Arashi Do is very excited to announce our newest location on the Eastside at 12127 54 st.
This new dojo wil be run by BJJ Black Belt, Professor Neil Armstrong along with his wife, BJJ Purple Belt Shannon Armstrong. Muay Thai instruction will be done by Prof. Neil and Sunny (Harsh Paul) Singh who both have many years experience in Muay Thai (Sunny has also been to Thailand so that’s pretty cool too).
We are very excited for Prof. Neil and his family, all of whom train in the Martial Arts. Prof. Neil has a wealth of knowledge in BJJ and Muay Thai and is continuing to advance in both Arts. He is excited to have you come out and see just how incredibly fun and empowering Muay Thai can be for both kids and adults.
If you would like to get started now is the time. He is offering a 30% discount to the first 30 people to join with an annual membership (half of which have already been scooped up).
Contact us at nArmstrong@ArashiDo.com or call or text us at 780-217-5406 to reserve your spot
We have many people that come to our school that know very little about Muay Thai. They get the general idea about the punches and kicks part… aaaaand that’s about it. A lot of people get Muay Thai and Kickboxing mixed up as well. While they are close Martial Arts relatives there are quite a few distinctions to be made. Kickboxing technically focuses on Punches and Kicks above the waist… and that’s it.
Sometimes it is referred to as Continuous or Full Contact Karate/Tae Kwon Do. Over my years of teaching I have seen more and more schools start incorporating the techniques that separate Muay Thai from other striking arts to capitalize on its popularity. So lets get our list of what makes Muay Thai so different than Kickboxing, Karate, Kung Fu and Tae Kwon Do
Leg Kicks
The leg kick is widely known to be a Muay Thai fundamental technique. Beginners, older or less flexible people are able to use this move with effectiveness… and boy is it effective. A well placed leg kick will make an attacker reconsider his poor life decisions. The Leg Kick is Powerful, Fast and Efficient… and here’s a great story about it.
Rick (Duke) Roufus was a very well accomplished American Kickboxer heading into his match against Thai native Changpuek Kiatsongrit in his 1980’s competition under modified Muay Thai rules. If you watch the video below you can see how well the match starts off for him. By the the end of the fight, Changpuek’s leg kicks had served it’s purpose. Slowing down the dynamic Rick Roufus and limiting his ability to move or kick effectively. The video is 12:30 minutes long and worth every second of viewing time. Lawrence Kenshindid a great job of breaking down the fight video which shows in his plus 12 MILLION views.
Elbows
What Muay Thai lacks on punches (more on that in a bit) it gains in destructive Elbows. When the Elbow is bent it is as hard as a rock and as sharp as a sword… two things I really don’t want to get hit in the face with. The Thai’s have a crazy ability to stop fights with elbows and if you don’t go down after getting hit with one get ready for more elbows, each one threatening to cut your face open. I am surprised the plastic surgeons in Thailand don’t give prize bonuses to fighters. Incase you don’t believe me, or you just want to watch some buttery smooth slow motion of guys getting hit in the face with elbows…
Man that video just wants me to get up and sharpen up my elbows. Now back to why the punches aren’t as much of a thing in Muay Thai. You probably noticed, Thai’s are not very large people. Whenever I go to Thailand I get a lot of looks. My 6’2″ 225lb frame towers over even the tallest Thai’s. Most men are almost a foot shorter than me and 100lbs lighter. That means Thai’s often adopt a very high guard to protect their head. This hand position does not make it very effective to punch from, but boy are those elbows ready to go.
Don’t get me wrong, there are punches in Muay Thai, but they are not as polished as boxing and it really depend on your body type. One day I’ll do an article on Dutch vs. Thai style and hopefully I remember to link it HERE.
Knees
Knees… they hurt. Ever get kneed in the groin? It sucks. It’s even more painful than childbirth. (lol. jk. idk). If you go to any school that teaches women’s Self Defence this move is definitely one of the first ones covered. That said, there are no knees to the groin in Muay Thai, and it wouldn’t matter much ’cause the guys wear METAL GROIN CUPS! No joke and they are annoying to wear and awkward to put on.
Just like the elbows, knees are as hard as rocks. When you get hit with one it is definitely a memorable moment. I got hit in the ribs a few years ago the week before I went to Thailand. I ended up getting a cracked rib and it sucked so much to train with that. I was partnered up with a small girl at the end of class cause she didn’t have a partner. I was playing nice and a little too loose. She fired off a punch on my ribs and I collapsed. The trainers pointed and started laughing thinking I was making fun of her. When I started grabbing my side they realized it was legit.
Lesson learned for knees “It is better to give than receive”
Clinch
Clinch is one of those funny things that usually means stop fighting in other martial arts. But in Muay Thai it is a sought after position. It’s a place to rest if tired or hurt or you need to refocus… BUT DO NOT RELAX! The Thai’s have the ability to turn you upside down when they clinch you. I like clinch a lot… I mean A LOT. I am a BJJ Black Belt and clinch feels like home for me. That doesn’t stop the 5′, 120lb Thai trainers from making me do half of a frontflip. I can’t count how many times I thought I was going to land a sweet knee only to land on my head. I can’t wait… here’s a cool vid:
Do you get it? Like really, do you get it? The Muay Thai Clinch is such a dominating position. The timing Thai’s have is second to no one. If a Thai person starts to clinch you just start crying, wet yourself and hope they leave you alone. If you can master the Thai Clinch you will constantly have your partner freaking out about getting cut from elbows, broken ribs from knees or getting dumped on their head… it is such a great position to know…
… and ONLY MUAY THAI DOES IT!!! Crazy. Click HERE for a beginner clinch series we teach
Keep in touch with us through facebook and Instagramwhere I am always posting neat Martial Arts stuff. We also have news about our school HERE
If you aren’t one of our members yet, come on down and try us out. We have a great beginner class where you can learn these moves and of course lots more. Classes are Monday/Wednesday from 12-1pm and Tuesday/Thursday 8:15-9:30pm. Visit us atwww.ArashiDo.com We have many dojos in the Edmonton area.
With so many moves out there to learn in the Martial Arts like BJJ and Muay Thai, it is easy to try and collect them all. In that hurry it’s very easy to miss some of the details that will end up being bad habits down the road. In todays post we cover 3 common mistakes I see with the Cross.
The good news is, that with a little attention these are very simple problems to fix and once you do you should see an improvement with not only the power of your cross but the speed, range and balance as well.
Hopefully you get some value out of this video. If you have questions about this or other Muay Thai moves feel free to ask.
If you are looking for more info on Muay Thai…
Come down to Arashi Do Edmonton and try out one of our great programs like Muay Thai, Fundamental BJJ, Women’s Only BJJ or Children’s Muay Thai for ages 4-7 and 8-14.
We had some time the other day to shoot some clinch stuff the guys were working on and it turned out great! Not only that but the guys had a great time practicing it. Now it might look pretty rough to the untrained eye but I assure you that we built this up slowly and safely making sure everyone was comfortable falling and had a partner they could trust.
That said, this is a classic Muay Thai Clinch move and if you watch some Thai fights it will likely come out if the clinch happens… and it is a great move for self defence, one of the things that we focus on at Arashi Do North.
This particular clinch move doesn’t focus on too many strike to set it up but that doesn’t mean you can’t do a few knees to distract and off balance your opponent. This is one of the reasons it makes it a great move for self defence, it doesn’t take much to make it work well. We even had some brand new guys in the back of the video that were able to do it on their first day.
With the great weather we have been having this summer you would think class sizes are small, but they have been great. We do have room for a few extra bodies on the mat and if you would like to learn some cool moves like this or build your confidence while learning to defend yourself then this is the place for you.
Come down to Arashi Do Edmonton and try out one of our great programs like Muay Thai, Fundamental BJJ, Women’s Only BJJ or Children’s Muay Thai for ages 4-7 and 8-14.
In оrdеr fоr уоu tо рrасtісе Muау Thаі do уоu nееd tо bе fіt аnd hеаlthу? While it helps and will make you first several classes more enjoyable, it is not a priority. If you’ve been using the excuse of “I want to make sure I am in good shape before I join” then you are really missing out.
Practicing Muay Thai is not something you can do in the Gym. Lifting weights and running on the treadmill will not make you any better at Muay Thai and does not replicate a typical Muay Thai class. You will be very disappointed if you think the Gym will get you ready for class.
What can you Expect your First Couple Classes?
Each dojo (Martial Arts Gym) is going to be a little different so it’s important that you find a dojo that fits your personality. Are you looking for Self Defense, Sport or Fitness? I can’t speak for other dojos but I can run you through a typical class at Arashi Do.
Warm up – I like to mix things up a bit, but we typically start with skipping. Not the long rounds that is common in other schools, just a few minutes. This give me time to change from my last class (BJJ) and throw on my Muay Thai Armour… my shorts (they’re pretty awesome). Once I jump on the mats we will do a variety of calisthenics but I really try to mix it up. I have done and run over 10,000 warm ups since I started so I get bored easily. The goal is to get you warmed up but have you smiling and thinking “I gotta try that move, it looks neat and different”. I always reach my goal.
Are you ready to start?
The Main Lesson – Every month I have a different theme. Last month was Clinch and Dirty Boxing for Muay Thai, this month is using Head Movement for Self Defense and applying it to Muay Thai. This is the part where we build and develop the skill set for the month. As the month progresses we make sure to review everything we’ve done the last few class so we don’t forget (Side Note: you forget 75% of what you learn within 24 hours if you don’t review it. That number drops down to less than 20% if reviewed within 24 hours). Then the newer skill is added on.
Application – Depending on your skill level you will either spar using the moves we are developing while working them into your regular game or if you don’t have the tools to spar yet you work on sparring drills that develop great habits. We spend a fair amount of time here. This is the most valuable part of class, being able to apply what you’ve learned and see what works right away and what needs attention.
Extras – Sometimes class will incorporate Heavy Bag work or Pad work to get an extra workout. I will usually throw in some extra crazy push ups or ab work to really make you sweat.
Cool Down – Typically class runs about an hour and a bit so we don’t have formal streching time in class, but the group is getting much better about sticking around and stretching, foam rolling, work the heavy bags or pads a bit or just hanging out and socializing. This is the best time to ask for personal help on moves that challenge you or share ideas.
Click Here for your FREE 5 Lesson Mini Course
What can YOU do to get Ready? Some exercises are pretty widely accepted for improving your conditioning. Push Ups, Crunches, Skipping, Squats… and lots of stretching. Click here for a quick 5 lesson video! This will be much more beneficial than spending time in the gym. Knowledge is power. Learn these basic moves and the first class will be a breeze.
If you are reading this far you can see nothing was mentioned about needing to be in great shape when you start… man, you don’t even need to be in good shape. You just need to start. Losing weight and improved Fitness is a byproduct of training in Muay Thai. On top of that you will find a HUGE increase to your confidence and mental well being. Don’t put it off any longer.
Come down to Arashi Do Edmonton and try out one of our great programs like Muay Thai, Fundamental BJJ, Women’s Only BJJ or Children’s Muay Thai for ages 4-7 and 8-14.
Unfortunately, you can’t get any good at Muay Thai just by kicking the punch bag that’s hung up in your garage. The beauty of the sport comes from being able to throw down in a bout on the mat, be able to anticipate your opponents next move and counter, take a pounding and get back up to take the fight. You can’t do any of this with your punch bag, unless of course you’ve invented one that does all that in which case cash in now.
Realistically, you’ll be needing a training partner. Here we highlight some key characteristics to look for in a training partner, as it shouldn’t just be someone you’ll enjoy kicking the crap out of. Good training partners are really hard to come by, so when you find some, it’s a good idea to hold on to them in the most bro-mantic way possible.
1. Get Around
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In an ideal world you’ll have three training partners. Don’t worry, it’s perfectly acceptable to be a Muay Thai bigamist and train with more than one person in violent matrimony. Having three is the best policy, but they need to be at different levels.
First up, you need someone who is worse than you. This guy is going to be your confidence booster, making you feel invincible. As well as that, he is going to learn from you and you are going to teach him, and it’s surprising how similar these processes are. You learn a hell of lot through teaching others, so this guy is really important.
Next, comes the guy who is the same as you. This is the partner you’ll be spending most of your training time with. The other two partners are like your bits on the side, where this guy is the real deal. This should be someone you can bounce off of, build you up and get real into it. You need to be able to feel comfortable winning and losing with this partner.
Lastly, you need a guy that’s better than you, a guy that is going to wipe the floor with you every single time. This partner is to bring you back down to earth, stop you getting cocky and most of all prove to you that there is always scope for improvement in your game. He gives something to aspire to, and a goal for your training, think of the satisfaction when you finally submit them!
2. Banter
Banter really does make the world go round. If everyone was overly polite and extremely nice to each other then it would be a boring place. Your main training partner has to be able to give and take the banter. If you get on well with the partner then your training will become infinitely more enjoyable and you’ll see the results in that when it comes to your training outputs. Little quips and jibes help motivate you as well, they give you something to prove wrong and can rile you up to wipe the smile of their face!
3. Build
Last of all, but by no means least, it’s important to find a partner who is a similar height, weight and muscle mass to yourself. Not only does this minimize advantages that can come by one person being stronger than the other, it just plain makes sense. If you watch UFC or know anything about bouts, you’ll know that matches fall into categories and these categories are defined by weight. If you start sparring with someone a few categories above or below you, you’ll struggle when you’re across the ring from someone your own size. By training with the partner that is in your weight category, you’ll be standing the best chance of transferring what you learnt from practice to the ring.
Come down to Arashi Do Edmonton and try out one of our great programs like Muay Thai, Fundamental BJJ, Women’s Only BJJ or Children’s BJJ for ages 4-7 and 8-14.
Just like all other full contact martial arts, injuries in Muay Thai are a given. You will hardly find someone who practices Muay Thai and doesn’t have a bruise or a minor injury of some kind. Whether it was a minor shoulder or a tweaked knee, injuries can keep you out of the gym.
With the modern lifestyle, the poor posture in which you have to work is the center of problems that leads to muscles either being too active or too inactive. You may have heard people complaining about their hips, lower backs and weak glutes. Add Muay Thai training and you have yourself a recipe for back issues and hips-related issues. The hard training exercises that Muay Thai practitioners have to endure require that their muscles be given the right posture and relaxation exercise to heal and repair.
A Heal Yourself Tool
One of the ways to prevent such injuries is using the correct posture with foam rolling. Foam rolling is a self-Myofascial release technique that can be used by you at home as a physical therapy treatment. It is used by athletes and Muay Thai fighters to inhibit overactive muscles. The stretching and the form utilize the concept of autogenic inhibition to relax the muscles, improve tissue extensibility and allow the antagonist muscles to activate.
A foam roller is your very own personal deep tissue massager that you can use any time after a Muay Thai session. It provides soft tissue therapy that improves the quality of the muscles you are rolling on it, relaxes that particular muscle, and gets rid of the knots of that target muscle.
It is important to foam roll using the proper technique. You need to focus on the muscle you want roll and wait till you find a knot. You must do the roll slowly and gently for at least 30 to 60 seconds, back and forth in order to give the muscle time. It may be painful depending on the condition of the muscle but the pain goes away. The more you foam roll the muscle, more the muscle tissue improves.
Foam rolling is fast, easy and effective. You don’t even need to go see a physiotherapist as this can be easily done at home. However it will be a good idea to consult your Muay Thai instructor to learn the right form of foam rolling. You don’t want to do it wrong and end up with another injury, never hesitate to ask questions from your instructor; after all, you are paying him for a physical session and it is his/her job to ensure that you learn the ways of foam rolling. If the instructor doesn’t know about foam rolling then you can consult your gym’s fitness trainers as they will be well versed in the ways of foam rolling.
If you want to work your major muscles then a foam roller is all you need. However, if you want to pinpoint a muscle group then you can even use a tennis ball. At Arashi Do Martial Arts in Edmonton, our Muay Thai instructors teach their students the best ways to recover from sessions, including the use of a foam roller. This Self-Myofascial release technique is excellent for muscle relaxation and repair.
Come down to Arashi Do Edmonton and try out one of our great programs like Muay Thai, Fundamental BJJ, Women’s Only BJJ or Children’s BJJ for ages 4-7 and 8-14.
Muay Thai is one of the toughest sports in the world, both physically and mentally. Muay Thai training requires you to use every part of your body; almost all of your muscles are used. With high-speed full power techniques, Muay Thai requires its practitioner to bring their A-game to every session. If you are looking to get fit in a wau that is not boring and learn self-defense on the side, Muay Thai is a great choice for you.
A Fun & Challenging Sport
Anyone wanting to reach their fitness goals in a fun and challenging way will find Muay Thai right up their alley. The training regimen includes a combination of muscle toning exercises and aerobic activities. This will kick start the fat burning process of even the laziest person, giving metabolism a much-needed boost it needs.
Physical Fitness & Weight Loss
A lot of people start training Muay Thai for the physical benefits of its training regimen. This is a highly physical sport and therefore requires a lot of strenuous exercises. These help increase your endurance and shape the body. The training requires a combination of strength, core, cardio and stretching exercises, as well as sparring. This combination makes Muay Thai training one of the toughest in the world of martial arts.
Muay Thai is known as the ’art of eight limbs’; hands, elbows, feet and knees, increasing the strength and flexibility of these parts. As with all Martial Arts, you require regular practice to help condition your body and lose your love handles! The different techniques of kicking, punching and blocking require flexibility and stamina. These require both power and speed, making you gain strength and resilience over time.
Muay Thai is also an excellent form of cardio. As you train, you will burn more calories due to the different exercises required for flexibility and strength. The best part of it all is that this cardio does not have you running endless, mindless miles on the track or treadmill. Most people quit their daily cardio sessions because they get bored of just walking or running. You won’t one of them.
A Physical Activity You Enjoy
It is very important that you incorporate a physical activity that you enjoy into your daily routine. Motivation plays a major factor in anyone’s fitness program; rest assured that with Muay Thai you will be challenged physically and mentally on a regular basis. Performing new techniques or similar ones with better form, greater strength and speed will keep you interested for as long as you practice Muay Thai.
At Arashi Do Martial Arts in Edmonton Alberta Canada, you can train with the best Muay Thai Kru (or Master). We feature an adult training program that is specifically designed for people looking for a fun and challenging fitness regimen. We train you just the way the ancient Thai Masters trained their pupils. With our structured training program, we make learning Muay Thai easy and fast. No matter what your fitness level is, our Muay Thai training will deliver you to the land of fantastic fitness!
We have a large variety of class times to choose from for those with a busy schedule. Email us at myackulic@arashido.com for more info.
Come down to Arashi Do Edmonton and try out one of our great Brazilian programs like Fundamental BJJ, Women’s Only BJJ or Children’s BJJ for ages 4-7 and 8-14.
If you’re a Muay Thai practitioner, or just a Muay Thai fan, then you’ll that the fights knuckle down to your kicking ability. Due to the large amount of low kicks as well as high, it’s important to know how to check your opponent’s legs, blocking with your shins to take the brunt of the force and stop them scoring points. There are few important tips and tricks to remember when you are checking kicks, to help protect yourself and also your opponent.
Check Me Out…
Checking is a blocking movement, it’s their to protect the areas that are most vulnerable in a Muay Thai bout like your kidneys, ribs and thighs. Being able to check well, is meant to deter the guy across the mat from you trying to knock you down like a concrete post. Even the slightest hint that you are ready to check can be enough to prevent your sparring partner from launching into an attack, putting them on the back foot and leaving them open for you to dominate.
Checking is a simple movement; depending on the angle of the attack you bring your knee up to your elbow, closing down the target area. You hands move up to protect either side of your head in a roundhouse guard position. It’s the equivalent of going fetal, but standing up.
Check Yourself Before You Wreck Yourself…
Where it does sound simple, there are a few areas where you can go a little wrong. If you do get a check wrong, it’s going really hurt, either yourself or your opposition.
Firstly, it’s important to angle your leg in the right way when you go for a check. Your body has the least amount of protective fat over your shinbone, the front of that is almost sheer bone. It’s important to angle your leg at 45 degrees to you opponent to avoid possible nasty leg breaks. If you angle the leg the kick hits the fleshier, muscular area of your lower leg, cushioning the blow for both parties.
A prime example of getting the angles wrong is Anderson Silva’s break against Chris Weiderman in a UFC Championship match. Weiderman angle his leg facing directly at Silva, meaning Silva hit bone with full force as he went to land a routine low kick. Silva’s leg snapped, ending the match and putting his previously successful career on hiatus, emphasizing the importance of defending the right way.
Secondly, you need to stand strong. If you check and take a kick when you’re off balance on your one supporting leg, you’re going to find yourself introduced to Mr Floor and shortly acquainted with your opponents rear naked choke. Game over. Employ some strength and conditioning training to work on your balance and your quads so stop a routine block turning into a sweep from your opposition.
Finally, remember that is knee up to the elbow for the block, not the other way around. If you bring your elbow down to your knee not only is your block much weaker, but you open yourself up to take a kick to the head or shoulder area. By keeping your hands held high you face remains protected and your posture is much stronger lowering the chance of hitting the deck.
If you‘re fascinated in learning Muay Thai, Call or Text Arashi Do Martial Arts North Edmonton at 780-220-5425. We offer a 30 Day FREE Trial and a Free Training DVD just for coming in.
Every martial art teaches many things but the most valuable quality that a student learns is patience. This is a virtue that is important when handling difficult situations. This is a quality that many people lack but it can be learned and honed by training Muay Thai.
Muay Thai is a full contact combat sport that requires its practitioner to undergo blows that can cause pain and injuries. These are a part of Muay Thai and anyone who takes up this sport knows what he/she is getting into. To undergo such hard-hitting blows, you have to be patient and have strong willpower. Even though good body conditioning comes in handy too but if you don’t have the patience to stand and fight till the end, you will not become a good Muay Thai fighter.
You may have noticed that martial artists are among the most patient people in the world. Even though they have the skills and techniques to beat anyone up they always show restraint and a calm demeanor. Patience is at the core of every martial art and Muay Thai is no different.
If you have seen Muay Thai championships then you are aware of the amount of beating these guys have to endure. They have to push each other to their limits and whoever is able to stand and deliver the strongest blows wins in the end. You will note that they never lose their temper and start swinging their arms and legs aimlessly at each other.
No matter how hard the opponent strikes them, they will fight through the pain, be patient and wait for the perfect opportunity to strike back. Patience is important for successful counterattacks and if you ever find yourself in a Muay Thai sparring match then you will realize its importance. If you lose your temper then you will start swinging your body at your opponent without proper form and technique. This will either leave you with a bad injury or it will give your opponent the perfect opportunity to hit you for points in their favor. You will lose focus and get disheartened with your Muay Thai training.
Patience is also a quality that makes you a good teacher/instructor. If you are looking for a career in teaching then you will know how kids can get on a person’s nerves. Even though children are quick learners they still require time and focus to be taught properly. Scolding and hitting them is out of the question as it is both morally wrong and counterproductive. An important aspect of Muay Thai training is that you don’t only learn to be patient in the ring or the gym you train at, but also in your everyday life affairs. Whether it is your relationship, parents, driving on the road, school or college, you will learn to be more forgiving and understanding with the people around you.
Always remember, ‘from strength learn patience, through patience, strength will prevail!’
This is our primary focus at Arashi Do Martial Arts in Edmonton. We teach our Muay Thai students the ways of a true Muay Thai fighter, to be patient, forgiving and above all, become a better human being.
If you‘re fascinated in learning Muay Thai, Call or Text Arashi Do Martial Arts North Edmonton at 780-220-5425. We offer a 30 Day FREE Trial and a Free Training DVD just for coming in.
Muay Thai Training in Edmonton & Area 