What to Wear to Your First Muay Thai Class
Short answer: wear whatever you can kick in. Leggings, gym shorts, Muay Thai shorts, all fine. Trackpants and jeans, not so much. Here’s the long answer, and it took me a while to learn it myself.
When I first started Muay Thai (about 2 decades ago) I thought I didn’t deserve to wear Muay Thai shorts. Not because I thought they were ugly or garish (my sister still finds them horrendous and only fit to wear as pyjamas) but because I thought I had to reach a certain level of skill before I deserved to wear them. Plus, because I didn’t like my big legs, I’d only wear shorts that covered my knees, although I now realise these made my muscular calves look even more “impressive”. It also meant that when I had to check kicks or kick high I had to roll the waist band super high. This paired with baggy dry fit tops made the trainers at Sinbi call me the “basketball player”. I didn’t really care much about fashion then, if she looks like a noob, it’s ok that she kicks like a noob. So with my bob hairstyle too short to tie up (Singapore weather was too hot for long hair) I’d pin it up into two pig-tails, meaning I’d be the reindeer b-balling noob.
Training at Chay Yai gym in Chiang Mai (now defunct) with Alexi, Chelsea and Wayne. Alexi's in proper Muay Thai shorts, Chelsea, 200 fights in, is in basketball shorts, and Wayne's wearing $10 market shorts. All of us hiked up high so we could actually throw a high kick.
Nowadays it’s a different story. Muay Thai’s the reason for that. Strong beats slim hands down as does functional over fitspo. Strong legs that keep you grounded in the clinch matter more to me now than legs than having a thigh gap. That took years longer to learn than nailing the left switch kick, but I’ve grown to appreciate my muscular legs (and calves).
When people ask me what to wear, whether noob or fighter, the best thing to wear is whatever you feel let’s you train comfortably. For me, good fitting pair of Muay Thai shorts (that has enough give in the waist and thigh) are the key to getting good high kicks and checks. Nothing like having the freedom of being able to lift your legs unrestricted - tights and soccer shorts don’t even come close and rugby shorts split (I’ve had to run in with a spare pair of shorts to save the day several times). The thick waistbands hold the shorts up high and don’t slip down to restrict you.
My first favourite Muay Thai shorts are the ones I had my first fight in that say “Squirt” on them were the nickname my trainer gave my training buddy Sandra because of her petite size. She also felt unworthy of wearing the shorts so she gave them to me, I finally felt worthy after I actually fought to wear the shorts.
One of my first fights in Chiang Mai. I wore my friend’s “Squirt” shorts which she gifted me because she thought she was too much of a “Squirt” to wear them.
Possibly my favourite pair of JAI shorts ever. Lasted over a decade and been through a bunch of fights and unlike me, they aren’t retired yet!
I grew to like Muay Thai shorts so much that I started even designing them. Here I am in a pair that should have retired years ago. (I still wear them for special occasions).
Of course if you’re still more comfortable in your leggings or shorts, you’re more than welcome! I draw the line at trackpants, especially ones that drag on the floor (trip hazard) and jeans - honestly, you could kick so much better without having to lug around 2kg of wet denim! Good gloves and wraps are also a must have when you’re new. Don’t wait until you’ve earned them, because they don’t only feel great to use, they also keep your hands and wrists safe when you’re throwing a punch so hard you didn’t know you were physically capable of, and that’s a lot of impact on those wrists and small bones in your hand. Of course, technique is the number one most important thing when you’re training, and no amount of safety gear or fancy shorts can make up for lazy technique. A good sports bra is the most important thing above the waist for ladies - if you’ve done high impact sports you know why, and the last thing you want is to drop your hands to pull up a bra strap and then get a kick to your face. And whether you like the reindeer look or not, we’ve got hairties. So here I am, nearly 2 decades later. I have a ponytail, Muay Thai shorts that rise above the knee and I’ve always had good support above the waist. But one thing that hasn’t changed are those baggy basketball tops. I guess some things never change.
The quick version, if you’re skimming on your phone:
Leggings, gym shorts or Muay Thai shorts are all fine for your first class
Skip trackpants and jeans, neither works for kicking
Gloves are lent to you, handwraps are $17 at the gym or bring your own
Get your sports bra right, you don’t want to be fixing a strap mid-round
Got hair in your face? We have hairties for you to tie it back
Hair too short to tie back? We can share our technique for the “reindeer” look
If you want the full picture of what actually happens once you’re inside, before you commit to anything: here’s what a class is really like. Otherwise, just turn up in whatever you’ve got. Book your free class and we’ll sort the rest when you get here.
