10 reasons why learn Muay Thai
A week of practicing Muay Thai in Bangkok back in the end of September 2014 was enough for me to realize some facts about this incredibly energetic sports.
Muay Thai in Bangkok
10 reasons why learn Muay Thai:
1. inspiration – Muay Thai practitioners are very disciplined, they train a lot, many of them do not smoke nor drink and they eat healthy instead. They also have a lot of patience and all these qualities and healthy lifestyle choices are one of the best ones to follow. Take them as an example on your way to a healthier life full of patience and discipline.
2. Muay Thai makes you happier. It is great to release the pressure and get rid of anything negative in your life. I remember when I used to work as a flight attendant in Scotland and Italy, some days were just unbearable and the very first thing I would do after coming back home was to undress and kick into the punching bag for a couple of times. 10 minutes later I would feel awesome again. Muay Thai does help to release the negative energy and change your ”nervous status” to ”life is good” within just a few minutes.
3. awesome physical workout – in the past 3 years I realized that yoga is a perfect workout but learn Muay Thai and then practice it will make you sweat even more. Way more, and I mean like never before, trust me. I never liked to sweat and never enjoyed sports when I had to sweat a lot until I tried Muay Thai for the first time in Bangkok. Muay Thai showed me that sweat is good for you!
4. you will learn how to defend yourself in case you got yourself into a weird situation on the road. It’s always helpful and especially if you are a solo female traveler (God, I so dislike this phrase), it might come more handy than ever! If nothing, at least it will make you feel more comfortable and not afraid of visiting even a bit dangerous places. No more worries when walking along a dark street any more, as now you know the moves! :)
learn Muay Thai at Petchyindee Academy
practicing muay thai at Lumpinee stadium
learn Muay Thai at Bann Chang Thai in Bangkok
5. Muay Thai makes you forget about everything that has been happening in the outside world. It makes you focus on the present moment, otherwise you get punched. Muay Thai makes you be fully present. And this is exactly what you should do in every occasion in life. Present moment is the key, always. Here and now.
6. at the Muay Thai gyms and camps you will meet many interesting people, some of them will become your good friends, you will laugh loads together, the others will become your idols (or should I call them crushes? Mmm.)
7. girls, or gays, watch out! You will see some of the best looking guys ever – if you want to be surrounded by perfect bodies and 6-packs all the time, this is your chance. There’s no better place for a you to see so many good-looking men in one place (unless you watch Australia’s Thunder from Down Under striptease guys!) Sexy bodies covered with drops of sweat? This is what I call heaven! No, I am not ashamed to be so honest with you.
8. my new friend Itt who worked at the Legend Thai Boxing gym: ”in many towns in Thailand there’s so many Muay Thai boxers who fight since they were kids … Well, for many it’s a job. Many boxers have fought in around 300 fights since they began when they were approx. 8 years old. Sometimes, in small provinces it can be the only way to earn money. Just like in Brazil where in the small provinces everyone can play football, right? Many fighters also practice Muay Thai as it’s a family tradition – their fathers and grandfathers were boxers, too.”
TIP: Find out more about how I trained at Legend Thai Boxing with famous Mr. Pupatnoi :)
9. Lindsey Newhall who writes for Fightland: ”one of the big reasons why learn Muay Thai is the community you have at the gym. After a while, your gym becomes your second family, especially if you live and train there full-time like a lot of fighters do in Thailand. Yes, there are dysfunctional family relationships and things akin to “sibling rivalry,” but it does feel like a family, and you all take care of each other. Community and friendship.”
10. my Slovak friend Boris, now also a Muay Thai practitioner in New Zealand: ”Classic gym exercising is tedious. Sure, pushing weights can turn you into a monster-of-a-man/woman but this form of exercising lacks any type of fun factor. Some gym fanatics may be arguing that the whole purpose of exercising should be rewarding enough but for me, having joy while pushing my body to its limits is a prime motivator for me to do it again. And again and again.
That’s where Muay Thai offers a fundamentally different experience – it’s not just about repetition of one and the same exercise over and over again until you reach your goal – it’s about having fun while getting stronger and fitter. And what’s the secret? Aggression. Stress. Tension.
All of those can be effectively released by doing what everybody (secretly) wants to do – punching and kicking.
Oh boy, you wouldn’t believe how tremendously rewarding it is to just let everything go and punch/kick the non-complaining boxing bag until you can’t breath anymore. Of course you’ll have to learn how to throw proper punches and kicks first but afterwards, it’s only between you and the bag. No bench-pressing, just a simple combos against an “enemy” that won’t fight back.
It’s super easy to fall in love with Muay Thai – we, human beings, are violent in our nature and therefore it’s always better (and easier) to get rid of that nasty “trait” of ours by doing something beneficial for us. Like beating the hell out of a punching bag. Trust me, there is no better workout than that! And yes, you will feel totally bad-ass after your Muay Thai session. Like a true champion ;-)”
Samuel Andoche training Muay Thai at Saengmorakot gym in Bangkok
sexy Muay Thai boxers at Muay Thai Live Show
Do you know any more reasons why to learn Muay Thai? Give us your ideas in the comments, don’t be shy :)
This article and my trip to Thailand was sponsored by Muay Thai in Bangkok.
Matt D.
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Muay Thai, one of the things I want to learn. I’m sure it will be a blast.
Crazy Sexy Fun Traveler
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You will love it, Matt. I am sure :)
Herman
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Have been training muay thai for some quite time now back home and will be taking it to the next level, first in Pattaya and then in Phuket! This is a great list.
Crazy Sexy Fun Traveler
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So happy to hear that, Herman :) Good luck and stay safe ;)
Raj
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Excellent writeup & all the very good reasons to learn this Thai Boxing. Self defence is the need today beside having a great body to show off. Greetings from India
Crazy Sexy Fun Traveler
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You got it right, Raj. Not that the world is dangerous but it can never hurt you to know how to defend yourself in case needed ;)
Natasha Amar
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I’d love to try Muay Thai because it looks like a kickass workout!
Thanks for sharing!
Crazy Sexy Fun Traveler
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Go for it, Natasha. I am sure you will fall in love with it as much as I did :)