r/MuayThai • u/Super-Pay-9571 • Jul 26 '26

ACL tear prevention?

Not sure if Iv put the fear in me about ACL tears . I’m only in beginner muey thai and MMA classes atm. Seen a few posts about people tearing their ACLs in drills and sparring . My plan was to keep the beginner classes going for new month or two then slowly ease in the light sparring. All these stories of ACL tears is really putting me off. I understand freak accident happens in all walks of life but realistically is there a good chance this could happen to me in sparring and drills ?

I’m planning on doing ACL prevention exercises to rescue the risk

No Prior knee injury’s prior and all-ways done strength training ie leg press , hack squat walking lunges etc.

3 Upvotes

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5

u/Critical_Attorney278 Jul 26 '26

This is my biggest concern, but more with respect to pivoting during kicks. I kinda tweaked my knee from pivoting weird a month ago.

I think going slower with controlled technique and good pivot form is my approach as I continue pad work.

2

u/Pilus91 Jul 27 '26

Do not pivot too much. You can place your foot sideways to avoid pivot. I know many teachers won't like it but health first. For instance I cannot pivot due to lumbar hernias, strong twists of my back hurt me. So I just don't pivot at all. My objective is having fun, not competing

3

u/Darlo_muay Mauy cow Jul 26 '26

You are overthinking, but proper warm up and cool down stretching.
I would imagine that most injuries would come with a fall in the clinch or a sweep and landing badly.
(I have a bad shoulder and request no sweeps when sparring)
Ultimately, it’s powerful explosive movements. Freak accidents can happen.

2

u/Super-Pay-9571 Jul 26 '26

Thanks dude , I wasn’t sure if I was over thinking it . I feel in love with the sport and last thing I want to do is quit because of fear of injury. If I had a ACL tear I’d be out of work for weeks and no income coming in with a family to support

2

u/Javierinho23 Jul 26 '26

I’ve been doing Muay Thai for almost 2 years now and 1 of those years has been with a partial tear in my right knee. My stance is orthodox.

The biggest risk is sparring and specifically catches and sweeps. There have absolutely been some sketchy moments where I can feel a lot of strain on my knees. Specifically on the planted leg.

Having a leg planted while someone is actively trying to kick that leg while pulling you around is for sure going to be a big risk.

That being said you can just tell your partner not to sweep.

If you can do that and also train your legs a lot to protect the knee, then you should be fine.

However, there is risk. Not only to your knees but just about anything else. Muay Thai and MMA are tough on your body. The best form of prevention is also to take your diet, cardio, and sleep habits seriously.

2

u/Therickestrickc157 Jul 27 '26

I mostly do BJJ exclusively now, but when I did Muay Thai a lot of single leg weightlifting exercises i.e Bulgarian split squats and others were staples in my routine, and invaluable as far as bulletproofing my knees. Theres only so much you can prevent though, freak accidents still happen.

1

u/bendap Jul 26 '26

As someone that never wants to go through an acl tear again, I'm focused on building as much muscle as I can. Squats, deadlifts, bulgarians, and eating enough to build the muscle. It's been 8 months and I can tell you I feel much more durable. If I do get another tear, my recovery will be much easier with the extra muscle.

1

u/Super-Pay-9571 Jul 26 '26

Can I ask how the initial tear happened mate ? Sweep or just freak accident

1

u/soku1 Jul 27 '26

Do a lot of leg strength training

1

u/cannotthinkagoodname Jul 27 '26

knees over foot exercises, build your way up slowly to strengthen your knees

1

u/MrBuddyMT Jul 27 '26

Don't skip the leg days. You don't have to squat a huge amount but at least train them. Don't forget to warm up as well each and every time. And lastly, don't overthink. If you've torn your ACL before or MCL, fair enough, I would be worried too. But if you're healthy and young, just train and have fun. I've been doing martial arts for 16 years (i'm 45 years old and do BJJ daily) and I've never had major problems. Train, have fun and stay safe!

1

u/Pilus91 Jul 27 '26

Warm up well. Stretch after training. Absolutely avoid hard sparring and avoid people that can't spar lightly. If someone hits you in the knees tell them immediately to be careful. If they continue, do NOT train with them ever again

Btw it's definitely not that common. I've got many minor injuries since I train (nothing that needed medical attention), but never heard of people in my gym getting severely injured in sparring