how long does it take to get good at a martial art?

Question

i've just started muay thai. i had my second lesson earlier today and im finding some of the kicks (esp high kicks) hard to do. my punches are ok though, i was just wondering how long it would take to get good at muay thai so that i can go in competitions etc?

also when i hit somone with a few low kicks they blocked with there shin and it was so painful! although they didnt look affected by it at all. i've now got a small bruise on my right shin.
did this happen to anyone else when they first started?

Answer 1

Martial Arts is like most things in life a challenge. Take a 3rd grader for instances, he (or she) picks up a High School Math book..."WOW! this looks hard, I could never do this". Later in life you'll look back and see it may have been difficult but now you are helping someone else with that same problem you over come.

We all bet bumps & bruses from time to time, some even broken bones.

Good luck.

Answer 2

As with any martial art, it's not easy, and many variables will affect your skill. The first thing is be patient and dedicated to your training, you won't learn overnight. If you train 4-5 times a week you'll see results within 6 months. Soreness and bruises are a natural part of the training, as the shins must be conditioned, you'll also be able to block kicks with your shins with little pain, the pain is normal when you start, and bruises will be common. Another vaiable is how much time the instructor takes with you as far as technique, if you want to see results more quickly, take a couple of private sessions (3-5) and focus on technique. If private sessions are not within your budget, ask the senior fellow practicioners, usually they'll be happy to give you pointers. If you want to be proficient enough to compete, I'd suggest you wait at least a year, as training and sparring is not learned overnight, and you need to be in top phisical condition, which means you should train at least 15 hours a week (20-30 if you really want to kick butt)

My karate sensei told me that scars and bruises are like trophies, would you try to have a fist fight with somebody with scarred and calloused knuckles? I would certainly not, or grapple with a guy with coulflower ears, I'd stay away.

Also, make sure you have proper equipment, you don't want to kill yourself when you are sparring, the basic equipment you need is : headgear (i like the mexican one with cheek protection), handwraps (you need to protect the little bones in your hands, don't be a fool and hit the bag withouth gloves), cup ( i don't think i need to explain why), shin pads (good thick ones, either leather or synthetic leather with some padding inside), 16oz gloves for sparring, and of course muay thai shorts. A good website to find stuff is www.ringside.com, they have 2 brands that are good and not expensive (ringside, top contender). I'd also suggest you get a rope, as jumping will be essential for conditioning.

Answer 3

Some people start to compete in martial arts within the first year, others wait longer. It depends on how comfortable you are with it.
As far as how long it takes, you should never be the same fighter you were a year ago, or even 6 months ago, so therefore, over your lifetime, you should be ever improvin'.
Oh, and checkin' kicks with your shins, the vast majority of the time, altho it smarts at first, is a lot better than takin' the kick. You'll get used to it or quit.

Answer 4

Getting good takes time the more you train the better you get. Also train with diffrent people to get a feel of diffrent ways people do things. As for the shins it is supposed to hurt so you dont try and kick but use a base ball and roll it up and down your shin it will kill the nerves after awhile. Have you seen kikcboxer when he kicks the bannana tree same thing.

Answer 5

All of the bumps and bruises are normal. However, don't let anybody in your class beat you to a pulp-that's abuse. If that's the case, you should leave the school. In everyday training though, you're going to get bruised a little. It's all part of the toughening up process. I will tell you this though . . .unless you're planning to fight in tournaments, don't worry too much about high kicks. High kicks, unless you're flawless with them (rarely the case) will get you killed on the street. In fact, I never kick any higher than waist level. Kicking much above that leaves your base leg open to getting broken and throws you off your center of balance. Keep up the training though unless you're being abused.

Answer 6

about 4-5 years

Answer 7

100 lifetimes for true Martial Art is a Way of Life
and in so you would need to live a life to have achieved this
just to find where to perfect, and then again and so on
we never quit perfecting and so as we were 10 years ago is inferior to how we are today.
Go with the Flow, you will do fine. In Thai you will see many I mean Many Bruises........
Bad Asssss Art
I Love It

Answer 8

It takes a long time, and you have to dedicate yourself to it. The bruises go with the training, don't feel like the Lone
Ranger anyone who is good paid the price.

Answer 9

of course! pain.. pain.. pain. well, it's just the first step. if you can't go through the first lessons, then there's no way that you'd survive the next ones.

about your question, it depends, really. if you have the heart of a champion or a warrior, then you may be better than what you've expected to be. pain? it's all in the mind. :-)

Answer 10

u need to to train at least six hours a week to become good in a short amount of time