Muay Thai is not only one of the best striking systems in the world, it’s also one of the best self-defense systems. Muay Thai is a martial arts system that will keep you safe on the street.
In this article, we discuss the 7 main reasons why Muay Thai is good for self-defense. If you’re on the fence about taking up Muay Thai training, read through this list of reasons why it’s a fantastic martial art to learn for self-defense.
Let’s dive in.
Muay Thai is the art of 8 limbs
One of the best reasons to train Muay Thai for self-defense is simply because of what the martial art entails. Muay Thai or Thai boxing is known as the art of 8 limbs.
This means that you use 8 parts of your body to strike your opponent. This includes your fists, elbows, knees, and feet.
It is a highly complex martial art with a variety of different strikes. Everything from punches, elbows, knees, and kicks mixed in various combinations that are hard to defend.
If you ever need to defend yourself, you will be ready to use every part of your body to do so.
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Muay Thai teaches you how to grapple
Where many striking based martial arts lack in their self-defense system is grappling. Once the distance is closed in a martial art like Taekwondo, the techniques are virtually cancelled out.
This is not true with Muay Thai. Clinching is one of the main aspects of this martial art. A lot of the fighting is in close range, just like how a fight on the street usually happens.
By training Muay Thai for self-defense, you will learn how to tie up your opponent. When you know how to control your opponent’s head, arms and sweep them, you have complete control over them.
Learning proper clinching and grappling from Muay Thai can keep you safe when faced with danger.
Learn to stay calm under pressure
A big aspect of self-defense everyone must learn is how to stay calm under pressure. When your life is put in danger it’s a frightening experience even if you know what to do. You’re full of adrenaline from fear and it feels like your heart is beating out of your chest.
The only real way to stay calm is to constantly be put in high-pressure situations.
That’s why you need to learn a self-defense system like Muay Thai. In the training, you’re frequently put in heavy pressure situations like sparring, where you learn how to stay calm.
When someone is throwing strikes at you, you’ll learn to stay calm, breathe, and be ready to defend yourself. It’s a very important part of self-defense that you must know so you won’t get hurt.
Learn to never underestimate your opponent
The best Thai boxers are not the biggest fighters in the world. Most are actually smaller in stature but possess some of the most powerful strikes in the world.
For this reason, when you learn Muay Thai for self-defense, you’ll learn to never underestimate your opponent. In class, your training partners will be all different shapes and sizes but are all highly skilled strikers and grapplers.
After spending time training with your new teammates, you will quickly learn that you can never underestimate anyone. Today, there are more people with martial arts training than ever before in history.
That’s why you can never underestimate anyone and must be prepared for anything that may happen.
Muay Thai improves your strength and conditioning
It isn’t enough to know how to defend yourself, you must also be fit and ready. Muay Thai is not only good for self-defense but also stresses the importance of strength and conditioning.
Thai fighters make strength and conditioning a very important part of their training. Every day they run 10-12kms alongside their Muay Thai training. Fighters do this routine almost every single day during their careers.
When you begin your Muay Thai training, you will understand the importance of strength and conditioning. In a few years, you will not only have the skills to defend yourself but the conditioning to perform at an optimal level.
Learning Muay Thai gives you confidence
Not only is learning Muay Thai good for self-defense, but it’s also good for instilling confidence in its practitioners. Confidence is an invaluable quality that can be developed through training.
As you’re developing your self-defense skills and boosting your physical health, you will slowly start to gain self-confidence. This self-confidence is not only important when learning self-defense skills, but for anything you want to do in life.
You will start seeing enormous improvements within your personal and professional life. Basically, a new and improved you that is ready to take on anything.
Respect & Discipline
Like with many martial arts and especially Muay Thai, you develop respect and discipline through training. After you develop respect and discipline, you’ll realize that the best method for self-defense is walking away from a confrontation.
That is by far the best form of self-defense that you can learn. You could probably win the fight, but why fight at all? The negatives heavily outweigh the positives of you getting into an altercation on the streets.
The respect and discipline you get from learning Muay Thai will make you understand that you should just avoid confrontation.
Is Muay Thai Good For Self-defense?
Learning Muay Thai for self-defense may be one of the best choices you can make in your life. Not only will you develop self-defense skills, but you will realize the importance of discipline and respect.
Through respect and discipline, you will develop self-confidence within yourself while becoming a healthier and happier person. You’ll feel like a whole new person thanks to learning Muay Thai.
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