GREAT PARTNERS BUILD BETTER FIGHTERS

By Emily Moore

No fighter, nak muay or otherwise stands alone against his or her opponent. An army waits at the ready behind them.

It takes a team of coaches, trainers, and (especially) training partners to successfully prepare for a fight.

My coach often repeats this idea before training sessions: “The most important person in this gym today is not you, it’s your partner.”

“Always take care of your partner.”

Let’s take a look at 7 ways to be a great Muay Thai training partner:

Train, don’t coach

At my last gym, there was this guy with whom I avoided sparring at all costs. He would interrupt and stop me after every single strike, trying to educate me on what I could do to improve.

In a three-minute round, I would end up spending 0:30 sparring and 2:30 trying to get him to shut up and work.

You and your partners are in the gym to learn from professionals. You don’t need to...