From karate to Muay Thai

A karate background is a real head start: distance, timing, discipline, kicking power, and a front kick that is close to the teep. Expect to unlearn some things, though. The Muay Thai stance is taller and more square, with the weight towards the back leg so the front leg can check kicks. The roundhouse lands with the shin, not the instep or the ball of the foot, and the hip turns all the way through, หมุนสะโพก. There is no stopping for points: you keep going, and the clinch is a whole new game. The bow becomes a wai, the sensei a kru. If you have a black belt, mention it once, then train like a white belt. Thai trainers love a strong student who says เหมือนเริ่มใหม่.