Muay Thai requires not only physical prowess but also mental strength. It’s easy to get caught up in the excitement of victories and the adoration of fans. But believing that you’re on top of the food chain and will always stay there is a dangerous mindset. Complacency can quickly turn into downfall. Humility is important in Muay Thai and staying grounded is essential for continued growth.
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Staying Humble Keeps You Hungry
One of the biggest dangers of becoming too comfortable with wher eyou are is losing the hunger that drives you to train and improve. When you start to believe that you’re untouchable, you may stop pushing yourself as hard as you could. You may even become overconfident, which can lead to sloppy technique, lack of focus, and ultimately, losses.
Keeping this in mind helps you stay humble and focused on your own growth. Remember that drive you had when you first started? How you couldn’t wait to get back to the gym to work on those new techniques, how you were so excited to learn and improve every session? That is the mindset you want to stick to – not “I’m too good to work on basics now.” Humility helps you stay focused, disciplined, and motivated to continue putting in the hard work that got you to where you are.
Someone Out There is Always Working Harder
There is always someone out there who is more hungry than you and is putting that into action. No matter how good you are, there is always room for improvement. There is always someone who is faster, stronger, more technical, or more experienced than you. This constant change and need for improvement is what draws so many people to fighting!
Keeping this in mind helps focused on your own growth. It reminds you that there is always more to learn and that you should never stop striving to improve yourself. Continue working hard so you can close the gap between where you are and where you want to be.
Ego Can Hold You Back
Ego can hold you back from reaching your full potential. When you start to believe that you’re better than everyone else, you stop listening to feedback and start believing you dont’ have weaknesses. This can lead to a plateau in your progress, as you stop working on your weaknesses and only focus on your strengths.
Staying humble, on the other hand, allows you to embrace feedback and acknowledge your weaknesses. It helps you stay open-minded and willing to learn from others, even those who may be less experienced than you. This openness can help you continue to improve and reach your full potential.
Humility is essential in Muay Thai. It keeps you hungry, reminds you that there is always someone out there working harder, and prevents your ego from holding you back. Remember that there is always room for improvement and that you should never stop striving to be the best fighter you can be. Keep working hard, stay humble, and always be open to learning from others.
TLDR: Stay grounded for continuous growth. Stay humble. Stay hungry.
PS- Check out this interesting interview with Tony Myer:
If you want an in-depth guide to training in Thailand, I’ve got just the thing.
