Starting martial arts at 40. Or 55.
You're not too old. You're too old for a group class built for 22-year-olds, which is a different thing. Here the pace, the intensity and the knees we respect are yours. Half my students started after 35.
The useful question isn't whether you're too old. It's whether the format, the coach and the pace fit your situation today. With a group, almost never. One-on-one, always.
Three people who start late, and why it works for them.
The one who quit sport at 25
Work, kids, sofa. Twenty years without a proper sweat. Wants to feel his body is good for something again, without getting injured in week one.
The one who always wanted to try
Thought about it at 20, felt too self-conscious. Now doesn't care what anyone thinks and wants to learn something real, not just burn calories.
The one who moved to the coast
New to Torre del Mar or nearby, no routine, no gym they trust. Wants one fixed hour a week that's theirs, and someone who speaks their language.
What gets adapted to your age. And what doesn't change.
What adapts is the load, the pace and the progression. What doesn't change is that you learn the real technique, no watered-down version.
- The warm-up is longer and more serious. Hips, shoulders and ankles ready before a single strike. At 45 that's non-negotiable.
- No jumping or impact you don't need. Technical Muay Thai doesn't require burpees. We work standing, on the pads, at an intensity that rises week by week, not all at once.
- Your knees and your back are in charge. Old injuries, replacements, hernias: you tell me on day one and the plan is built around them, not in spite of them.
- The technique is the same one I teach a fighter. Slower, with more repetition, but the same. There's no adults' Muay Thai and real Muay Thai.
- No comparison with anyone. In a group, the slowest person sets their own embarrassment. Here there's no slowest, because there's nobody else.
If you have a specific medical condition, check with your doctor before starting. I adapt the training; I don't replace that conversation.
The first two months, if you start at 45.
Assessment and mobility
How you move today, what hurts, what doesn't. Basic stance and footwork. Light pads so you take something home.
The basic strikes, no rush
Jab, cross, low kick. Repetition with constant correction. This is where a group would have left you behind, and where you move forward.
Short rounds
Two or three rounds on the pads with real rest in between. Endurance goes up without you noticing.
Your call
Fitness, self-defence, or simply keep learning. At this age consistency matters more than intensity, and we plan that together.
The doubts of people who start late.
Am I too old to start Muay Thai?
No. I train people in their 40s, 50s and beyond. What changes is how we do it, not whether you can.
I'm very out of shape. Can I still start?
Yes. The first session is adapted to the shape you're in today. Fitness is the result of training, not the requirement.
I have an old injury. Is that a problem?
You tell me on day one and the plan is built around it. If it's something medically serious, talk to your doctor first and we work with what they say.
Will I have to spar?
No, unless you ask for it and I can see you're ready. Most of my adult students train technique and pads and never spar.
What's the best martial art to start later in life?
The one with a coach who adapts the pace to you. Technical Muay Thai, one-on-one, without unnecessary impact, is one of the best options I know. A full-throttle Muay Thai group at 9pm is not.
One hour. Nobody watching.
€30 for the first session. If it's not for you by the end, tell me and no hard feelings.