During these times of lockdowns, it is not that easy to have a physical activity that is both challenging and interesting enough to keep you going.
One day, I stumbled upon a Krudar Muay Thai academy. They had Muay Thai online classes going on almost every day.
So, I decided to join and give it a try.
I contacted the staff at Krudar and soon got the invite for one of the classes.
The guys at Krudar offer different classes; Adult Muay Thai, Family Muay Thai, Kids Muay Thai, and Women’s Only Muay Thai. I decided to try out the Adult Muay Thai class led by Kru Darwin.
After I completed the first session, I decided to write a review. So, here is my review of Krudar Muay Thai Online Class.
Technical Aspect of the Class
Before the class, I got a Zoom invite to the class with a password. For someone to whom technology is not the strongest part, it is straightforward to join the class.
The coach and all of the students had their camera and mic on so Kru could demonstrate all the moves through the session and let us know once we were doing the technique wrong.
Including me, there were six of us attending the class, plus the instructor.
Instructor
As previously mentioned, Kru Darwin leads the class.
After only one training session, I have to say that Kru is just a great guy.
I was a newbie to the class, and Kru made sure I feel appreciated and welcomed. He asked a few questions to get to know me a little bit and introduced me to a class (although my camera was not working at the moment, so they could not see me.)
During the session, Kru was demonstrating, and doing with us, every technique.
The best part of the coach, for me, was his ability to motivate. At times, it almost felt as I was at the gym, not at home.
While doing each exercise, Kru was always shouting and motivating us to keep on and complete the round.
Class Structure
One thing to have in mind, some of the moves or the order may be incorrect as I was simultaneously catching up with the coach and trying to write down everything we did in the breaks.
Warm-Up
The class started with a simple, 10-minute warm-up. We repeated each of the moves for about 30 seconds (more or less).
First, we’ve done simple right and left side elbows, followed by a series of straight right and left elbows. Then, we’ve proceeded to do a simple jab to the elbow.
Kru interrupted with ten push-ups.
We repeated a jab to elbow combinations for a minute straight and finished with ten push-ups once again.
After the upper body warm-up, we warmed-up the lower body. Simple left and right toe touches.
During the drill, Kru always made sure we were aware of the simple but very important things, like having the hands up while doing the exercise.
We finished the lower body warm-up with some straight knees and squats followed by each leg’s quick stretch.
Main Part of the Class
To get the heartbeats up a little bit, we first did some jump squats with one hand (alternately) touching the floor.
A little note about the coach; Kru was always checking what are we doing and if the movement was done the right way. Also, if he was to see that one of us was slowing down, he was always there to motivate and get us back on track.
A series of jab-cross knee combos followed the series of jump squats. That lasted for about 2 minutes.
The 30 seconds break followed. If we weren’t too tired and didn’t need to drink water, Kru always suggested we go through the break-in a basic Muay Thai stance.
The time was for the second round. Again a series of jump squats followed by a jab-cross knee combo and a set of push kicks after.
One of the most exciting and most interactive parts of the class followed.
Kru was striking to the camera, and we were reciprocating with the push kicks. A little bit odd at first, but hey, these are times of lockdowns. We are not in the gyms. Kudos to Kru for keeping the interactivity going.
We completed the round with the set of jab crosses.
The next round was a little bit different.
First, we’ve done a set of jump squats as in the previous two rounds.
Then, we’ve done combinations of push-ups and punching (with alternate arms) from plank stance.
A little break followed with a bit of stretching and shadowboxing.
We proceeded to do three sets of straight knees followed by a set of squat jumps.
One excellent tip Kru said during the session was to keep shadow boxing if we were tired. That keeps us focused on not abandoning the technique.
We’ve kept on shadow boxing for a while.
Stretching
The session ended with a good five-minute stretch.
During the stretching phase, Kru has said that the way to master things is repetition. That brought a smile to my face as that is, in fact, one of my favorite quotes (or a modification of it).
“We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit”, Aristotle.
After the stretch, Kru stayed with us for a little more, chatting with us and giving advice and tips.
The whole session lasted for about 45 minutes.
My Verdict
The experience of the Krudar Muay Thai online class was great.
The atmosphere was friendly and warm. The class is a perfect option to choose if you want to get some activity during these times.
The instructor, Kru Darwin, was incredible. He kept the energy on for the whole session and was always there with tips and advice.
I would highly recommend the class to anyone looking for some Muay Thai training, being a beginner or advanced practitioner.
