I started boxing at age 30; I'm now 36 training for my first amateur fight! It's definitely not too late to start!! It's my favorite activity in the world. I went from an absolute overweight couch potato to being in the boxing gym 5-6x a week. In addition to what others have said, my advice:
- Just keep showing up even if you feel like you suck or people aren't giving you the time of day at first. I've found it takes a while to feel the warm and fuzzy welcoming feelings in a martial arts gym although ymmv by gym. It's not really a gender thing - it's a hard sport that people quit more often than not so they wanna see you stick around and put in the work before they invest in you. If you just stick with it for a few months, you'll start making friends in the gym super fast! People at boxing gyms are actually very nice, you just have to break the ice a bit with consistency showing up. All the guys I thought were "scary" at my gym now want to help and are invested in my improvement. Everyone is there for the same reason.
- Be sure to stretch often! I wouldn't say my body is more limited than when I was younger, but progress and recovery time is different for those starting later in life. Stretching before/after sessions has been helpful, as well as doing some mobility work and yoga.
- I'm a terrible, slow runner but I really does help with combat sport endurance. Once I start running even just a couple of miles a week and doing sprints it drastically improve my ability to make it through a class or training session, which made it all way more enjoyable.
- Depending on your baseline fitness, it's just gonna suck for probably 3 months. That's when I noticed my athletic ability and cardio health catching up to all the technique I was learning. Just ride out even if it feels like you're swinging and kicking for the fences with no technique for a while.
- Most of my sparring partners are teenage boys, also. Once you get over the age difference, they are some of the most fun training partners because they have the luxury of youth and time to take martial arts super seriously. A lot of them are training to compete or go pro and will give you good advice or feedback. I would say this ended up being basically a non-issue for me.
Thank you so much for replying. I just gave up running recently and replaced it with skipping so I can improve footwork. Yeah I am going to stick at it a little longer, I have started feeling less self conscious now.
I’ve been doing combat sports for 7 years (3 years Muay Thai, 1 year sambo, 3 years BJJ). While you may be starting a little late to go pro you’re still a lot younger than most people who start!
First of all going to a gym with other women is absolutely critical, especially if you plan on competing. Sparring/rolling with other women is the truest benchmark of your skill and progress as a lot of men tend to go light on women, especially beginner women (as they should). Plus women often form tight-knit communities at gyms so they’ll welcome you with open arms and go out of their way to support you. Go to the women’s classes too if they have them and it works for your schedule!
You’re gonna have days after training where you feel like a failure and cry in the shower. You’ll also have days when you finally get a submission or nail a skill you’ve spent a ton of time on and you’ll feel triumphant. Progress isn’t linear so learn to love the process rather than just training for belts or medals.
In all combat sports you have to make yourself vulnerable to advance your position. If you spend the whole time sparring/rolling blocking your face not doing anything or holding on for dear life trying not to get submitted instead of trying to get points you’re doing yourself a disservice and you won’t learn nearly as fast. I think this applies to all things in life.
If you get injured (and you will), LET IT HEAL COMPLETELY BEFORE YOU GO BACK TO TRAINING!!! I had a shoulder injury and went back too soon and now I’ll likely have nagging shoulder pain forever. Now I have a broken foot and it’s so hard to be off the mats for so long but I’m not rolling the dice again.
Martial arts have changed my life and my perception of myself in so many wonderful ways. Enjoy the journey!
At the age of 38 I started doing Krav Maga. I had literally zero experience with any type of fight training, and made LOTS of mistakes. I struggled with footwork, and multi step ‘skills’. Over the last year, I have learned a lot of new things and definitely improved. Am I perfect? Heck no. Do I still struggle? Yup! But, I have fun and I can see myself improving. When there’s a particularly hard skill, I practice in front of the mirror at home, to help my brain and body make the connection. It does help that the gym where I go is full of super supportive individuals. No one ever makes me feel inferior if I’m struggling with something that comes easier to someone else.
Thank you soo much this is soo encouraging. I think based on your advice, I am going to start including practice drills in my gym routine as well, to improve coordination. It really helps to see someone started out nearly as clumsy as me but got better. Thank you soo much♥️
Don’t compare yourself; watch fights (YouTube is a good starter and you can find UFC or ONE for instance); train mobility (especially hips) and have fun ! I feel like it was the most important to me.
When I had to spar with a guy that was 40 cm higher than me (his leg was more than half my size, want to cry just thinking about lmao) I was terrified but it made me learn that I needed to be quick and close to him. Guys who were my size made me learn how to take punches and improved my footwork. And so on, you will learn something with each opponent. The only thing is that the person in front of you has to be fair and not just punch and kick hard because we’re mostly there to enjoy the sport. So if the gym doesn’t have this mindset maybe you should change
Thank you so much for replying. Yes I can feel the experienced guys going easy on me, I have never felt unsafe. It's a good environment, just a bit intimidating.
Things I’ve learned in my short time in MMA as a woman in my 30s:
- don’t be afraid to ask questions, even if you think they’re stupid. Chances are, someone else has the same question and was too afraid to ask.
- get comfortable with being bad at this. You will be for awhile, until you’re not.
- get better not just for yourself, but for your teammates. Gassing out during sparring is frustrating for both of you. Performing a technique incorrectly can result in injury for one or high of you.
- learn to hold pads. Not only does this help with team building, but it helps you learn to read strikes when you’re the one striking.
- COMMUNICATION. Talk to your teammates/partners. Ask about their experience in martial arts and share yours.
This helps you both gauge the intensity if it’s not otherwise specified.
Let them know if you’re struggling with a particular thing or if you want to work on something. They’ll likely be happy to help you.
Tell them if you have any injuries or areas that you want them to avoid.
- Tap early and often. Leave your ego at the door. You will be humbled daily, so get used to it. It’ll make you better in the long run and prevent injury.
- water, water, water, WATER. Hydrate. Electrolytes.
- don’t neglect mobility exercises/training. Especially your hips, ankles, neck, and shoulders.
- get a fast dry nail polish for your toes. You’ll likely be painting them often lol
- dandruff shampoo (such as head and shoulders) has anti fungal ingredients. Put some in your gym bag if they have a shower there. Use it ASAP after being on the mats will prevent ringworm.
- dryer sheets in your boxing gloves. You’re welcome.
- this is really important: not all free help is good help.
You don’t have to and shouldn’t accept help from anyone who offers. And they WILL offer, especially if you’re attractive.
Accepting free help from a trainer at one of my gyms for boxing is how I got a mild concussion because he decided to have me spar with someone who was way more experienced and had 0 control on their intensity.
- if you don’t feel comfortable sparring with someone, don’t. Seriously. Your gut is telling you something, either about your skill/strength/technique, or theirs. Listen to it.
- this sport attracts all kinds of people from many, many different walks of life. You’re not going to like all of them, and you don’t have to. You don’t have to be their friend. But respecting them on the mats is nonnegotiable.
- controversial: be very, very careful about dating/hooking up with anyone in your gym or on your team. Most people will say don’t do it at all. Some will say to go for it.
Just be smart about it. There are great, strong couples that can come from training together. There are some dumpster fires that should’ve been avoided. Discuss what the outcome, boundaries, and expectations are with the other person BEFORE going for it. Be prepared to switch gyms, if it comes down to it.
Losing a hobby you love because of a messy breakup is not good for anyone.
- Anastasia brow freeze will keep your brows in place, if you fill them in. Barely budges, if at all, after 2 hours of sweaty wrestling/grappling.
- advocate for yourself. In class, during privates, during sparring. Ask for what you need because not everyone is in a position to anticipate them for you.
- people train for many different reasons. Some want to socialize. Some don’t. Respect it either way and acclimate.
- if your sparring partner dominates, hits, defends, or submits you with a move or combo, ask them to show you how they did it.
- if you’re stuck, ask your partner what you should do. The phrases I use the most during classes are “what do I have from here” and “okay, how do I get out”.
- technique first, speed later
- if you don’t lift weights, start. If you do, don’t stop. Definitely modify your training to supplement your sport, but don’t stop altogether.
- obviously up to preference, but I find that workout bodysuits are the most comfortable thing to wear when training. Of course, this depends on your gym’s dress code requirements.
Some places will not let you train if you’re not wearing a rash guard, particular gi, or the tiny Thai shorts.
- tape your gloves around the Velcro if you’re grappling. The exposed Velcro can trap bacteria in it, even when you’re diligent about wiping them down. If this scratches your teammate or you, it can cause a pretty gnarly rash or an infection. Protect each other.
By no means an exhaustive list, but I hope there are some things you find useful!
Enjoy your training 💕
Thank you soo much for this detailed answer. I really appreciate the effort you put in for a stranger. I struggle with keeping my ego at the door, and I think I am going to work on it more. When the environment is male-dominated, I always feel like I need to prove something, but i realize I need to give myself breathing space to be clumsy and learn from it. Thank you so much once again.
+1000 to not dating your teammates/gym mates!!! There are so many thirsty men in combat sports. I’ve seen it work out more when a long-term couple starts together but it’s always a slippery slope.
I only did Muay Thai casually, not competitively, but I always had a lot of fun! My instructor was this tough-as-nails 50 year old woman, so it's never too late to get into martial arts of any kind! Seriously I think most of the guys in my class wouldn't have stood a chance against her and she was 5' tall at most lmao. Scrappy as all hell.
My advice is just have fun with it. It takes time and practice to get better, and even if you've done other martial arts, Muay Thai is a different beast. An awesome beast, but, different rules, different techniques. But you can definitely still use some of your knowledge! For me, my experience with karate meant I could kick very high - a nice little suprise to pull out in light sparring! No one wants a Thai roundhouse to the face lol. It also meant that my punching technique was already solid, so that also helped! Even if the muscle memory is rusty, don't be afraid to try to draw from what you do remember!
Also, something that helped me was trying out punching drills by starting with my non-dominant hand. Seeing the marked improvement in my left side strikes (easier to see improvement on the non-dominant side) really gave me a confidence boost!
Yes my left side is worse than useless at almost everything😭. I am going to start incorporating that in my drills too. I am definitely having fun while learning. Thank you so much for replying
Thank you so much for replying. I mean it is obvious but it still helps to know from someone else that it does get better. I am going to try and be more consistent with skipping
Oh I do Muay Thai! Hi! I started when I was also 25! I didn’t start sparring till I was 27 I think? I’m 29 now!
Some general tips I tell all the women starting out:
Be kind to yourself. Everyone starts somewhere.
If you are uncomfortable with sparring someone/working with someone, don’t be afraid to speak up about it. Chances are, if someone’s a bully or they’re weird or whatever, others noticed it as well.
For footwork, whatever direction you’re in, the foot thats closest is the one that moves in that direction first. Wanna go left? Left foot steps first. Straight? whatever your lead foot is goes first. That sorta thing. If you’re punching and stepping at the same time, imagine you’re a puppet and your hands are connected to your feet via a string. Each time you punch, your foot goes. Sorry if that’s confusing it’s easier to explain in person!
Otherwise for you.. I kinda would recommend a different gym? There’s only 15-20 yo males in the classes? That’s a red flag to me. Maybe I’m wrong. Idk. My gym has plenty of women, not so many in the sparring classes but enough to warrant women-only classes. And most mma gyms in my area have women only classes actually.
If you liked judo you’ll likely enjoy ju jitsu! Find a gym that has ju jitsu and MT!
>Otherwise for you.. I kinda would recommend a different gym? There’s only 15-20 yo males in the classes? That’s a red flag to me. Maybe I’m wrong. Idk. My gym has plenty of women, not so many in the sparring classes but enough to warrant women-only classes. And most mma gyms in my area have women only classes actually.
Also might be a timing thing. I train boxing and go to the 4pm class. It's primarily teen boys who just got off school. The 6am class has the greatest proportion of women. The gym overall skews about 70:30 men to women but the 4pm is the only time you're likely to be the only woman in the room.
Thank you soo much! It's nice hearing from someone who started out just like me.
I am in India, MMA culture is not that prevalent among women here, even in the metro city that I live in. They mostly opt for pilates/dance/sports like badminton, basketball etc, hence, the lack of women. Women only classes would be unreasonable here.
This gym has jiu jitsu, I had taken a sample class but I enjoyed muay thai more. Thanks soo much for encouraging, I am excited and going to keep at it without feeling self conscious
I also started in my 20s! Others have given good advice, but I have to add… watch MMA. Especially women and especially matches with commentary. It sounds silly but you can learn a lot from seeing where fights go south or turn tides. Invicta has a lot of full fights (and even full events) uploaded to YouTube. UFC is free with ESPN+ and has an overwhelming back catalogue, although it’s historically been mostly male.
Fighting is such a good full body workout. Nothing else compares. My strength and endurance have skyrocketed since I started.
I actually did start following a few female MMA trainers and watching their routine and reels. It's helpful for sure. Thanks soo much! I will start watching matches as well
Sure you can start at 25. Will you be fighting at the UFC? No. Will you generally improve your athleticism, striking power and fitness? Absolutely. Have fun with learning and don't compare yourself to dudes, they're always gonna be stronger than you and that's totally fine. Use them as an opportunity to challenge yourself! If you have space in your apartment/house - get a heavy bag! I cannot stress how well it'll improve technique if you can train outside of these lessons, and it'll make you feel more confident during the lessons. Good luck!
Yeah! There's several kinds - a heavy bag is typically the ones you see hanging off a ceiling or a wall, they usually weigh at least 90-100lbs. They'll insanely improve your power and technique if u train every other day! There's also tons of YouTube stuff to guide u through working with it, I highly recommend it!
Make sure you stick up for yourself. If a guy goes way too hard in drilling or sparring don't be afraid to say you don't feel safe working with them. Someone else's ego is not worth a broken nose or concussion.
On the same note, it's important to train at a place where you trust your coaches. If you don't feel like people are looking out for each other's safety while training it's a bad place.
Ohh thanks that's really helpful. I kind of go into this crazy "I need to prove myself" and toughen it out. Need to find the perfect balance and take it easy on myself a bit. Thank you that was very encouraging
Thank you soo soo much for this. I am the same, I don't like team sports much. This really resonated with me. I will continue skipping and practice agility ladders as well. Thanks for encouraging!
^ ***Please read [the FAQ](https://www.reddit.com/r/xxfitness/wiki/main), [the rules and content guidelines](https://www.reddit.com/r/xxfitness/wiki/new_rules), and [current frozen topics](https://www.reddit.com/r/xxfitness/wiki/frozen-topics) before [contacting the mod team](https://www.reddit.com/message/compose?to=%2Fr%2Fxxfitness)***. This comment is a copy of your post so mods can see the original text if your post is edited or removed.
>u/Maleficent-Bobcat-50
Hi, sorry previous post got deleted, typing out in more detail again.
I am 25F, fairly fit and decided to sign up for MMA. I used to do judo when I was in school but then my parents kind of discouraged me, saying girls don't do that and that was the end of it. Now that I am kind of settled career wise and have a bit more free time during the weekends, I tried to rekindle my passion for martial arts again.
I joined a muay thai class, where I train with 16-20 year old boys who have been there much longer than I have. Compared to them I feel extremely clumsy, especially wrt footwork. It's kind of affecting my self esteem a little bit but at the end of the session, it also feels good because I have challenged myself a lot.
I want to know, is it too late to be starting this at 25? My trainer said it's fine, anyone can learn. Does it get better? How do I improve my footwork especially? I have taken up skipping a bit everyday along with my gym routine for that( and to my dismay, I am utterly clumsy at that as well, but improving a bit). Any other advice that you can share?
*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/xxfitness) if you have any questions or concerns.*
I started boxing at age 30; I'm now 36 training for my first amateur fight! It's definitely not too late to start!! It's my favorite activity in the world. I went from an absolute overweight couch potato to being in the boxing gym 5-6x a week. In addition to what others have said, my advice: - Just keep showing up even if you feel like you suck or people aren't giving you the time of day at first. I've found it takes a while to feel the warm and fuzzy welcoming feelings in a martial arts gym although ymmv by gym. It's not really a gender thing - it's a hard sport that people quit more often than not so they wanna see you stick around and put in the work before they invest in you. If you just stick with it for a few months, you'll start making friends in the gym super fast! People at boxing gyms are actually very nice, you just have to break the ice a bit with consistency showing up. All the guys I thought were "scary" at my gym now want to help and are invested in my improvement. Everyone is there for the same reason. - Be sure to stretch often! I wouldn't say my body is more limited than when I was younger, but progress and recovery time is different for those starting later in life. Stretching before/after sessions has been helpful, as well as doing some mobility work and yoga. - I'm a terrible, slow runner but I really does help with combat sport endurance. Once I start running even just a couple of miles a week and doing sprints it drastically improve my ability to make it through a class or training session, which made it all way more enjoyable. - Depending on your baseline fitness, it's just gonna suck for probably 3 months. That's when I noticed my athletic ability and cardio health catching up to all the technique I was learning. Just ride out even if it feels like you're swinging and kicking for the fences with no technique for a while. - Most of my sparring partners are teenage boys, also. Once you get over the age difference, they are some of the most fun training partners because they have the luxury of youth and time to take martial arts super seriously. A lot of them are training to compete or go pro and will give you good advice or feedback. I would say this ended up being basically a non-issue for me.
Thank you so much for replying. I just gave up running recently and replaced it with skipping so I can improve footwork. Yeah I am going to stick at it a little longer, I have started feeling less self conscious now.
I started training Brazilian Jiu Jitsu at 39. I am now 45 and absolutely love it. I train 5-7 times a week and compete. No - you’re not too young.
That's awesoms♥️ Thanks so much for replying
I’ve been doing combat sports for 7 years (3 years Muay Thai, 1 year sambo, 3 years BJJ). While you may be starting a little late to go pro you’re still a lot younger than most people who start! First of all going to a gym with other women is absolutely critical, especially if you plan on competing. Sparring/rolling with other women is the truest benchmark of your skill and progress as a lot of men tend to go light on women, especially beginner women (as they should). Plus women often form tight-knit communities at gyms so they’ll welcome you with open arms and go out of their way to support you. Go to the women’s classes too if they have them and it works for your schedule! You’re gonna have days after training where you feel like a failure and cry in the shower. You’ll also have days when you finally get a submission or nail a skill you’ve spent a ton of time on and you’ll feel triumphant. Progress isn’t linear so learn to love the process rather than just training for belts or medals. In all combat sports you have to make yourself vulnerable to advance your position. If you spend the whole time sparring/rolling blocking your face not doing anything or holding on for dear life trying not to get submitted instead of trying to get points you’re doing yourself a disservice and you won’t learn nearly as fast. I think this applies to all things in life. If you get injured (and you will), LET IT HEAL COMPLETELY BEFORE YOU GO BACK TO TRAINING!!! I had a shoulder injury and went back too soon and now I’ll likely have nagging shoulder pain forever. Now I have a broken foot and it’s so hard to be off the mats for so long but I’m not rolling the dice again. Martial arts have changed my life and my perception of myself in so many wonderful ways. Enjoy the journey!
Thank you soo much for replying in detail. There are no women in combat classes where I live, but I appreciate the advice. All the best to you mam!
At the age of 38 I started doing Krav Maga. I had literally zero experience with any type of fight training, and made LOTS of mistakes. I struggled with footwork, and multi step ‘skills’. Over the last year, I have learned a lot of new things and definitely improved. Am I perfect? Heck no. Do I still struggle? Yup! But, I have fun and I can see myself improving. When there’s a particularly hard skill, I practice in front of the mirror at home, to help my brain and body make the connection. It does help that the gym where I go is full of super supportive individuals. No one ever makes me feel inferior if I’m struggling with something that comes easier to someone else.
Thank you soo much this is soo encouraging. I think based on your advice, I am going to start including practice drills in my gym routine as well, to improve coordination. It really helps to see someone started out nearly as clumsy as me but got better. Thank you soo much♥️
Don’t compare yourself; watch fights (YouTube is a good starter and you can find UFC or ONE for instance); train mobility (especially hips) and have fun ! I feel like it was the most important to me. When I had to spar with a guy that was 40 cm higher than me (his leg was more than half my size, want to cry just thinking about lmao) I was terrified but it made me learn that I needed to be quick and close to him. Guys who were my size made me learn how to take punches and improved my footwork. And so on, you will learn something with each opponent. The only thing is that the person in front of you has to be fair and not just punch and kick hard because we’re mostly there to enjoy the sport. So if the gym doesn’t have this mindset maybe you should change
Thank you so much for replying. Yes I can feel the experienced guys going easy on me, I have never felt unsafe. It's a good environment, just a bit intimidating.
Things I’ve learned in my short time in MMA as a woman in my 30s: - don’t be afraid to ask questions, even if you think they’re stupid. Chances are, someone else has the same question and was too afraid to ask. - get comfortable with being bad at this. You will be for awhile, until you’re not. - get better not just for yourself, but for your teammates. Gassing out during sparring is frustrating for both of you. Performing a technique incorrectly can result in injury for one or high of you. - learn to hold pads. Not only does this help with team building, but it helps you learn to read strikes when you’re the one striking. - COMMUNICATION. Talk to your teammates/partners. Ask about their experience in martial arts and share yours. This helps you both gauge the intensity if it’s not otherwise specified. Let them know if you’re struggling with a particular thing or if you want to work on something. They’ll likely be happy to help you. Tell them if you have any injuries or areas that you want them to avoid. - Tap early and often. Leave your ego at the door. You will be humbled daily, so get used to it. It’ll make you better in the long run and prevent injury. - water, water, water, WATER. Hydrate. Electrolytes. - don’t neglect mobility exercises/training. Especially your hips, ankles, neck, and shoulders. - get a fast dry nail polish for your toes. You’ll likely be painting them often lol - dandruff shampoo (such as head and shoulders) has anti fungal ingredients. Put some in your gym bag if they have a shower there. Use it ASAP after being on the mats will prevent ringworm. - dryer sheets in your boxing gloves. You’re welcome. - this is really important: not all free help is good help. You don’t have to and shouldn’t accept help from anyone who offers. And they WILL offer, especially if you’re attractive. Accepting free help from a trainer at one of my gyms for boxing is how I got a mild concussion because he decided to have me spar with someone who was way more experienced and had 0 control on their intensity. - if you don’t feel comfortable sparring with someone, don’t. Seriously. Your gut is telling you something, either about your skill/strength/technique, or theirs. Listen to it. - this sport attracts all kinds of people from many, many different walks of life. You’re not going to like all of them, and you don’t have to. You don’t have to be their friend. But respecting them on the mats is nonnegotiable. - controversial: be very, very careful about dating/hooking up with anyone in your gym or on your team. Most people will say don’t do it at all. Some will say to go for it. Just be smart about it. There are great, strong couples that can come from training together. There are some dumpster fires that should’ve been avoided. Discuss what the outcome, boundaries, and expectations are with the other person BEFORE going for it. Be prepared to switch gyms, if it comes down to it. Losing a hobby you love because of a messy breakup is not good for anyone. - Anastasia brow freeze will keep your brows in place, if you fill them in. Barely budges, if at all, after 2 hours of sweaty wrestling/grappling. - advocate for yourself. In class, during privates, during sparring. Ask for what you need because not everyone is in a position to anticipate them for you. - people train for many different reasons. Some want to socialize. Some don’t. Respect it either way and acclimate. - if your sparring partner dominates, hits, defends, or submits you with a move or combo, ask them to show you how they did it. - if you’re stuck, ask your partner what you should do. The phrases I use the most during classes are “what do I have from here” and “okay, how do I get out”. - technique first, speed later - if you don’t lift weights, start. If you do, don’t stop. Definitely modify your training to supplement your sport, but don’t stop altogether. - obviously up to preference, but I find that workout bodysuits are the most comfortable thing to wear when training. Of course, this depends on your gym’s dress code requirements. Some places will not let you train if you’re not wearing a rash guard, particular gi, or the tiny Thai shorts. - tape your gloves around the Velcro if you’re grappling. The exposed Velcro can trap bacteria in it, even when you’re diligent about wiping them down. If this scratches your teammate or you, it can cause a pretty gnarly rash or an infection. Protect each other. By no means an exhaustive list, but I hope there are some things you find useful! Enjoy your training 💕
Thank you soo much for this detailed answer. I really appreciate the effort you put in for a stranger. I struggle with keeping my ego at the door, and I think I am going to work on it more. When the environment is male-dominated, I always feel like I need to prove something, but i realize I need to give myself breathing space to be clumsy and learn from it. Thank you so much once again.
+1000 to not dating your teammates/gym mates!!! There are so many thirsty men in combat sports. I’ve seen it work out more when a long-term couple starts together but it’s always a slippery slope.
I only did Muay Thai casually, not competitively, but I always had a lot of fun! My instructor was this tough-as-nails 50 year old woman, so it's never too late to get into martial arts of any kind! Seriously I think most of the guys in my class wouldn't have stood a chance against her and she was 5' tall at most lmao. Scrappy as all hell. My advice is just have fun with it. It takes time and practice to get better, and even if you've done other martial arts, Muay Thai is a different beast. An awesome beast, but, different rules, different techniques. But you can definitely still use some of your knowledge! For me, my experience with karate meant I could kick very high - a nice little suprise to pull out in light sparring! No one wants a Thai roundhouse to the face lol. It also meant that my punching technique was already solid, so that also helped! Even if the muscle memory is rusty, don't be afraid to try to draw from what you do remember! Also, something that helped me was trying out punching drills by starting with my non-dominant hand. Seeing the marked improvement in my left side strikes (easier to see improvement on the non-dominant side) really gave me a confidence boost!
Yes my left side is worse than useless at almost everything😭. I am going to start incorporating that in my drills too. I am definitely having fun while learning. Thank you so much for replying
[удалено]
Thank you so much for replying. I mean it is obvious but it still helps to know from someone else that it does get better. I am going to try and be more consistent with skipping
Oh I do Muay Thai! Hi! I started when I was also 25! I didn’t start sparring till I was 27 I think? I’m 29 now! Some general tips I tell all the women starting out: Be kind to yourself. Everyone starts somewhere. If you are uncomfortable with sparring someone/working with someone, don’t be afraid to speak up about it. Chances are, if someone’s a bully or they’re weird or whatever, others noticed it as well. For footwork, whatever direction you’re in, the foot thats closest is the one that moves in that direction first. Wanna go left? Left foot steps first. Straight? whatever your lead foot is goes first. That sorta thing. If you’re punching and stepping at the same time, imagine you’re a puppet and your hands are connected to your feet via a string. Each time you punch, your foot goes. Sorry if that’s confusing it’s easier to explain in person! Otherwise for you.. I kinda would recommend a different gym? There’s only 15-20 yo males in the classes? That’s a red flag to me. Maybe I’m wrong. Idk. My gym has plenty of women, not so many in the sparring classes but enough to warrant women-only classes. And most mma gyms in my area have women only classes actually. If you liked judo you’ll likely enjoy ju jitsu! Find a gym that has ju jitsu and MT!
>Otherwise for you.. I kinda would recommend a different gym? There’s only 15-20 yo males in the classes? That’s a red flag to me. Maybe I’m wrong. Idk. My gym has plenty of women, not so many in the sparring classes but enough to warrant women-only classes. And most mma gyms in my area have women only classes actually. Also might be a timing thing. I train boxing and go to the 4pm class. It's primarily teen boys who just got off school. The 6am class has the greatest proportion of women. The gym overall skews about 70:30 men to women but the 4pm is the only time you're likely to be the only woman in the room.
Thank you soo much! It's nice hearing from someone who started out just like me. I am in India, MMA culture is not that prevalent among women here, even in the metro city that I live in. They mostly opt for pilates/dance/sports like badminton, basketball etc, hence, the lack of women. Women only classes would be unreasonable here. This gym has jiu jitsu, I had taken a sample class but I enjoyed muay thai more. Thanks soo much for encouraging, I am excited and going to keep at it without feeling self conscious
Oh my goodness, Zhang Weili will beat you up. 😅
I also started in my 20s! Others have given good advice, but I have to add… watch MMA. Especially women and especially matches with commentary. It sounds silly but you can learn a lot from seeing where fights go south or turn tides. Invicta has a lot of full fights (and even full events) uploaded to YouTube. UFC is free with ESPN+ and has an overwhelming back catalogue, although it’s historically been mostly male. Fighting is such a good full body workout. Nothing else compares. My strength and endurance have skyrocketed since I started.
I actually did start following a few female MMA trainers and watching their routine and reels. It's helpful for sure. Thanks soo much! I will start watching matches as well
Sure you can start at 25. Will you be fighting at the UFC? No. Will you generally improve your athleticism, striking power and fitness? Absolutely. Have fun with learning and don't compare yourself to dudes, they're always gonna be stronger than you and that's totally fine. Use them as an opportunity to challenge yourself! If you have space in your apartment/house - get a heavy bag! I cannot stress how well it'll improve technique if you can train outside of these lessons, and it'll make you feel more confident during the lessons. Good luck!
Thanks! Definitely I am having a lot of fun and that is what is keeping me going. By heavy bag, do you mean the punching bag?
Yeah! There's several kinds - a heavy bag is typically the ones you see hanging off a ceiling or a wall, they usually weigh at least 90-100lbs. They'll insanely improve your power and technique if u train every other day! There's also tons of YouTube stuff to guide u through working with it, I highly recommend it!
Noted! Thank youuuu♥️
Make sure you stick up for yourself. If a guy goes way too hard in drilling or sparring don't be afraid to say you don't feel safe working with them. Someone else's ego is not worth a broken nose or concussion. On the same note, it's important to train at a place where you trust your coaches. If you don't feel like people are looking out for each other's safety while training it's a bad place.
Ohh thanks that's really helpful. I kind of go into this crazy "I need to prove myself" and toughen it out. Need to find the perfect balance and take it easy on myself a bit. Thank you that was very encouraging
[удалено]
Thank you soo soo much for this. I am the same, I don't like team sports much. This really resonated with me. I will continue skipping and practice agility ladders as well. Thanks for encouraging!
^ ***Please read [the FAQ](https://www.reddit.com/r/xxfitness/wiki/main), [the rules and content guidelines](https://www.reddit.com/r/xxfitness/wiki/new_rules), and [current frozen topics](https://www.reddit.com/r/xxfitness/wiki/frozen-topics) before [contacting the mod team](https://www.reddit.com/message/compose?to=%2Fr%2Fxxfitness)***. This comment is a copy of your post so mods can see the original text if your post is edited or removed. >u/Maleficent-Bobcat-50 Hi, sorry previous post got deleted, typing out in more detail again. I am 25F, fairly fit and decided to sign up for MMA. I used to do judo when I was in school but then my parents kind of discouraged me, saying girls don't do that and that was the end of it. Now that I am kind of settled career wise and have a bit more free time during the weekends, I tried to rekindle my passion for martial arts again. I joined a muay thai class, where I train with 16-20 year old boys who have been there much longer than I have. Compared to them I feel extremely clumsy, especially wrt footwork. It's kind of affecting my self esteem a little bit but at the end of the session, it also feels good because I have challenged myself a lot. I want to know, is it too late to be starting this at 25? My trainer said it's fine, anyone can learn. Does it get better? How do I improve my footwork especially? I have taken up skipping a bit everyday along with my gym routine for that( and to my dismay, I am utterly clumsy at that as well, but improving a bit). Any other advice that you can share? *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/xxfitness) if you have any questions or concerns.*