Many people who are keen to start Thai Boxing ask whether or not they can compete within the sport. This is certainly the case with Redkite. Students will need to be at a suitable level to compete. This can take different amounts of time depending on the individual and their own dedication and ability to develop. For some this could be 6 months and others 3 or 4 years but nobody will be entered into a competition without the necessary ability. You must also be a club member.

There are various competition levels. The first one being the ‘Interclub’ stage.

This would be your first experience of fighting in a ‘ring’ against somebody from a different club. It is the most important stage in my opinion as it offers everyone the chance to see whether competition is for them and is also where you will get a lot of your competition experience. It is also the place where your coaches can decide whether you are able to move onto the next more competitive level.

At Interclubs, there is no winner. Everyone goes away with a trophy. Shin pads are a necessity and body shields and head guards are often also a requirement but this can be negociated at certain events.

You should be matched against somebody at your own level and thereby be able to practice moves and techniques learned in class but under the pressure and circumstances of a genuine competition.

Should an individual prove competent after several interclubs, it would be then that the coach would enter them into a ‘N’ or 'C' class event (mostly without shin pads and body armour, with no knee or elbow strikes to the head area allowed.) I will not go into details about the next stages as this will be something a student will become clear about throughout their training.

Though Interclubs are for beginners, the training for an Interclub must be the same as for a real fight. This enables an individual to see what they would require to do to progress through the ranks and demonstrates to the Kru that a person is able and willing to dedicate the right amount of time and motivation.

A student must attend 3 lessons per week for 3 months prior to the Interclub. (Certain exceptions can be made to this rule at the discretion of the Kru). A student must engage in running outside of the club and be alcohol/cigarette free for at least 1 month. ( Again, certain exceptions can be made to this rule at the discretion of the Kru). There are other criteria a student must meet but these are the main training standards required.

Many of our students enter Inter-clubs, but others also come for support or just to watch. Some have loved it and continued to attend them, others decide that competing isn’t for them after all. The Interclub stage is a sensible and secure grounding to test your skills and is a vital step on the path to competitive fighting - it is however entirely optional, we have no shortage of students with no desire to challenge anyone but themselves, and we have no intention of pressuring you to do anymore than that.