrong approach will affect your child negatively, and it might even hate the ancient Siamese martial art after the first lesson.
You must be methodical and tactical, sit and talk to your child. Explain the positive sides and values of Thai boxing, your kid will accept your pieces of advice if it sees benefits. For example, it is pointless to talk about traditional values, because your kid cannot understand you. But if it gets attacked in school, say that Muay Thai is a great way to destroy bullies. It’s a good first step, isn’t it?
Last Updated on May 21, 2022 by Deni
