Muay Thai

Muay Thai is the National sport of Thailand. It is a combat sport often called ‘Thai Boxing’ or ‘art of eight limbs’. It primarily uses fists, elbows, knees and shins for striking along with clinching techniques. Muay Thai comes under the stand-up (striking) form of martial arts.

I myself have been practicing Martial Arts for quite sometime now and it has completely transformed me as a person. It has inculcated values such as hard work, perseverance, endurance, confidence, ability to withstand pain etc. Here are a few benefits of training Muay Thai.

1. Self-Discipline:

Discipline is totally different when it is forced upon you vs when it is self-driven. A Muay Thai athlete has to lead a disciplined life, from what he eats to how he trains to his sleep patterns. They lead an extremely strict life which is nothing close to the normal citizen.

2.Respect:

Most people think that fighters are disrespectful which to some extent is true for the modern style fighters. Muay Thai being a traditional martial art imbibes the value of respect in the practitioners. Before each bout, a fighter is supposed to perform a Wai Kru ceremony which is a Thai ritual that is conducted to pay respect and gratitude to the teacher (wai- respect, kru-teacher).

3.Mental toughness:

Training Muay Thai is extremely difficult. The pain fighters go through is unimaginable. Enduring and pushing through the pain not only makes you physically stronger but also makes you mentally tougher. It allows you to break your boundaries, get out of your comfort zone and reach greater heights.

4.Fitness:

Even if you’re not looking to fight in competitions, Muay Thai is a great way to ripped and get the body you’ve always been dreaming about. Muay Thai training essentially trains all the major muscles in the body and obviously implementing the technique you have learnt on the punching bag or pads does burn up a lot of calories! It improves your muscular endurance, cardiovascular activity and of course it does improve your self-defense and fighting ability.

5.Increased concentration:

When you get inside the ring, you have to be unwavering focus and concentration. If you take your eyes off your opponent for even a second, it can alter the course of the match.Martial arts in general increases our awareness of things going on in our surroundings and also within ourselves and requires us to be mindful at all times.

I have been able to personally witness changes in myself as a result of practicing Muay Thai for over a year now. Usually I would get up late and waste a lot of fresh time in the mornings but after I have started training, I am up early for practice. I have also reduced unhealthy food intake to a very minimal amount in order to stay fit and in fighting condition. It has also instilled values of perseverance in me and a never give up attitude. It has taught me respect and has also helped me in controlling my short temper.

If you want to know how I overcame difficulties and became the National Champion, please do give my other article a read.