Everyone is wearing Thai trunks.

[okimura]

I've been doing muay thai a year now and having just moved back home after school, I joined this new local gym. I've had four sessions so far and one thing that really struck me was that a majority of the people training there were wearing Thai trunks, including some very raw beginners. At my old gym, I was led to believe that you're supposed to earn your trunks. I thought there was a testing procedure in place and you got trunks when you passed. Was I misinformed? Why is everyone in that gym wearing Thai trunks? It doesn't bother me very much, to be sure. I just wonder if I got some bad info along the way.

Another thing I noticed was that this class practices some techniques that my old gym never did, like crescent kicks, or snapping kicks where the contact surface is your instep. All the kicking I did at my old gym was round kicks with the shin as the contact surface or push kicks (I don't think I've ever seen a crescent kick in a match between muay thai stylists). This too doesn't bother me. I just wonder what other gyms teach.

Thanks.

[elbows_and_knees]

traditionally, muay thai has no ranking structure. The belt is in the ring. some schools today have added a structure, be it colored trunks, mongkons, etc. american freestyle kickboxing in many schools has added karate belts, ranging from white to black.

As for the kicks, muay thai has every kick you will see in karate. BUT, many gyms only teach the most commonly used three - the roundhouse, the tiip and the spinning back kick.

[bushido_man96]

Crescent kicks and kicking with the instep..sounds somewhat like TKD, but it is not necessarily the case. Don't Thai fighters point their foot when kicking as well, to allow for easier contact with the shin?

[Karateka_latino]

I just started to train Muay Thai, took 2 classes and i have no intentions to wear the trunks yet.. I also feel i should earn that right, dont know why. lol

[elbows_and_knees]

wearing trunks isn't an earned right... it's their uniform, no different from joining a karate dojo and wearing a gi. you guys are trying to create a ranking system that really isn't there.

[Karateka_latino]

Because its set in our poor minds that in martial arts you have to win every piece of clothes..

[Sohan]

When I train, my MT shorts are simple and black. Nothing fancy. I don't really pay much attention to what anyone else is wearing.

With respect,

Sohan

[Karateka_latino]

I bought mine.. Red with black letters.. its good. lol

[DoNkEySlAyEr]

People focus too much on what's not important enough to demand attention.

[baronbvp]

In my MT class, we have to wear shorts as opposed to pants so you can see the opponent's knees. That way, you don't kick them by mistake. Whether you wear specifically-designed MT shorts or black Nike gym shorts like I do is personal preference. No one cares about the style of shorts.