3 Principles from my foray into Muay Thai

I was first introduced to Muay Thai (also referred to as Thai boxing) in late 2017. Unbeknownst to me at that time, I was overworked, sleep starved, saying yes to everything and doing too much. 2 of my best friends intervened and signed me up for a multi-discipline fitness centre where I had my first Muay Thai lesson. That was all it took for me to be hooked. I was absorbed by the physicality of the sport and the focus it required. It required stamina, yet bursts of energy. For an hour each time, I was not able to think about anything else except to focus on the coach, and pay attention to my stance, my punches, elbows and kicks. It also felt like I had the permission to be aggressive and combative... channeling all that for a good outcome.

5 years later, I have learnt so much from my weekly sessions with my coach Royston Wee . My kicks are stronger, my punches more impactful and my reflexes much sharper. What I did not expect, however, is to learn principles that I have been able to apply outside of Muay Thai. As I work through a demanding period at work, I am reminded of the following 3 principles:

1. Have a strong foundation, then stay nimble.

As with most people who get started in combat sports, I was under the impression that it was about hammering the other person with maximum force all the time. And I couldn't have been more wrong about that. There were many times when I'd go into our sessions "guns-a-blazing" only to tumble and fall because I'd let my ego get the better of me without being supported by proper foundations and the skill of reading the situation.

Over the years, we have spent a lot of time drilling and finetuning foundational moves. Jab-cross, teep (my worst!), knees, elbows, roundhouse kicks. In order to execute on these moves nimbly and come up with various combinations, I need to (1) have a strong base, (2) know my moves well enough to continuously fine tune, and (3) create enough distance to strategically plan and adapt my moves. You can't always anticipate what your opponent would do, but if you have the foundation and the toolkit/ skills, you are prepared and can quickly adapt.

2. Maintain composure, don't react to every aggravation

This is a fun one. In one particular session, I recall my coach intentionally jabbing at me in all directions to annoy me. It used to really get me flustered and flailing (not a good sight). I'd respond every time, but not productively nor effectively. Over time, I have accepted that it's fine to be hit (in fact, it is to be expected) and that the key was not to respond every time, but to respond when I'm ready and when I can deliver impact.

At one session when we were practising very close combat (knees and elbows), I recall being quite intimidated by the proximity of my opponent. The coach repeatedly said, "don't be afraid, don't be afraid."

Facing that fear and accepting that sometimes I will get hit was liberating.

3. Patience - wait for the right time to strike right

This is probably the hardest for an impatient person like me, so learning to be patient so as to strike well at the right time takes a lot of self control. Some days, especially when I'm having a bad day, I go for my training much ahead of myself. I just want to hit pads, I just want to kick the bag, I just want to spar. The more impatient I am, the worse I'd perform - my strikes would be off target, my balance will be off etc. The coach will keep making me repeat until I slow down, with constant reminders of "Don't kick till you're ready. Again." The deliberate action of stopping, taking a few deep breaths, shaking off the impatience and refocusing always works. Such a great reminder that sometimes, you need to have patience. Wait for the right time to strike right. Then make it count.

I will never become a professional fighter, not even amateur (too afraid of pain now); but I do look forward to more life lessons and principles to come through my foray into Muay Thai. Always looking for inspirations and patterns in life learnings.