Am I Too Old for Muay Thai? Meet Willy.
We get asked this question more often than any other question.
Not, when can I fight? Will I get hurt, but am I too old for this.
And you may be surprised, the people who ask can range in age from 25 to 65!
They all have their reasons for thinking they are too old, so rather than argue with you, we’d like you to meet Willy, one of our members.
He is a father of five and a grandfather of fourteen. He says he is fitter and stronger now than he was at 25, and having watched him train, we believe him.
Willy sometimes talks about his younger days when he was involved with gangs and didn’t have such healthy habits, but today, he doesn’t smoke, he does not drink, and he has enough energy to keep up with the grand kids AND out train his own kids.
You’ll definitely remember him if you’ve met him at JAI - He’s the one giving out fist bumps.
What Willy wishes people would know is that training isn’t just about technique and becoming super fit. Watching other grandparents sit on the sidelines while their grand kids play, and not being fit enough makes him sad, but also motivates him.
So back to the question - are you too old?
Honestly, your age is actually the smallest factor in whether a person can train Muay Thai.
Two other things are.
1. The first is the fear of walking into a room where everyone else knows what they are doing. We don’t think it’s silly, but we can tell you what will happen when you book yourself a free trial. Your on boarding starts fifteen minutes before class starts. We’ll meet you up front at reception, show you where to put your shoes and the changing rooms, and teach you how to wrap your hands. You’ll meet the other people in your session and if there’s time, that’s your chance to ask any questions.
When the session starts you are told exactly what to do, so you don’t have to wing it on your own.
2. People think they will get injured. Beginners are not allowed to spar at JAI. Not on the first session, not after their first month and never, unless they decide they want to - and that requires trainer’s approval and safety gear. You will get to smash some bags and pads - just because they don’t hit back doesn’t mean you can drop your guard though!
Disclaimer: You do need some fitness, but "some fitness" means you can walk up a flight of stairs and hold a conversation - you don’t have to be able to run 5km non stop. Everyone in the room was unfit at some point, including the trainers. If you have a knee, a shoulder, a back, anything at all, tell us before the class starts or message us beforehand. We adjust things all the time. We cannot adjust for something we do not know about.
If you are still reading this, you have been thinking about it for a while. The thinking is the hard part. Now just book your class and come find Willy.
Ask him about his Harley while you are at it.
Book a free class
Here's Willy, in his own words.
