Apr 16, 2020

3 Immediate Mental Health Benefits Of Training Muay Thai

Multiple-time Muay Thai World Champion Sagetdao Petpayathai kicks a heavy bag at Evolve in Singapore

After taking up Muay Thai, you will notice many changes happening to your body. You will become stronger, your punches will become more powerful, and your kicks will become quicker.

But Muay Thai also helps you develop a stronger mindset, which you can carry over to everyday life.

Here are three benefits you will get when training “the art of eight limbs.”

#1 Muay Thai Strengthens Your Mind

Angela Lee defeats Xiong Jing Nan at ONE CENTURY

When training Muay Thai, you may find yourself wanting to take a break or give up entirely, but that is when you need to dig deep and make your mind your greatest ally.

A strong mindset will help you reap the physical benefits of training, which means you will be punching and kicking. As a result, you will be shedding weight a lot quicker.

ONE Women’s Atomweight World Champion “Unstoppable” Angela Lee relies on her mental strength to overcome doubt.

“When I am doubting myself, one thing I can trust in is I have put in the hours in the gym,” the Evolve MMA representative says.

“I have made the sacrifices I needed to get to where I am at today, and I put in the work. If you put in the work, you are going to get your results. It is a pretty simple equation.”

#2 Muay Thai Pushes You Past Your Limits

Rodtang Jitmuangnon celebrates his win against Jonathan Haggerty at ONE A NEW TOMORROW

With a strong mindset, you can push yourself beyond your limits and do what other people might think is unachievable.

That is the mindset which helped ONE Flyweight Muay Thai World Champion Rodtang “The Iron Man” Jitmuangnon get past the limits of his environment.

“It wasn’t so much of a choice, but something I needed to do,” Rodtang says about lifting himself and his family out of poverty.

“My parents always set a good example for me, and taught me to work hard. They are now very proud of what I have achieved.”

And that is one of the beautiful things about martial arts in general – you go places you never dreamed you could.

#3 Muay Thai Teaches You Something New

Petchmorakot Petchyindee Academy defeats Charlie Peters at ONE EDGE OF GREATNESS

When you learn Muay Thai, you add new skills to your tool bag. Every day spent in the gym is a day to improve on what you already know.

You might learn a subtle movement that helps you kick with more efficiency. You might learn how to get more leverage on your punches. Or you might learn a new way to off-balance your opponent in the clinch.

This learning mindset has even helped ONE Featherweight Muay Thai World Champion Petchmorakot Petchyindee Academy soak up as much as he could from one of his mentors, ONE Bantamweight Muay Thai World Champion Nong-O Gaiyanghadao.

“He taught me lots of new techniques. He’s so advanced at Muay Thai, and has so many different moves,” the 25-year-old says.

“It was exciting to spar with him. He’s got so many specific techniques on how to stay standing in a fight, and throw weapons, too. He was stronger than me, but he would give me the chance to spar with him so that I could learn. He’d go light and teach as he went.”