February 18, 2025
Various Muay Thai education

There are various routes which can be followed by a Muay Thai student to reach Kru or instructor status. One such way is to train under an Ajarn or Kru for between 5and 10 years.

During this time the student has to demonstrate an adequate skill level allowing them to successfully pass the WTBA curriculum whereafter they will be awarded the coveted Kru title. However, it is not sufficient to show that you can pass the required standards, the student must also convince the examiners of their ability to teach those same skills to other students. And such examination will be supervised by a Grandmaster of Muay Thai. Something which many westerners fail to understand is that many Muay Thai fighters become famous by successfully winning as many contests as possible and in doing so they actually make a living as a Thai boxer. Many of the Muay Thai training camp in Thailand are providing a very high standard of training resulting in high levels of fitness.  

Various instructor ranks 

With in the World Thai Boxing Association there are five different levels for instructors. The most senior of these levels is the Ajarn which is a person which has been teaching for at least 25 years. This is followed by the rank of senior instructor which is some one that has been teaching for twenty years or more. This is followed by a Kru or full instructor which has been actively involved in Muay Thai teaching for 12 years. Next in rank is the Kru associate instructor which has been teaching for six years followed by the Kru apprentice instructor who has completed three years of training. In most cases your average coach at a Muay Thai gym is almost certainly a level two student. A full Kru will make use of coaches who are teaching Muay Thai fundamentals under their watchful eye. There is a lot of interest among Muay Thai students to join a training program in order to study to become a Muay Thai coach. This is one of the most sought-after forms of education in Thailand.  

Many years of dedication 

It will require 5-10 years of intensive training to reach the title of Kru but to reach the level of Ajarn will require 25-40 years of actual training experience. Students have to commit to a training program or course and do everything in their power to master the necessary skills in order to receive their certificates. It is important to study at a fully accredited school in order to obtain a certificate which will be accepted by owners of Muay Thai training camps in Thailand. In order to become an apprentice instructor under the World Muay Thai Boxing Association will require many years of immersive Muay Thai experience. Students seeking coaching certification must demonstrate their ability to perform all of the skills stipulated in the WTBA curriculum. They will have to attend annual instructor development camps and at such camps will have to pass the prescribed tests to demonstrate that they are able to teach the WTBA material. Suwitmuaythai of hottest marque has a good Muay Thai trainer course to learn in short time.