Quick Definition
A pad holder is the person who holds padded targets, such as focus mitts or Thai pads, for a fighter to strike during training. They absorb the blows, call out combinations and move around to imitate a live opponent.
What is a pad holder?
The pad holder is the training partner or coach standing opposite a fighter during striking work, wearing or gripping pads that soak up strikes. In many gyms, the same person is called a padman, a mitt holder or simply the holder. Their job goes past catching shots. A capable holder calls the combinations the fighter throws, sets the pace of the round, feeds realistic angles, and reacts to mistakes so the striker learns to fix them.
Most people meet the term in a gym or in fight commentary, where a coach might be introduced as a fighter’s long-time pad holder. The role matters because the person holding the pads shapes how much a striker gets out of a session. Coaches at Tiger Muay Thai, interviewed by ONE Championship, describe good pad holding as adapting to each fighter’s style while keeping the energy high. A holder who stands flat with a dead arm gives poor feedback. One who moves and responds turns a repetitive drill into something close to a real exchange.
How pad holding works
During a pad round, the holder positions the pads where the next strike should land, and the fighter hits the target. A lot of the communication happens through numbers. The holder calls a sequence like “one, two, three” and the fighter reads it as a specific combination the gym has drilled before. Vali Sports describes this as the holder feeding the fighter a series of numbers that the striker then interprets into a combination.
A skilled holder also moves the way an opponent would. Rajadamnern’s coaching guide notes that a good holder feeds realistic angles and forces the fighter to think while striking, which solo bag work cannot copy. Some holders flick the pads back at the fighter between combinations to see whether they keep their guard up or reset their stance. For a fan watching a training video, recognising that pattern is enough. Holding pads well is a craft that takes years to build.
Pad holder vs sparring partner
The most common mix-up is between a pad holder and a sparring partner. Both stand across from the fighter, but their jobs pull in opposite directions. A pad holder cooperates. They feed the strikes the fighter wants to practise and absorb them on the pads, so the striker can rep clean technique on a moving target. A sparring partner resists, fighting back within agreed limits, so the fighter has to deal with a person actively trying to land shots and avoid them.
Sonny Brown, a martial arts coach who writes about training methods, points out that a fighter almost always walks away from a pad round feeling like the winner, because the holder is there to make them look good. Sparring rarely feels that way. That gap is why padwork sits between bag work and sparring on the training ladder.
| Pad holder | Sparring partner | |
|---|---|---|
| Intent | Feed and absorb strikes | Compete within limits |
| Resistance | Cooperative | Resisting |
| Who leads | The holder calls the shots | Both react live |
| Main benefit | Clean reps, timing, conditioning | Reading a live opponent |
Types of pads a pad holder uses
Understanding the term also means knowing what a holder actually holds. The equipment shifts with the martial art and the strikes being drilled.
| Pad type | What it is | Used for |
|---|---|---|
| Focus mitts | Small handheld targets shaped like a padded glove | Punches, precision, hand speed |
| Thai pads | Thick pads strapped along the forearms | Kicks, knees, punches and elbows |
| Kick shields | Large, thick pads held against the body or thigh | Heavy kicks and knees |
| Belly pad | A padded shield worn across the trainer’s midsection | Body shots, teeps and knees |
A holder in a boxing gym might only ever pick up focus mitts, while a Muay Thai trainer usually works with Thai pads and often adds a belly pad for body work. Warrior Collective’s equipment guide notes that calf and leg guards have become more common lately, a response to the rise of the calf kick in MMA.
Is a pad holder the same as a coach?
Not necessarily. A pad holder can be the head coach, an assistant, or another fighter partnered up for the round. In traditional Muay Thai gyms in Thailand, the trainer almost always holds the pads, so the padman and the coach are the same person. In a lot of Western MMA gyms, teammates hold for each other and the head coach steps in only for specific work.
Pad holding is a skill in its own right, separate from coaching knowledge. Westside MMA’s guide to holding Thai pads makes the point that a strong holder works independently, reading the fighter and adjusting without being told what to do. Sonny Brown even observes that fighters sometimes switch camps to train with a particular padman, something that rarely happens over a wrestling or jiu-jitsu coach.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a padman?
Padman is another word for a pad holder, used most often in Muay Thai and boxing. It refers to the person holding the mitts or pads, whether that person is a coach or a training partner.
What does “feeding” mean in padwork?
Feeding is the act of presenting the pads and calling the strikes for the fighter to throw. A holder who “feeds numbers” calls out a coded sequence that the fighter turns into a set combination.
Does holding pads improve your own skills?
Yes. Holding pads sharpens timing, distance, and reaction, because the holder has to read the fighter and catch strikes cleanly. MiddleEasy’s pad-holding guide describes good padwork as engaging for both people, including the one doing the holding.
Do you need to be a coach to hold pads?
No. Anyone who has learned the skill can hold pads. In most gyms, training partners hold for each other, and learning to hold well is part of a striker’s own development.
Sources
- Turn You Into A Better Pad Holder.” Accessed July 2026.
https://www.onefc.com/lifestyle/7-tips-that-will-turn-you-into-a-better-pad-holder/ - Vali Sports. “Choosing Focus Mitts vs Thai Pads For Training.” Accessed July 2026.
https://valisports.com/blogs/mma/focus-mitts-vs-thai-pads - Rajadamnern. “Different Types of Boxing Pads for Muay Thai.” Accessed July 2026.
https://rajadamnern.com/blog/different-types-muay-thai-pads/ - Warrior Collective. “Pad Work in Martial Arts and Combat Sports: A Complete Guide.” Accessed July 2026.
https://warriorcollective.co.uk/blogs/wccoaching/pad-work-in-martial-arts-and-combat-sports-a-complete-guide - Sonny Brown. “Why Everyone Loves the Padman.” Accessed July 2026.
https://www.sonnybrown.net/why-everyone-loves-the-padman/ - Westside MMA. “The Ultimate Guide To Holding Muaythai Pads.” Accessed July 2026.
https://www.westsidemma.net/single-post/2016/12/01/the-ultimate-guide-to-holding-muaythai-pads - MiddleEasy. “The Do’s and Don’ts of Pad Holding.” Accessed July 2026.
https://middleeasy.com/guides/pad-holding-guid
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