Benefits of Muay Thai
The 8 benefits of Muay Thai That Takes Your Fitness Level Up A Few Notches!
Have you flown to Thailand with not just the beaches in mind but also learning some martial arts? Perhaps seeing videos of Pro fighters executing fantastic Muay Thai moves got you all excited. I can’t blame you! It is pretty remarkable how those fighters execute those deadly attacks and combo moves so well. But if you’re here to learn, looking cool is just one more perk compared to other great benefits of Muay Thai.
Muay Thai, the official martial arts, is deep-rooted in Thai culture. Its roots lie in a much older form of martial art called Muay Boran, the fighting art used on the battlefield by Thai soldiers. Since then, the times have changed, and it is no longer the age of war. Flowing with the time, the martial arts too adopted its techniques to be more sports-oriented and is the Muay Thai as we know it today.
Since there are plenty of Martial arts out there, how do you choose one that’s best for you? Is your goal to have great physical fitness and mental focus along with excellent fighting and defensive skills? Then continue reading to find out what makes Muay Thai stand out from the rest.
Difference Between Muay Thai & Other Martial Arts
All martial arts pay attention to and address the various attack and defensive areas by developing their unique techniques. To master & execute these techniques develops your physical fitness and abilities. A certain amount of mental wellness and clarity is required no matter which martial arts you practice. Some put more emphasis on this compared to others.
So what makes Muay Thai different? The core difference is in using 4 pairs of limbs rather than the standard 2 pairs of limbs. This is because most martial arts focus on building your combat skills using fists and feet. On the other hand, Muay Thai makes equal use of 2 more pairs, i.e. your knees and elbows.
The addition of the knees and elbows allow you to use even close-range attacks along with the long and mid-range attacks. And if it gets too close for comfort, you can even execute a clinch, a sort of grappling move in Muay Thai. The Thai boxing art also requires you to perform many consecutive strikes and combo moves. This requires a solid physical foundation and conditioning and super mental focus, taking your fitness to a whole new level—the training needed to achieve these leads to the benefits of Muay Thai as mentioned below.
8 BENEFITS OF MUAY THAI
#1 Strengthen Your Cardiovascular System
Before you even get started, better get it in your head that Muay Thai training will be tough. Long before you even get started with the actual combat training, you’ll need to bring your fitness level up. And since Muay Thai moves involve many consecutive attacks, the first thing you need to strengthen is your cardiovascular system.
You will start with what seems like an endless routine of jumping ropes, running, kicking and many more. That is, of course, just the warm-up. You should guess that if that were hard, the actual training would be much harder. Such gruelling training aims to ensure you can pull of those combo moves and consecutive attacks correctly and without harming yourself! And so, vigorous cardio is one of the benefits of Muay Thai that you gain.
#2: Strengthen Your Lower Body
Ever notice the calves of Muay Thai fighters? That’s right! Strong legs & sexy calves are another one of the benefits of Muay Thai. And that is because the legs play a vital role in executing many of the Muay Thai moves. That is why this martial arts put extra emphasis on your footwork and conditioning your legs.
By practising the many Muay Thai kicks repeatedly and the various related exercise routines, you will end up strengthening the musculature of your entire lower body. This helps you pack a lot of power behind your kicks, turning your legs into a weapon!
#3: Increase Hip-Mobility
Excellent mobility is a vital requirement for combat. However, it is also an essential factor in physical fitness. But, still, it is pretty common to see even the so-called ‘fitness enthusiasts’ not paying enough attention to mobility. Their fitness routine is often focussing only on 1-2 planes of movement.
Muay Thai, however, with its many knee and elbow movements, ensures you are well trained in all 3 planes of motion. As a result, improved hip mobility becomes another one of the benefits of Muay Thai that you get.
#4: Gain Solid Balance
Many injuries are caused as a result of poor balance. In combat, poor balance can be the difference between victory and defeat. Even when it comes to physical health, poor balance is a sign of poor fitness!
Now, of course, as a student of Muay Thai, poor balance is unacceptable. You need a rock-solid balance if you want your Muay Thai moves to be effective and not end up injuring yourself. And sure enough, the Thai Boxing training routine will ensure you develop a solid balance by practising all the various kicks and related exercises over and over again!
#5: Get Strong Core Muscles
Practising all those kicks and moves with consecutive strikes over and over again not only improves your balance, but over time, it vastly increases your endurance level as well. And this, in turn, is a result of you gaining strong core muscles. Those kicks, rotational movements, grappling techniques and even defensive moves help to improve your core strength.
Now you probably understand the importance of core strength from the point of view of fitness and attacking power. But it is also a pretty helpful attribute to have while defending yourself as well. And so, packing a solid punch and taking one is one of the many benefits of Muay Thai.
#6: Get Super Fast Reflexes
Well, it’s good that you got strong core muscles and can take a punch or two. And you will undoubtedly find yourself in a situation, hopefully, just in training, where the punches and kicks keep coming, especially against good Muay Thai fighters, which will be the case at Sinbi Muay Thai, where you get to train with the best.
But, the objective of learning combat training is to avoid taking any hit. And by undergoing such rigorous training containing a flurry of punches and kicks, you will soon improve your reflexes. Moreover, by being dedicated to your training, you can develop superhuman reflexes. And so, avoiding getting hit and other injuries, using great reflexes is an excellent benefit of Muay Thai.
#7: Reduce Stress & Remove Anxiety
Stress has become an unavoidable consequence of the lifestyle most people follow nowadays. But, of course, you cannot avoid stress, such as work pressure or maybe trouble at home. Add to this the physical stress that your body will have to endure as a result of physical training!
However, there are measures you can take to keep your stress levels under check. For one, using the stress bucket model can help you manage stress and figure out ways to reduce it. One such method is through Muay Thai training. Having a go at the punching bag, throwing a few kicks and even sparring can help reduce your stress level and anxiety.
#8: Improve Focus & Mental Clarity
We get the excitement with which people get into Muay Thai training. However, to properly learn and execute its various moves, you need to maintain complete focus. With Muay Thai, you will learn to clear your head of any noise and maintain high concentration levels. With such practice, you will develop a high level of mental clarity and focus that will be helpful not just in combat situations but also in daily life.
So now you know about some of the top benefits of Muay Thai. And as you know by now, Muay Thai helps improve not just your physical but mental health as well. It’s not easy, we warn you! But if you stick to it, under the guidance of a good trainer, all the hard work will be worth it. This is what you can expect when you train at Sinbi Muay Thai. And for what it’s worth, you look pretty cool to pull off those Muay Thai moves along with a strong body and mind!