There are loads of physical benefits to training Muay Thai. You get fitter, stronger, and more flexible, all while learning a new skill.
But the mental impacts are often overlooked.
Here are three mental benefits I’ve noticed since training Muay Thai:
I'm more confident
I’d never trained any combat sport before, so the first time I walked into the gym I didn’t have a clue what I was doing.
In the warm-up, I couldn’t skip for longer than a few seconds without the rope catching my feet. I was no better on the pads. My technique was awful: my punches were feeble and uncoordinated, and my kicks were stiff because my flexibility was poor.
I remember feeling self-conscious, even embarrassed. It’s hard being bad at something in public, especially when you’re surrounded by people who’ve been doing it for years.
I improved gradually, until eventually I started going to more classes and doing extra 1-1 sessions with the coach. A couple of years into more consistent training, I’ve developed significantly since those first sessions.
It’s normal to feel stupid when you start something new. But when you push through those feelings, putting in the countless hours it takes to improve, it gives you a confidence that seeps into other areas of life.
I’m braver
I’ve not fought competitively, but I have sparred against people significantly better than me.
It can be intimidating. Three-minute rounds drag when you’re getting punched and kicked.
But over time, I’ve learnt to be braver. I’ll pick partners who I know will challenge me. I’ve had some tough rounds and a few injuries. I’ve also landed some good shots and stood my own against people with a lot more experience.
The buzz you get from it is unbelievable, eclipsing any residual apprehension.
Confronting fear directly in the shape of an opponent gives you the courage and mental resilience to face challenges outside the gym.
I’m more disciplined
Training is hard, and you need discipline to keep at it. But there are loads of extra obstacles that you probably don’t consider.
Let’s say I train two evenings and one morning a week.
The evenings normally mean staying later at work. I’m the last to leave when I lug my two big bags on a thirty-minute walk to the gym. We do two or three hours of tough training before my twenty-minute walk home.
By the time I’ve had a shower and sat down to eat it’s 10 pm. I normally want time to meditate and write before work, so that means waking up early the next morning.
If I train in the morning I start work later, which means playing catch up for the day.
Other barriers include:
Tiredness, bruises, and aching muscles
Freezing walks to and from the gym in winter months
An endless cycle of washing and drying gym clothes, especially in colder months
When you train in spite of all the obstacles, you discipline your mind to do things you don’t want to do.