Frequently Asked Questions
What is Muay Thai?
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Muay Thai is the national sport of Thailand that uses stand-up striking, along with various clinching techniques. This discipline is known as the "art fo eight limbs" as it is characterised by the combined use of fists, elbows, knees, and shins. Muay Thai is the perfect way to maintain fitness and, is great for mental health whilst at the same time building your self defence skills.
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What is K1?
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K1, a style of Japanese kickboxing was developed into K1 in 1993. Like Muay Thai, it is a stand up martial art but is often referred to as the westernised version of the more traditional Thai Boxing (Muay Thai) as it combines techniques from Muay Thai, Karate, Taekondo, Savate, San Shou, Kickboxing and Western- style boxing. It is also very much comparable to the much loved Dutch style kickboxing.
K1 rules are similar to those of kickboxing the main difference between K-1 rules and kickboxing is the use of knees allowed in K1 like Traditional Muay Thai, minus the elbows and clinch techniques.
The martial art of K1 is really starting to take off in the UK and is becoming more and more popular amongst the Muay Thai enthusiasts and practitioners.
If you’re a fan of one of these sports you’re often a fan of the other.
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What do we teach at Northside?
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At Northside we cover and implement many traditional aspects of Muay Thai and the ‘stand-up game’, included and not limited to boxing and K1. We try to keep our Muay Thai training as traditional and as authentic as possible using knowledge passed down to us from the many years of experience our teachers before us have obtained, many of which who’s art was mastered directly from some of the worlds best trainers directly from and in Thailand who still, to this day, take regular trips to the motherland to continually learn and progress their teachings and the art of Muay Thai.
Whether you are a complete novice, looking to sharpen your techniques or you are just looking for an alternative way to get/keep fit, then you will be guaranteed to take away something from what we teach at Northside.
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What should I expect?
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You’ll find something for everyone at Northside. A typical Muay Thai class will include things such as stretching, warm ups, body conditioning, clinch work, drills, padwork, bag work, sparring, and strength and conditioning.
Our other more specific classes such as our k1/pad drill class and sparring sessions we hope are more self explanatory.
It is extremely essential that you behave in a humble and respectful manner when at Northside or when representing the gym in any manner. Those who put any students in unneeded danger (for instance being too aggressive on beginners in sparring) will be warned then further removed from class. We have a strict malice free policy at Northside and we always remain respectful in sparring and other activities.
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What should I bring?
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If you are just starting out and just want to give one of our classes a try without investing in all new equipment we have lots of spare equipment such as shinguards and gloves for you to use in class. Things such as spare groin guards or mouth guards we do not provide but are available to purchase at the gym shop if needed.

Essentials for training:
Comfortable clothing to workout in (shorts and a t-shirt), Gloves, Shinguards, Gumshield and a Groin guard.

Optional:
Hand wraps and ankle supports. 
Also we find a towel always comes in handy for the more intense classes.
Do I have to become a member?
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No. You are more than welcome to 'pay-as-you-go' for each class however if you attend classes regularly, the cost of each class significantly reduces if you are a member.
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Do I need to be fit to start Muay Thai lessons?
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No. We have people of all ages and fitness levels attending classes. You will get much fitter in time with consistency in Muay Thai training. You can definitely build on this and improve at NSMT regardless of your fitness level. Our friendly atmosphere and professional coaches will help you achieve this. As the popular saying goes, ‘Waiting to get fit before you start training is like saying you are waiting to get smart before you go to school.’
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Please Note
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It is extremely essential that you behave in a humble and respectful manner. Those who put any students in unneeded danger (for instance being too aggressive on beginners in sparring) will be warned and then removed from class. We have a strict malice free policy at Northside and we always remain respectful in sparring and other activities.