Deinfluencing You From Muay Thai BS [Part 2]

Muay Thai is a simple sport. At its core, you need shorts, gloves, and a body.

But if you look at social media, you’d think you need a $500 wardrobe, a cabinet full of supplements, and a complex biohacking routine just to hit a heavy bag.

The industry creates a “one-size-fits-all” template for what a fighter should look like and buy. But you aren’t a template. What works for a sponsored stadium fighter might be useless for you. What works for an influencer (that’s getting paid to promote products) might actually hinder your progress.

Today, let’s deinfluence your shopping cart. We are going to look at the gear, the trends, and the advice that is sold as “essential”, and ask if it actually serves your specific goals, or if it’s just marketing noise.

If you missed the first part of the article: Deinfluencing You From Muay Thai BS: What Social Media Won’t Tell You

1. You don’t need expensive trendy gear.

There is a massive pressure on social media to have the latest matching set, the limited-edition gloves, or the specific brand that sponsors your favorite stadium fighter. It creates this false idea that if you look the part, you’ll perform the part.

If you’re not training consistently already, that latest “limited drop” from isn’t going to fix your cardio. It isn’t going to improve your guard. And it certainly isn’t going to save you in the last round of the fight when you’re gassed out.

Prioritize function over hype. What matters most is getting decent equipment that protects your hands, offers good wrist support, and can survive hundreds of hours over rounds of sweat. If you are planning on being in this for the long haul, look for durability, not just aesthetics or brand hype.

2. You do not need “Bag Gloves.”

Speaking of gear… If you are just starting out, or even if you’ve been training for a while, you do not need three different pairs of gloves.

The industry loves to sell you specific gloves for specific tasks. If you’re a beginner, you just need one pair of gloves. And if you’re already past the beginner stage, for 99% of people, a good pair of 10oz gloves will work perfectly for both pads and bag work, and another pair for sparring. Unless you are fighting in MMA gloves or have a very specific hand issue, “bag gloves” are unnecessary.

3. Thai Oil does not warm you up.

Thai liniment, aka namman muay, is a staple in the sport. It’s part of the pre-fight massage as well as something Thai fighters put on before they start warming up for training. It contains ingredients like methyl salicylate and menthol, which are supposed to relieve pain, reduce soreness, and aid recovery.

It’s a problem when people are using it instead of jumping rope or shadowboxing because they “feel warm.” The key word is “feel”. Thai oil is a topical irritant. It creates a chemical reaction on your skin that feels hot, which tricks your brain into thinking your body is ready to go. Feeling warm is not the same as being warm.

The oil heats your skin, but it does not physically raise your core temperature, lubricate your joints, or prepare your muscles for impact. The only way to achieve those (which are critical to preventing injury and preparing the muscles for training, by the way!) is by warming up: running, skipping, etc.

Thai oil isn’t actually necessary. You can get everything you need from a proper physical warmup. There’s nothing wrong with it if you love the smell and the ritual. Just make sure you apply the oil first, and then go do your actual warmup. Do not use it as a substitute.

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4. Health trends aren’t going to “hack” anything.

Ten years ago, it was those ridiculous elevation masks that made everyone look like Bane (spoiler: they didn’t improve your cardio). Today, it’s ice baths and expensive supplements.

“Biohacking” is trendy, but it is often a distraction. People will spend $5,000 on a cold plunge tub but still pulling all-nighters and not meeting their nutritional needs.

Too many people are doing ice baths and “miracle” supplements to help them sleep better or recover better without actually doing the foundational stuff that works: sleeping at least 8 hours, proper nutrition, stress management.

If the basics are not down, an ice bath isn’t going to save you. (In fact, if you use ice baths constantly, you might actually be blunting the inflammation response your body needs to build muscle.) Fix the foundation first. Then, if you want to experiment with the extras, go ahead.

5. Flashy doesn’t mean effective.

Many coaches you see on social media are great at marketing. Some of them can back up what they post through learned knowledge or their coaching. Others reply on posting flashy combos, spinning techniques, trick shots. And they’re confident. They sound like they know what they’re talking about.

Combinations that involve 12 steps? Not useful. Spinning techniques that look cool but have no setup and no practical application? Not useful.

Some red flags to look out for for these types of coaches: they just have a social media presence, no fight experience (or, they lied about their fight experience), and not a lot of in-person students.

Don’t confuse their confidence with skill. Do your research before you pay them for anything.

6. Gym recommendations are generally not very useful.

Think of choosing a gym like getting a restaurant recommendation. If you ask a friend, “What is the best dish here?” and they love heavy, deep-fried street food, they are going to send you to their favorite stall. But if you hate oily food, you are going to have a terrible meal.

It’s not that the food is “bad”; it’s just not for you.

Gyms work the exact same way. A recommendation is useless without context. Your friend might thrive in an old-school Thai gym where nobody speaks English, the training is spontaneous and dependent on what the trainers are feeling that day, and you have to fight for attention. To them, that is a fully authentic “5-star experience.”

But if you need structure, clear instruction, or a friendly environment to feel safe, you are going to hate that same gym.

Unless the person recommending the gym knows you (your personality, your experience level, and your specific needs) they aren’t giving you advice. They are just telling you what they like.

The “best” gym depends entirely on your goals, your budget, your skill level, and your personality. And, the unfortunately reality, it also depends on your gender.

Instead of asking for blanket recommendations, ask yourself specific questions: What’s your training style? What’s your training history? What are you trying to get out of this? What’s your learning style? And then do your own research.

The next time you feel the urge to buy something because “everyone else” has it, pause.

Ask yourself: Does this actually solve a problem I have? Or am I just buying someone else’s solution?

The most expensive gloves are worthless if they don’t fit your hands. The most popular gym in Thailand might be a nightmare for your learning style. And the trendiest recovery hack is a waste of money if you aren’t getting 8 hours of sleep.

Stop asking “What is the best?” and start asking “What is best for me?” You don’t need permission to do things differently. You just need to trust your own experience over the algorithm. Focus on what feels right for your body and your budget. Everything else is just noise.

If you want an in-depth guide to training in Thailand, I’ve got just the thing.