Editing Muay Thai (section)

==Conditioning==
Like most full contact fighting sports, muay Thai has a heavy focus on body [[Physical exercise|conditioning]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://fightland.vice.com/blog/muay-thai-economic-realities-and-cultural-differences|title=Muay Thai, Economic Realities, and Cultural Differences|last=Gordon|first=Mclean|date=2013-05-22|website=Vice|access-date=2015-03-04|archive-date=19 February 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140219020321/http://fightland.vice.com/blog/muay-thai-economic-realities-and-cultural-differences|url-status=dead}}</ref> This can create a steep learning curve for newcomers to muay Thai but allows for rapid increases in fitness and stamina provided one avoids overtraining.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://muaythai15.com/muay-thai-training-stories/|title=Muay Thai Training Stories|last=Darius|first=Moaz|date=2021-09-01|website=Mua Thai Insights|access-date=2021-09-09|archive-date=9 September 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210909103845/https://muaythai15.com/muay-thai-training-stories/|url-status=live}}</ref> Training regimens include many staples of combat sport conditioning such as [[running]], [[shadowboxing]], [[skipping rope|rope jumping]], [[calisthenics|body weight resistance exercises]], medicine ball exercises, [[abdominal exercise]]s and, in some cases, [[weight training]]. Thai boxers rely heavily on kicks utilising the shin bone. As such, practitioners will repeatedly hit a dense heavy bag with their shins, conditioning it, hardening the bone through a process called [[bone remodeling|cortical remodelling]].<ref>{{cite web |last=Baker |first=Donnie |url=http://oldstylemuaythai.blogspot.co.uk/2012/10/top-3-muay-thai-shin-conditioning-myths.html |title=Muay Thai: Beyond The Ring: Top 3 Muay Thai Shin Conditioning Myths Debunked |website=Oldstylemuaythai.blogspot.co.uk |date=2012-10-28 |access-date=2015-03-04 |archive-date=26 February 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150226025757/http://oldstylemuaythai.blogspot.co.uk/2012/10/top-3-muay-thai-shin-conditioning-myths.html |url-status=live }}</ref> Striking a sand-filled bag will have the same effect.

[[File:Punching bag.jpg|right|thumb|A fighter punching a heavy bag at a training camp in Thailand]]

Training specific to a Thai fighter includes training with coaches on Thai pads, [[focus mitt]]s, heavy bag, and sparring. Daily training includes many rounds (3–5 minute periods broken up by a short rest, often 1–2 minutes) of these various methods of practice. Thai pad training is a cornerstone of muay Thai conditioning that involves practicing punches, kicks, knees, and elbow strikes with a trainer wearing thick pads covering the forearms and hands. These special pads (often referred to as Thai pads) are used to absorb the impact of the fighter's strikes and allow the fighter to react to the attacks of the pad holder in a live situation. The trainer will often also wear a belly pad around the abdominal area so that the fighter can attack with straight kicks or knees to the body at any time during the round.

Focus mitts are specific to training a fighter's hand speed, [[punch combinations]], timing, [[punching power]], defence and counter-punching and may also be used to practice elbow strikes. Heavy bag training is a conditioning and power exercise that reinforces the techniques practiced on the pads. Sparring is a means to test technique, skills, range, strategy and timing against a partner. Sparring is often a light to medium contact exercise because competitive fighters on a full schedule are not advised to risk injury by sparring hard. Specific tactics and strategies can be trained with sparring including in close fighting, [[Clinching position|clinching]] and kneeing only, cutting off the ring, or using reach and distance to keep an aggressive fighter away.

Due to the rigorous training regimen (some Thai boxers fight almost every other week), professional boxers in Thailand have relatively short careers in the ring. Many retire from competition to begin instructing the next generation of Thai fighters. Most professional Thai boxers come from lower economic backgrounds, and the purse (after other parties have their cut) is sought as a means of support for the fighters and their families.<ref>{{cite web |last=Newhall |first=Lindsey |url=http://fightland.vice.com/blog/an-american-sociologist-is-studying-the-behavior-of-muay-thai |title=An American Sociologist Is Studying the Behavior of Muay Thai |website=Vice |date=2015-01-16 |access-date=2015-03-04 |archive-date=16 February 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150216035958/http://fightland.vice.com/blog/an-american-sociologist-is-studying-the-behavior-of-muay-thai |url-status=dead }}</ref> Very few higher economic strata Thais join the professional muay Thai ranks; they usually either do not practice the sport or practice it only as amateur boxers.<ref>{{cite web |last=Newhall |first=Lindsey |url=http://fightland.vice.com/blog/the-world-muay-thai-angels-marketing-the-women-fighters-of-thailand |title=The World Muay Thai Angels: Marketing the Women Fighters of Thailand |website=Vice |date=2015-02-13 |access-date=2015-03-04 |archive-date=10 August 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190810224541/http://fightland.vice.com/blog/the-world-muay-thai-angels-marketing-the-women-fighters-of-thailand |url-status=dead }}<br>– {{cite web |last=Newhall |first=Lindsey |url=http://fightland.vice.com/blog/an-american-in-thailand-muay-thai-for-the-rich |title=An American in Thailand: Muay Thai for the Rich |website=Vice |date=2014-09-04 |access-date=2015-03-04 |archive-date=15 February 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150215231652/http://fightland.vice.com/blog/an-american-in-thailand-muay-thai-for-the-rich |url-status=dead }}</ref>