What Muay Thai fighters can teach us about success

Muay Thai is an intense ancient martial art practice and combat sport which dates back to the 14th century. It is known for being a tough sport that takes years to master, and requires dogged determination to make it through brutal battles in the ring.

Known as “the science of eight limbs”, combatants throw a skilful combination on punches, kicks, elbows and knees at each other, until one is declared the victor.

But, success in Muay Thai does not come easy. Fighters start from nothing and put themselves through a life time of daily training and push themselves to the very limits of their bodies and minds. Muay Thai fighters work relentlessly hard with a determination and belief to overcome difficulties, defy the odds and keep pushing to achieve success.

While success for you may not be in the ring, there is a lot to learn from the mindset and ability of Muay Thai fighters that can help you to achieve success in your life. Whether in business or personal development, adopting a few Muay Thai fighter traits can help you on the road to success.

Starting from nothing

From amatures to world champions; every fighter has to start from a level of zero skill and experience. It takes years for fighters to learn to ropes and condition their bodies, and minds, in preparation for fighting. Much the same in launching a business or achieving goals, it is important to be prepared learn the basics and start from the very beginning.

When starting out, Muay Thai training requires a tremendous amount of focus on completing the same basic movements over and over again. A lot can be learnt from this practice as it lays the foundations on which great success can be built. By properly executing the fundamentals, you build trust and expertise.

It is these repetitive practices seen in Muay Thai training that can help to build admirable characteristics seen in successful people. Starting from nothing requires and develops courage, humility and confidence. Eventually, this creates a warrior-like spirit that inspires development frlom within.

Not easily discouraged

Whether fighting in the ring, in business or your personal life, there will be many people telling you that you cannot do it. However, success comes to those that battle the odds. Muay Thai can help to form the belief that you can do it. Muay Thai Grandmaster Kru Yodtong Senanan says “Muay Thai is good for your confidence and inner strength.”

Succeeding in sport, just like any other aspect of your life, requires a mental toughness and unbreakable spirit. The psychological and physiological training in Muay Thai helps not only to push mentality and fitness to the edge but provides the confidence and self-belief that you can do something, and you will not be discouraged from achieving your goals.

Consistency

Successful Muay Thai fighters will have shown up to train, daily, weekly and monthly over years – and this kind of consistency breeds winning performance

Training is long and takes up a vast amount of time, but with that, gradual improvements still appear, even when you think you are at your peak. There is always a chance to get better at what you do by making sure you are consistent.

A similar attitude to Muay Thai training can be taken in work and relationships too. Making one-off grand gestures, or the occasional star performance Is great, but long time success is built on regular effort applied gradually over time to build strong foundations. Just like a world champion Muay Thai fighter would not train sporadically or only win the occasional fight, you shouldn’t look to take long breaks from the work required to achieve your goals.

Learning from failure

If you are unwilling to fight through the worst days of your life, you do not deserve the best days of your life.” – Chatri Sityodtong

No Muay Thai fighter aims for an unbeaten record, so they will not just fight the people they know they can beat. In many cases, failure is seen as a gift, as it is a chance to see where improvements can be made. In Muay Thai, failure is an essential part of becoming a successful fighter. This can be applied to other aspects of success too. Until you can handle a loss or a fail, you cannot come back stronger.

With success in mind, it is a relentless pursuit for victory. Even if you suffer a setback, create the mental strength that you need to regroup and refocus so that you can get over the loss and regain your fighting, determined spirit.

Not staying comfortable

Staying still will never help you to achieve success. Instead, you should always be looking to push yourself to improve or to take on the next challenge. In Muay Thai, coaches help (much like a mentor) to spot the areas of weakness that can allow you to improve and start striving for more. However, in the ring (and out of it) a coach or mentor will only take you so far, the rest will be up to you and your motivation to succeed.

There are many milestones in Muay Thai training, and your road to success should also have the benchmarks in place so that you can stay on track and celebrate the small wins that will lead to a mighty success.

Muay Thai can teach incredible life lessons that can transform the way you think and act in your personal and professional life. With a focus on training hard, building mental strength and never losing focus, you can achieve the success you want to see.

In conclusion, Muay Thai fighters have a unbreakable determination, and ensure that work smart and hard consistently to achieve their goals. They aren’t scared to fail, if it means learning, and they ensure that they are always looking for the next challenge – these are traits that we could all benefit from applying to multiple areas of our lives.

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