Thai boxing benefits

 

Even though I'm naturally cautious and wouldn't want to step on an ant, I had a great time punching, kicking, elbowing, and kneeing some pads quite hard! I learned Muay Thai for the first time in my life during my recent trip to the W Maldives, under the tutelage of master coach Alex Denisov, a seasoned martial artist from the Philippines. We wore gloves, taped our knuckles, and began "sparring" on the white, powder-soft sand. 

Even though the location was stunning and picturesque, I can assure you that it was an extremely taxing workout. The intense heat of the equatorial sun, the unpredictability of jumping on the soft sand, the constant movement, the focus on coordination, and the strong, explosive twisting movements left me completely exhausted. To view this brief post on the advantages I discovered by experimenting with this amazing, antiquated, and military art, click the link!

I didn't even begin to touch the surface of the fundamental methods for a solid thirty minutes, at which point I began piecing together combinations of motions that were entirely engrossing. Essentially, you are armed with every aspect of your body while standing. In fact, I discovered that the term "The Art of Eight Limbs" refers to the eight areas of touch on the body that mimic the art of combat. 

Even though I wasn't quite at this level, the shins are thought of as armour, the elbow is a hammer, and the hands are utilised as swords for jabs, hooks, and uppercuts! The legs and knees are the axe for high and low kicks, body kicks, and head kicks! Terrifying visuals, and in fact, a quick YouTube search showing Muay Thai bouts in Thailand makes the UFC appear sanitised and subdued!

As the name implies, muay thai is a modern national sport that originated in Thailand somewhere in the middle of the 16th century. Even though I'm not into competitive fighting, I appreciate how the entire body is engaged, how a comprehensive cardiovascular approach is required, and how the constant focus is on conditioning the body and muscles to function in a more robust and functional manner.

Apart from anything else, the workout was such good fun and utterly exhausting, boosted by the sheer enjoyment derived from venting your frustration on a focus pad! The following day I was in pain in the most unexpected of places. It’s a full body workout but I especially felt it in my upper back and obliques specifically; the full, involving nature of the punching and twisting really targets the lesser-used musculature! Also, my glutes and inner thighs definitely felt it from the kicking and squatting! It’s also great for motor skill coordination and foot work.