I suppose everyone's experience will he different based on what the instructors expect of them, but in my experience, injury would be my biggest concern.

The school I went to is known locally as being quite tough and minor injuries were quite common. Rare that you needed to lay up for a while (but not unknown) but enough to cause you some serious problems if you also planed on swim / bike / run training on a regular basis.

We did a high proportion of full contact sparring, add in a few adults trying to prove themselves, add in some off the mma class to teach them a bit of stand up and you can see where it's leading ...

Like I said very much school dependant so be careful !

But yes, it's great for your core ;-)

On another note, is it common for people who do contact sports to retire into long house tri ?

We have a small training group / team but amongst them is one of my old sensei's, my old sparring partner, a bjj guy and a semi pro boxer - just pure coincidence ?

WD :-)

Thank you for the quick reply MD,

I think the injury risk, as you described it, will be comparably low in that class I want to attend.
This will be a endurance HIIT type of class with most of its work on sandbags.

As you can never neglect the factor of those trying to prove themselves I guess as it is not directly a school for martial arts,
but more of a course to take during free time at university (with instructors from schools obviously), those won't be that much of a problem. Also I will start with the beginners course.

I will definitely give it a try then! And with the stretching before and after training, this should also be a good opportunity to get that stiff triathlon body moving again and build some more core!

Thank you!

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I coach a triathlon club in Bangkok, literally 2 days ago one of my athletes (fit female, 36yo) pulled from a run session saying she hurt her sciatica by kicking a sandback at a muay thai class. I would pick something else for cross training.

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Vinnie Santana, Multisport Coach
http://www.ironguides.net
* * * Your best is our business. * * *

Thank you for the input Vinnie,

I hope she recovers well! There are still 4 weeks until the new classes begin.
I will have a quick chat with the instructor before hand about what his training will look like and how it would impact my triathlon from his perspective.
Injuries are alway bad, they can happen anywhere anytime and I understand that combat sports probably push the boundaries a bit more than playing chess ;D

A talk to the instructor will be the best I guess

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I used to box some and I also really like to punch/kick a standing bag in my gym after my swim workouts. It's a ton of fun and feels great and boosts confidence. You don't necessarily have to be in a class forever. You could learn the basics and drop the class and then just do it on your own when you like. Then you're not being pushed to do too much and you can stop when you feel something is injuring. Lots of videos on youtube on how to do it right.

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Zen and the Art of Triathlon. Strava Workout Log
Interviews with Chris McCormack, Helle Frederikson, Angela Naeth, and many more.
http://www.zentriathlon.com

I think it's a great cross training activity. But, with the caveat to be sure you're working within your means, not overdoing it, stretching A LOT and listening to your body when it needs a break.

Thank you guys!
Really appreciate your thoughts on this one as it is kind of special from what I've read so far.

Thanks!

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Way back in the day, I used to train in MMA at a fairly high level till i damaged an eye in a facial injury. Took up cycling after my doctor just laughed at me when i asked if i could get back to MMA/contact sports. As a result of 19 years of martial arts, even today, my 1-3' power (as well as ability to recover quickly and hit again) is really good. But it hasnt carried over to long-term endurance.

I was working on a consulting gig and wasnt able to take my bike, so i joined a jujitsu/MMA gym again and i found that the fitness doesnt really translate over too directly, in either direction (I also realized that in my mid/late 40s, I dont recover as quickly as i used to in my twenties and that taking a shin to my knee now is a much bigger deal than it was back then)
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That said, it is a lot of fun, and if you arent running the risk of getting kneed in the face, have at it. If i could train in contact MMA again, I'd give up triathlon/cycling in a heartbeat.

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Those who are slower than me suck.
Those who are faster than me dope

If you are doing fitness kickboxing on a heavy bag, you should be fine. If you haven't hit much before, wrap your hands and use good gloves- 14 or 16 oz. Warmup the first half of class, increasing how hard you hit over time. Concentrate on technique more than power. Be sure to kick with your shin, not your foot. Shins are like baseball bats. Feet are like eggs.

I did over a year of Krav, a minute of Muay Thai, and two years of hard fitness kickboxing until the pandemic closed my gym. I do not wrap my hands and use light bag gloves, but in Krav we hit with bare hands and I got used to it.

You may gain some upper body mass. Local bike shop owner commented a few times on my arms getting jacked. (For a cyclist.) Punching and swimming use different muscle groups, I believe. I ended up with more injuries doing 100 burpees a day than I did kickboxing. Just be smart and keep your ego in check.

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"Remember: a bicycle is an elegant and efficient tool designed for seeking out and defeating people who aren't as good as you."

--BikeSnobNYC