The Phalanx

Can children learn Muay Thai boxing?

Muay Thai boxing is a martial art accessible to people of all ages, including children (girls and boys).

Following a suitable course in Muay Thai training, youngsters will benefit enormously from the inevitable physical and mental improvements.

Muay Thai boxing will improve a child’s self-confidence and self-awareness. As well as keep them quick and agile, healthy and strong.

It is not unusual for children in Thailand to start their training at a very young age. In fact, if there is hope for a high level of success in the ring it is essential to begin training at the earliest possible moment. For example, my two children Nina (11)and Christopher (9)already has a good idea of the various Muay Thai techniques and traditions. Naturally, at this age training is not at all intensive.  It is approached with a sense of fun as part of play.

Very young children are not encouraged to hurt one another.

Child Muay Thai boxers in Thailand

At twelve or thirteen years Muay Thai training becomes more serious in Thailand. Upcoming fighters are expected to demonstrate a certain level of commitment to the sport. At around this age a boxer in Thailand will often compete in his first stadium bout. To see children of this age (or even younger) display such high levels of courage, determination and self-motivated commitment is a humbling experience for most westerners looking back on themselves, and their own lives, at a similar age.

Stadium fighting is the only way for a Muay Thai fighter to properly test the techniques he has learned during his training sessions.

No amount of training can replace the hard lessons learned in the ring.

Although at the moment in Thailand it is common to see children competing professionally in the ring, I predict a change in the future. Children are very welcome to come and train with us at The Phalanx Thai Boxing, but for safety reasons we will only consider over 18s for professional competition (the exception at the moment being for Thai nationals where we have full parental consent).

Do child Muay Thai boxers risk injury?

You may have concerns regarding risk of injury to your child undertaking training in such a brutal sport. But this is a common misconception. A Muay Thai boxing match is risky as in most contact sports, but not the training.

Full-contact sparring is a normal part of Muay Thai training in Thailand

Yes, sometimes it hurts!

It's purpose is not to cause injury. Sparring, as with all aspects of Muay Thai training, is fully supervised and undertaken with a spirit of friendly co-operation. Trainees that persistently ignore instruction and spar with too much force or aggression, risking injury to themselves and their opponents, may be asked to stop training. If Muay Thai fighters regularly injured themselves during training, they would never be fit to fight!

Muay Thai kickboxing is a tough sport and the training will certainly toughen up your child.

Muay Thai training will not engender a violent nature in your child

In fact, he or she will learn quite the opposite kind of values. Young Thai boxers are noticeably more calm, reasonable and ready to negotiate than their unsporting peers, and much less prone to violence outside of the ring.