Ask any Muay Thai World Champion how they got to where they are today, and you’ll hear some common answers such as persistence, dedication, hard work, and passion.
It doesn’t matter whether you’re a newbie or a seasoned practitioner. There are some important principles that you should understand and apply to your Muay Thai training and life. When you do, you’ll not only become a better fighter, but also a better person.
Today, Evolve Daily shares 7 Muay Thai Principles That Will Make You A Better Fighter:
1) You Reap What You Sow
ONE Strawweight World Champion Dejdamrong Sor Amnuaysirichoke trains at The Evolve Fighters Program.
Like everything else in life, you have to be dedicated and put in hard work if you wish to see results. Think about it: if you want to be good at Muay Thai, then you have to invest your time and energy in your training. Yes, even on the days when you feel unmotivated to hit the gym.
Although being disciplined and showing up at the gym is a great start, you have to make sure you stay focused and give your 100% to every training session. When you do this, you’ll notice that you’re making progress over time – and this would definitely elevate your game.
2) A Strong Defense Is As Important As A Good Offense
Leaning back is a good way to defend yourself from kicks.
You may be the best striker, but without a solid defense, you don’t have a well rounded game. That means you’ll be giving your opponent lots of openings to attack you – and the worst part is that you’d get hit, over and over again. There are only so many hits one can take before getting knocked out or giving up in a fight. So remember to always keep your guard up!
In order to become a better martial artist, you must ensure that you have a strong defense. It is only when you’re able to effectively defend yourself that you can become a difficult target for your opponent.
3) Love What You Do
The roundhouse kick is an important strike in Muay Thai.
Without passion and the drive to succeed, there’s a high chance you’ll hit a plateau and either get stuck there, or worse – give up. When you learn to embrace every step of your Muay Thai journey, you’ll genuinely enjoy training and are more likely to stick to it for life.
What’s more, you’d be more motivated to push and go beyond your limits. After all, that would mean getting better at your craft and ultimately evolving into the best fighter you can be.
4) Technique Always Beats Strength
Training with a heavy bag improves your technique and co-ordination.
Yes, we know that every Muay Thai practitioner wants to someday land a knockout punch or kick. But here’s the thing – you must nail down your technique first! Without the right technique, chances are you wouldn’t achieve your desired outcome, even if you have the speed and power.
Start off by establishing a good, solid stance so that you’d have a strong base to work off. From there, you can focus on having a good grasp of the other techniques and of course, making progress. It helps to spend some extra time drilling so that you can store the various techniques in your muscle memory.
5) Timing And Distance Go Hand In Hand
Although technique is of utmost importance, you need to take timing and distance into consideration as well. When you lack proper timing or distance, your strikes and defensive techniques wouldn’t be effective. Hence, you might find that your attacks lack power, or that you’re missing your target completely.
When you have a good sense of timing and distance, you’d be able to react quickly and successfully hit your target or defend yourself. Besides regularly attending classes, sparring is a great way to work on your timing, distance, and technique.
6) Always Have A Game Plan
The knee strike is usually thrown in close range.
In life, if you fail to plan, you plan to fail. Muay Thai is no exception to this rule. So make sure you have a plan before every training session – whether it’s focusing on your roundhouse kicks or clinching. When you have a plan, you’ll know which area to concentrate on and of course, drill with a purpose.
When it comes to sparring or a fight, you must know (at least a few seconds) in advance whether you’re going to distract your opponent with a fake jab before going in for that right elbow, or whether you intend to go for the clinch. Of course, things might not always go the way you want them to, so always have a backup plan!
7) Listen To Your Body
It is important to always cool down properly after your training.
Your body is a weapon – it is what you use to attack your opponent and defend yourself in Muay Thai. So make sure you take good care of it, especially if you want it to function well.
If your muscles are aching, get enough rest to recover. If you feel hungry, fuel up with some nutritious food so you can power through the rest of your day. It’s as simple as this. You just have to make sure you listen to your body and treat it well, so that you can be the lean, mean fighting machine that you want to be!
So tell us, which of these principles are you going to implement in your training?
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