Muay Thai

It's believed that Muay Thai originated in the 18th century and was originally known as Muay or Siamese-Style boxing. There have been changes and modernization over time. These changes mostly affected how fighters interact. For example, they began using hemp rope and then gloves, whereas original Muay was bare-knuckle.

This martial art is known as the Art of Eight Limbs, but a more accurate title would be Eight Contacts. Western boxing has two contact points: the fists. Kickboxing has four contact points: the fists and feet. Muay Thai doubles your options while being infinitely more versatile.

You can use your fists, feet, elbows, and knees. You can use all eight powerful combat points and it's often encouraged to become more flexible to make better use of the knees and elbows. While power is important, you'll find that flexibility has the same reverence.

Another major difference between this and Western boxing is the use of clinching. Fighters can clinch their opponent, or hold them, and unleash any combat point that suits the situation. Whether that's a knee to the face, a punch to the head or side, or a kick to the legs, you are free to pummel your opponent as needed.

Since this martial art uses all parts of your body, you'll experience increased upper and lower body strength through punches, kicks, knees, and other moves on pads, heavy bags, and through sparring. Along with more muscle mass, your muscles will have increased stamina and durability. You can strike for longer periods of time without fatigue.

Flexibility is an important tool in Muay Thai. You cannot effectively punch, kick, elbow, or knee an opponent unless you can move your body freely. We'll work on loosening up your joints and making it easier to move your body without pain or restriction.

Learning to defend yourself comes with a variety of benefits. Many people experience heightened levels of confidence as they learn how to defend themselves and to use their body as a weapon when necessary. This often results in lowered anxiety and better self-esteem, which in itself are rewards worth the price of admission.

Lastly, but by no means less important, you'll notice improved cardio. You'll be working out for a long time and using your body in strenuous ways. Your body will learn to adapt, and you'll feel less and less fatigue as the weeks go on. This will give you heightened energy along with better performance in your daily life.

The above section might sound scary to beginners because the last thing you want to experience is a knee to the face. This class is more about conditioning and getting used to how combinations and timing work with this martial art.

You'll find that the beginner's class is a fun, basic introduction to this brutal martial art. You'll learn about the eight combat points, but more importantly, you'll learn how to use them in succession for effective combos. Along with learning how to strike with all eight points, you'll also learn how to work with partners and hold pads.

We will introduce you to simple but effective 2-4 strike combos. We hold 2-3 minute rounds to ensure students understand our formula of pad work, consistency, tempo, and combinations. The most important factor is safety. Your safety is important to us, so every student will understand how to fight and spar without hurting another student. We want you to have fun, not get injured.

While we urge all newcomers to take the beginner's course and learn the basics of striking, safety, and combinations, we have several different classes depending on your skill level. From intermediate to advanced, you can ascend to higher difficulties as you learn more about this martial art. We also hold mixed classes where practitioners of different skill levels will come together.

Whether this is your first class or you're an experienced fighter and looking for a new place to train, we welcome people of all skill levels and we have a class for you. Feel free to contact us if you have any questions about our classes.

• Classes for all skill levels, from beginners to the advanced

• Learn about the basic strikes and how to effectively use all eight combat points of your body

• Improved strength and cardio, along with increased confidence and self-esteem

• Work with other students and function in a group as you learn about sparring and safety

• Learn from trained instructors who can help you advance and answer all your questions

Whether you're a beginner or an advanced practitioner, you'll find that Renzo Gracie Muay Thai has everything you need to learn more about this martial art. We'll go through conditioning exercises, combinations, and a comprehensive view of Muay Thai so that you can effective practice this martial art and use it in any situation. Contact us to set up an appointment and start your martial arts journey.

Pair with Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu

Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ) is the perfect pair for Muay Thai. While Muay Thai might be the ultimate striking art, it doesn't work very well on the ground. If you want to learn about grappling, holds, locks, and being as effective on the ground as you are standing up, consider taking one of our BJJ classes.