Combat and running are two of the most primal forms of physical exertion known to human beings.
In prehistoric times we ran to get food (hunting) and we ran not to be food (like running from predators that want to eat us).
Also combat or fighting was needed once we caught up with our food (to subdue and kill it) as well as being needed to defend our food and defend ourselves from wild animals and rival groups of humans wanting to steal our food and other resources.
So from ancient times until today both running and combat have gone hand in hand.
As we will discuss below, running is a crucial part of military fitness test across the world as well as in combat arts such as Western Boxing and traditional Shaolin King Fu.
Muay thai is no different and the philosophy in Thailand is “No running, no muay thai/fighting”.
But is such dedication to running absolutely necessary for muay thai?
Lets dig deeper into this question as we look at different aspects and points of view below, from traditional Thai trainers to modern science.
Importance of Running for Combat Sports and Martial Arts
Boxing and Running
“The fight is won or lost far away from witnesses—behind the lines, in the gym, and out there on the road, long before I dance under those lights.” Muhammed Ali.
The importance of running and inclusion of daily running is shown in the above quote from one of the greatest of all time in boxing, Muhammed Ali.
Ali was known to run with construction boots and gave himself a target of 40 minutes to complete 6 miles almost daily.
Floyd Mayweather another all time great of boxing was known for running very late at night/early morning around 1-2 AM, between 6-8 miles daily, further highlighting the importance of roadwork or running for boxers.
Most boxers in general run up 5 miles a day between 3-5 times a week.
The distance and frequency can increase depending on the boxers fight schedule and will usually be ramped up in the weeks approaching a fight.
Running in the Military
In the military too, the importance of leg endurance and strength as well as cardio is exemplified in the US Army Physical test which needs to be passed twice a year.
Note that these standards are for the US Army and differ across the worlds military forces.
Nevertheless the importance of running to combat cannot be denied.
The standards below are for the Army 2 mile test run.
For men, the standards for the minimum and maximum time scores are:
Age (17-21) – Minimum (15.54 minutes) — Maximum (13.00 minutes) Age (22-26) – Minimum (16.36 minutes) — Maximum (13.00 minutes) Age (27-31) – Minimum (17.00 minutes) — Maximum (13.18 minutes)
For women the following time score standards apply:
Age (17-21) – Minimum (18.54 minutes) — Maximum (15.36 minutes) Age (22-26) – Minimum (19.36 minutes) — Maximum (15.36 minutes) Age (27-31) – Minimum (20.30 minutes) — Maximum (15.48 minutes)
As part of the British Army fitness assessment standards running is included with the following standard needing to be met as a minimum:
2km (1.2 mile) run, after an 800m (0.5 mile) warm up jog for between 6 min 30 sec and 7 min. You must run 2km in 11 min and 15 secs or less to meet the lowest adult soldier entry standard.
In fact running is a major part of all military and disciplined forces (i.e Police, Fire, Corrections) fitness tests across the globe.
This further highlights the importance of running for combat in the military sense.
The link below will lead you to fitness standards for 26 different countries military tests. It’s interesting to look through each and note how important the ability to run is.
Muay Thai and Daily Running
In Thailand, active fighters have to run up to twice a day, 6 days a week. Running usually consists of a longer run before the morning training session and a shorter run before the afternoon or evening training session.
Because the running in muay thai is done so frequently often the intensity of the runs are quite low and at a moderate pace.
These runs are often more for waking the body up, getting the body warm and inducing a nice sweat to prepare for the heavier more intense pad and bag work and sparring and clinching.
The distance and frequency of running of course depends on the gym. But one hour of running before training is not uncommon, depending on the gym. But usually 3-5kms or 30 mins before each session is a more common running routine.
Note that this can be done twice a day, 6 days a week. And depending on the camp and the trainers, this can be ramped up weeks out from a fight.
Is Running Absolutely Necessary for Muay Thai?
In Thailand the answer is definitely and absolutely yes! A common quote among thai trainers and thai muay thai camps is “No run, no fight”.
So if you are planning on fighting and training in Thailand then running is something that you cannot avoid or skip.
Paul Banasiak from muaythaithlete.com (current pro thai boxer living in Thailand) recalled training at Namsakonoi’s camp and putting in hard consistent training for weeks on end. Then one day he skipped the pre-training run as he wasn’t feeling too well and Namsaknoi “disciplined” him by not letting him work with a trainer that session.
Experienced trainers holding pads for you and working with you on your technique is one of the most important parts of muay thai training and is where you can make a lot of improvement.
This is also where you develop a relationship with your trainer that influences and impacts your fighting to your benefit. So missing a session is definitely not something you want.
However as Paul explains, because he missed the pre-training run, Namsaknoi had to discipline him.
This was also to show that he was not above all the other guys putting in the hard work and who had not missed the pre-training run.
So basically if you are training and fighting in Thailand then running is an absolute must and trainers consider running as an absolutely necessary part of muay thai.
Is Running Necessary Outside of Thailand?
According to modern science, combat sports such as muay thai, boxing, kickboxing and MMA are predominately anaerobic activities.
As such they require short but intense burst of physical exertion intermittently throughout a fight or training session.
As such modern sports science does not completely agree with the Thai philosophy of running as an absolute necessity for muay thai and combat arts.
Many Westerners who go to Thailand for training often don’t fully buy into the Thai philosophy on the importance of running and would prefer to spend more of their time kicking pads and the heavy bag or sparring and climbing and working on technique.
Running takes a lot of time
Indeed daily running takes up a lot of time. You are looking at between 1-2 hours a day, 6 days a week just running. And if you are in Thailand for a short time this may not be the best use of your time.
Also for those of us who train for physical health and as hobbyists who enjoy the martial arts, spending so much time running is not ideal. Also those of us with regular day jobs cannot dedicate so much time to running on a daily basis.
Furthermore after training we usually have work and family duties to get to.
Whereas in Thai camps you can usually nap and rest your mind and body before the next training session without having to worry about a day job, if you are a professional fighter.
So if you are training outside of Thailand you can make use of interval training, sprinting, HIIT and other means to develop your heart and longs for muay thai and it is not absolutely necessary for a lot of muay thai academies and gyms outside of Thaialnd.
Then if running is not so important for fighting endurance according to modern science – why do the Thai swear by it?
Purpose of Running for Muay Thai
1. Cardio
The most obvious and noticeable benefit and purpose of daily running in muay thai is to develop cardio endurance.
The ability to fight through 5 rounds of five minutes is built on a foundation of aerobic capacity and the ability to go the distance and endure.
This is where running and a steady pace done repeatedly over time will help the muay thai fighter tremendously in developing good cardio, heart and longs.
Roadwork as it is referred to in Western Boxing is seen as fulfilling this purpose also for boxers.
2. Dedication, Discipline and Mindset
Trainers and training camps in Thailand consider a “strong heart” as a crucial factor for a fighter. When working with young nak muay, this factor is often more sought than technical ability.
As technical ability can be taught and developed. But a strong hear is something that is inside you.
Daily running is something that helps develop this strong heart and mindset, and also shows your dedication and discipline to put in the hard work.
Being able to wake up early daily and clock in the kilometers with running further develops a strong and disciplined mind and one that is able to endure the tough training and that will show itself in the ring when your body wants to give up.
3. Strong Legs and Shins
Similar to developing cardio endurance, running will develop your leg endurance as well as building up your calves and shins for kicking and knees.
The constant pounding on the roads through long running will help to breakdown and build up the shin bones making them stronger and denser which is definitely an attribute to develop for muay thai.
Running also builds up your calves which are important for developing good footwork for attacking, defending, evading and putting more power into your kicks.
How Much Running Should I Do as a Hobbyist?
2-3 times a week of 30-45 mins or 3-5kms is a good goal for muay thai running. This would be plenty to keep your heart and lungs in good shape.
This will help build up your aerobic base so that you can actually train harder for longer and keep good technique when your tiring in your training which is crucial.
So 2-3 sessions and up to 5 sessions is a good goal if you have the time to dedicate to running. Remember this is in addition to your muay thai training which also can be between 2-5 sessions a week also.
Also in a group class, having this aerobic base will mean you can learn more as your mind and brain will be clear and ready to receive information from your trainer instead of thinking about how tired you are and gasping for air.
So having this good aerobic base and cardio endurance will ultimately assist you in training longer with better technique due to less fatigue and ultimately will help you improve in your muay thai over the long run.
So is Running Necessary for Muay Thai?
In Thailand running is absolutely necessary for muay thai training. For building cardio, endurance and discipline as well as building up your claves legs and shins, running is deeply ingrained into muay thai training camps philosophy and approach to muay thai training.
According to modern science long running may not be the best way to build combat sports endurance and fighting cardio, and as it take a lot of time (1-2 hours, days a week) in Thai training camps, such dedication is not necessary if you train outside of Thailand.
There are also other methods you can use to build up your fighting conditioning also.
For the muay thai hobbyist not interested in fighting or someone who trains solo and at home, 2-5 sessions per week of 30-45 mins or 3-5 kms each is a good target for your own training that will run alongside your muay thai technical sessions.
