What Muay Thai Taught Me About Discipline, Pain and Growth

Health
November 27, 2025

What Muay Thai Taught Me About Discipline, Pain and Growth

By Kristian

Muay Thai is a lesser-known sport but is slowly gaining popularity around the world, and in some pockets, such as Australia, England and Europe, it’s growing even more than in Thailand. It is more than just a version of kickboxing with elbows and knees, but something that is steeped in history, tradition and excitement. Many do it for financial gain, some do it for respect, but I think the sport can teach us many things about ourselves and the world.

There’s something raw and real about this Muay Thai that drew me in from the start. It’s not just a sport; it feels more visceral and is a mirror that reflects everything you are and everything you’re not. When I came to Thailand, it wasn’t just about training or fitness. It was more about transformation. I was already established in music and had fulfilled a lot of things in life, but I wanted something more. What Muay Thai did was strip me down and build me up as someone almost unrecognisable, and I’m grateful for that experience.

So after many fights all around Thailand, training with young, hungry and tough fighters, I’ve learned a lot of valuable lessons. In this article, I’m going to share a few of those with you so you can hopefully be inspired or, at the very least, entertained by my journey.

Without Discipline You Won’t Get Far

I think most of us have a bit of a warped idea of what discipline truly is. It’s not just about doing something hard or embarking on feats that others don’t try. We can still have moments where we feel good, and we’re hyped to train. But it’s when you’re broken but still showing up every day when it’s the last thing you want to do, that’s true discipline, that’s where it counts.

I find so many things enjoyable in life, in fact, most of my endeavours are fueled with passion, whether that be music, fitness or fighting. But I’m not enjoying the practice of those activities all the time. I’ve had times where I still show up to train on 2-3 hours of sleep, I have injuries or a stomach bug, but I will still show up. I’d have to learn a set of drums in a short time and drag myself through repetitions.

In Thailand, I see young fighters show up every day twice a day, six days a week. So if there are kids showing up with this kind of dedication, despite the lack of equipment or resources, then what excuse do I have? This taught me to stop waiting for the right conditions, waiting for motivation, and I just decided to show up no matter what. At times, it might be at my detriment, or it might contribute to overtraining, but I’d much prefer that over the feeling of leaving effort on the table.

Pain as a Catalyst

The topic of pain and its impact can be quite double-sided, depending on the circumstances and who you ask. I think most of us run away from pain and see it as something that should be avoided, but this attitude isn’t conducive to growth. If you ask some of the most successful people how they got to their positions, it’s typically not because of comfort or an easy life. It usually comes from years of work and pain trying to achieve a goal.

There is, of course, a difference between pointless masochistic activities and having an intended outcome with what you’re doing. But it is quite common to see that people who go through a traumatic or painful experience use it as a catalyst for growth. It could be that their pain tolerance has increased and they are more prepared to go through the fire to get what they want, or maybe they want to flip the script instead of being victims.

What I have realised over time is that any significant goal I wish to achieve, whether that be a skill or an accomplishment. There is a cost, and that cost is always some sort of pain, even for the things that I love to do. It comes to mind when I was first learning the drums, that getting to a level of competence that I was happy with took time, and difficulty practising alone. If you’re learning a new language, starting at a new job, or first going to the gym, it all takes an element of pain.

When you train Muay Thai, the pain is a little more direct than in other ventures. You’re really pushing yourself, the running, bagwork, padwork and rounds of sparring. But the principle is the same. Without going through that pain and getting outside of your comfort zone, you’re rarely going to improve. And that’s what most of us miss, we are looking for the quick fix or the easy way out, but unfortunately, that doesn’t exist.

Personal Growth through Martial Arts

I look at Muay Thai as more than just a sport, and what has kept me training and inspired to keep pushing on is that it encompasses a range of qualities that help me grow as a person. If it were just a sport to me and nothing else, I’d have given up a long time ago. But the qualities I gain from practising the sport are valuable for my personal and spiritual growth, and I can see it benefiting an array of aspects throughout my life.

In Thailand, the attitude is a little different, as it is a career for most fighters, but I still see the same sentiment echoed among Thai fighters as I do Westerners. These usually include stories about how Muay Thai helped them build better habits and escape life on the streets. Just like how foreign fighters like myself might have picked up the discipline later in life to replace bad habits or addictive behaviours.

There is a range of big names in Thailand who got their big breaks through fighting, becoming national celebrities or icons. Some of these include household names like Samart Payakaroon, Buakaw, Saenchai and Rodtang. Whether it be television advertisements, movie appearances or music careers, their popularity in Muay Thai catapulted their career growth and legacy. This shows the direct correlation of how this brutal martial art can completely change lives for the better for young Thais who want to get to the top.

Compared to other sports, there is an aspect of grit and rawness that comes with Muay Thai or combat sports in general. It’s a sport where you’re in it alone and are only accountable to yourself. Yes, you have training partners and coaches who do play a big part, but when you’re in the ring, it’s all you. The confidence, self-respect, discipline and self-reliance that it fosters are all integral to that individual growth that most of us are seeking.

Final Thoughts

At the end of the day, your training is what you make of it. And my experience can be different to yours, you might find yourself dispassionate about Muay Thai and bored after one session. But I, and many others, have learned a whole lot about ourselves through this intense martial art, and even if you don’t decide to go professional, I think there is a lot to gain through training and fighting, especially in a world where life if become more comfortable and easier than ever. If you don’t want to get to the end of your life wondering what could have been, I suggest you try something difficult like Muay Thai; you might learn a thing or two.