Hands, elbows, knees and shins

I was in Thailand a few months back and decided to do something in spirit with the country and its history by taking a Muay Thai class.

To give you some background I am not a martial arts practitioner. When I was younger, I did a little Jujitsu and took a couple (and I really do mean only a couple) of boxing classes however this was almost two decades ago. It was never something I did seriously although I did enjoy it.

Turning up to the class I didn’t know what to expect more than I would probably be punching, kicking, elbowing, and kneeing various objects and being guided through it by hopefully patient coaches.

I therefore turned up to the class with very little expectations either of the class or of my ability to perform. We were guided through warm up drills shown the basics then given the chance to practice on the bags and with the coaches. What I was surprised by is how quickly myself and the other beginners in the class were able to pick up the skills, still at a very basic level of course, I do not have delusions of grandeur here. I also came out of the session completely exhausted as they let you put in whatever effort level you want and true to form, I went in as intensely as I could compensating for a complete lack of grace and co-ordination. Later in the day my right foot really hurt where I had been over enthusiastic and kicking incorrectly. Despite this I still found it a very rewarding experience and I felt mentally refreshed afterwards. So, what did I learn from this:

1.??????Humility helps you learn: Surrendering yourself completely to the guidance of someone else in new situations can be highly valuable. I do also see the value of questioning ideas and the way things are done, however especially when learning new concepts and skills then focusing completely on what a competent practitioner is showing and telling you can be a way to learn the basics very quickly. ?

2.??????Don’t take it personally: Being told you are doing something wrong can sometimes feel like a personal attack especially if the person telling you has direct mannerisms. It usually isn’t and they just want you to get better.

3.??????Put in enough effort: Whether mental, physical or both to learn and perform to the best of your abilities you need to put in the work. Putting in that sustained effort over time is key to improving.

4. Taking a few knocks is ok: Much as most injuries are unnecessary then getting a few surface scrapes and bruises, muscle aches and tiredness from trying hard and working on getting better is fine. The same is true for mental challenges, frustration and doubt can be present when learning a new skill. Improving rarely feels easy, in fact it may hurt a bit. This is not to say pain should be the aim and genuine injuries as detailed below are best avoided, however some temporary discomfort may be a part of the development process.

5.??????Don’t completely break yourself in the process: To be taken into consideration with the point above, enough effort needs to be put in but not to the point that it is detrimental. I was so determined to get the most out of the class that I punched, kicked, and elbowed as hard and fast as I could when I probably should have slowed down a little and made sure accuracy and form were as good as they could be. That I came away with a minor injury to my foot was completely my fault and unnecessary to get better at the sport.??

6.??????Have fun: And finally try to have fun, this may be hard to do with everything you need to learn however if you can take some enjoyment in all or at least aspects of it then you will likely be keener to practice and improve. Also, life is too short to be over serious!

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This is a sport I would like to try again, and I plan to take what I have learnt from it to other sporting and non-sporting activities that I do.?????

Take the hits and try something new!?