Martial arts are one of the best ways to improve yourself. While they’ll teach you to fight, which is a fantastic skill, it’ll do much more than that. It’ll build you from the ground up and will allow you to continuously improve. Muay Thai, in my opinion, is the perfect martial art.
Up until this point in my life, I’ve done numerous martial arts, some of which I liked and some not so much. The reason I learned two fighting styles, which aren’t Muay Thai, is because I was in spec-ops and had to take these combat courses. Luckily for me, they ended up bringing me into this magnificent world of fighting.
As of right now, the only martial art I learn is Muay Thai, and it has been the best one thus far. I feel a certain connection that I haven’t felt with any other activity; even lifting weights hasn’t been able to keep up with Thai Boxing.
In this article, what I’ll do is describe nine reasons why Muay Thai is the perfect martial art. I hope you can take this article and take inspiration from it, as I truly believe one of each one on this list. So let’s get straight into the first one!
Also, here’s a video I created that explains some of the points on this list. So if you prefer watching someone talk rather than reading, this will be great for you!
#1 – It Teaches Extremely Effective Fighting Techniques
The first reason is that it teaches extremely effective fighting techniques. If you want to become a solid fighter, Thai Boxing is for you. Let me give you an example.
Back when I did Boixng, I felt that someone lacks in my technique arsenal. Something was simply missing. I felt as if I’m not using my body in the most effective way. However, with time, it became more and more clear to me that I’m not using 90% of my body.
Muay Thai, aka “the art of eight limbs” utilizes eight contact points. You’ll learn to use your knees, elbows, shins, and fists; in simpler terms, you’ll learn all types of striking techniques. What’s so special about them is they’re very effective in real life.
If you ever got low-kicked into your leg, you know how excruciating it can be. I got low-kicked once and could not run for an entire week! And Muay Thai will teach you to generate that amount of force. Of course, you’ll also learn to use your power with responsibility, so you won’t hurt people in training itself.
However, you’ll definitely be able of generating such powerful strikes with your “eight limbs.” To recap, you’ll learn to kick, punch, knee, and elbow your opponents, inflicting a lot of pain upon them.
If you want to look as good while doing Muay Thai, I wrote a complete beginner’s guide to it, which I highly recommend everyone to read, both beginners and more advanced trainees. There’s nothing better than returning to the basics and honing your technique.
#2 – It’s Perfect for Self-Defense
The second reason Muay Thai is the perfect martial art is because of its effectiveness and practicality in real life. It’s one of the most powerful fighting styles for self-defense.
Typically, when you face someone on the street, he won’t have any fighting background. In that case, a single kick or punch to the face will do the job. Nonetheless, if he has some conditioning and knows how to fight, you’ll still be able to win because you know the most effective martial art on planet Earth.
You’ll outpace any boxer, karate practitioner, judoka, or BJJ disciple. That’s because you’ll be more conditioned to withstand any REAL fight against someone who knows a martial art. You do need to follow some guidelines to ensure that the other fighter doesn’t grapple you.
But you’ll usually face an untrained person, whom you’ll beat with a single hit with all the training you’ll go through.
#3 – It’s Perfect for Self-Improvement.
Let’s stop talking about fighting. Instead, let’s move over to another, more important, subject. This subject is self-development. What I love so much about martial arts is that they’re the perfect platform to improve your entire life. Your mental and physical selves will go through a drastic change when you begin your training.
I don’t want to dive into too much detail right now, but you’ll experience a plethora of benefits, such as:
- Increased confidence
- Higher self-esteem
- Lower stress
- Losing body fat
- Lower aggression levels
- Better physical shape
You’ll notice so many more than what I mentioned. However, I do want to make my point instead of describing every single benefit Muay Thai gives. If you want to read about all the benefits you’ll gain from Muay Thai training, follow this link.
The point is, your life you are going to improve as a result of training in Muay Thai. It simply is perfect for self-improvement because it’ll teach you that life is truly all about moving forward. And what other way is there to move forward than to suffer and earn your respect? In my experience, Muay Thai is the perfect platform to earn your respect, as you’ll constantly overcome obstacles in your training.
#4 – It’s a Full Body Workout
Better physical shape is one of the first benefits you’ll experience from consistent Muay Thai training. Just notice how you feel the day after training. I’ll tell you precisely how you’ll feel. Your entire body is going to be as sore as it gets, especially if you sparred in the training session.
Muay Thai is one of the best workouts out there, as it works on all your muscle groups. However, it does much more than that; it improves your motor skills, instincts, and reflexes. When you want to avoid getting a high kick to the face, you’ll be fully in the fight and not distracted with anything else.
I’ve seen various resources that claim that you can burn up to 1000 calories per hour of intense Muay Thai. In my experience, it’s much more difficult than anything you’ll feel in any run or other activity out there. You’ll be able to burn through a lot of body fat just by adding 2-3 Muay Thai sessions per week.
So if you want to get fit and better your physical shape, Muay Thai can be a perfect addition to your weekly training routine.
Learn about the best strength and conditioning exercises for Muay Thai by following the two links!
#5 – It Teaches a Versatile Way of Fighting
When we discuss the effectiveness of martial art, there’s a spectrum of the versatility it offers, which influences how effective it’s going to be. Let me give you an example; many martial arts out there are overly complicated and fancy, making them not as effective. I would say that various Kung fu styles have the characteristic of over-complication.
Muay Thai, however, is the perfect balance between simplicity and complication. That’s why it teaches a versatile way of fighting. While it doesn’t include any overly fancy technique, it also isn’t as simple as Boxing, for example.
Being a versatile and dynamic fighter is extremely important, both in competitions and in self-defense. Therefore, by learning Muay Thai, you’ll learn to fight while adapting to your opponent, which is critical.
I know that it might sound wishy-washy. However, once you start your training, you’ll get overwhelmed by the many offensive options you have upon you. You’ll be able to attack in so many different directions that someone who doesn’t know to fight will get overwhelmed quickly by the many attacks you know to use powerfully.
Watch the fight I broke down below to see why Muay Thai is extremely effective.
#6 – It Conditions Its Trainees
The sixth reason is the conditioning it provides to its trainees. In fact, I would say that it’s the most effective martial art when we solely look at conditioning.
I seriously can’t count the times I got hit straight in the face powerfully. I think it’s in the hundreds, which is why my IQ dropped down 15 points. That, for those who think I wasn’t joking, was just one of my bad jokes. Let’s get back to our topic.
Muay Thai conditions its trainees to a point where they are able of getting hit straight in the face and not give a single care in the world. Your entire body is going to be tougher and you’ll be capable of receiving hits without a single care in the world.
You might be in the same level of pain as your partner. But, and let me make this very clear, you’ll be more stoic about it. There’s a certain level of stoicism that comes with such fighting experience.
Let’s now review another reason why Muay Thai is the perfect martial art that’s closely related to this one.
#7 – It Includes a Lot of Spars
The next reason is one of the most important ones on this list, so pay close attention now. A part of your fighting training that can be quite daunting is sparring. Now, I won’t lie, I’m scared when I spar, even today. But I know how to overcome that fear and look like I don’t care at all. And honestly, after getting hit just once, I really don’t care since I’m in the flow.
The best part about Muay Thai is that it includes tons of spars. Sparring is when you’re fighting against another trainee in your training. It’s the closest you’ll get to fighting in your training.
Here’s what that looks like:
The reason Muay Thai prepares such an endless number of trainees for the real world is because of the amount of sparring you’ll go through. While they might be intimidating at first, they become easier to deal with. And not only that but once you see the results you’ll gain from the many spars you’ll do, you’ll begin to appreciate them and see the positive benefits they bring to your life.
In life, to become something, you must go through a lot of suffering. Sparring is one of the best ways to boost your mental and physical selves. And Muay Thai includes a lot of that!
#8 – It Increases Your Confidence and Self-Esteem
Let’s now talk about an aspect that makes Thai Boxing as perfect as it is. I believe it’s one of the most important traits you can work on. It’s also one of the hardest ones, which makes fewer people invest time into developing it. What we’ll review now is increased confidence and self-esteem.
Muay Thai increases your confidence and self-esteem by allowing you to overcome continuous obstacles and giving you the ability to earn self-respect. I’m a true believer in having to earn your respect. Working hard is the fastest way to get there, that’s for sure.
Martial arts, and Muay Thai specifically, will give you the platform to work on yourself. You’ll face countless obstacles in every single training session, which you would have to face and overcome. You’ll really have two options, either you face the obstacle or walk out of the fighting gym.
There’s a low percentage of people who would walk out of the fighting gym. Most people who commence their Muay Thai training will do so because they want to improve some aspect of themselves. Either they want to learn to fight or they want to improve any other aspect in themselves.
I want to encourage you to start your Muay Thai training and notice how you feel after training. I’ll give you a spoiler; you’ll feel glad that you made it through. Not in the sense that you survived, but in the sense that you’re glad it’s over and you want to attend the next one already.
#9 – It Teaches Grappling
Lastly, most striking-based martial arts are just that, striking-based. They include no grappling whatsoever, which is critical for self-defense and real fighting.
What you’ll learn in Muay Thai is many types of striking, as we previously discussed. But, you’ll also learn various grappling techniques. What you’ll learn is clinching and sweeps, which will all give you the advantage in a real fight. If you can clinch your opponent and throw various effective knees and even elbows, you’ll be on your way to win the fight.
The point I’m trying to make is that it’s simply perfect. There’s not a lot that can go wrong if you attend Muay Thai training and protect yourself. Indeed, it’s one of the most dangerous sports worldwide. However, it doesn’t have to be. Learn how to stay safe while doing Muay Thai by following this link.
Final Words
The art of eight limbs is one of the most effective fighting styles worldwide. Not only will it allow you to become a competent fighter, but it’ll also allow you to work on yourself and improve your inner self to the point where you won’t recognize yourself.
You’re probably aware of the feeling of having these limitations, or barriers I should say, surrounding you. To break free, you must constantly suffer and work on yourself; I know it sounds pessimistic, but it’s truly the most effective way to work on yourself and earn your respect.
To read an ultimate Muay Thai equipment guide, so you can know what to bring to your first class, follow this link.
Here are other articles you’ll benefit from reading:
The Ultimate Guide to Muay Thai Footwork – Including Drills!
The 7 Best Muay Thai Shorts for Your Money
The 5 Best Focus Mitts for Muay Thai – Train Effectively
The Best Muay Thai Warm-Up Routine to Avoid Injuries