Thailand is famous for its exotic beaches, friendly people and Buddha Temples. When we think of Thailand, other than tourism, Muay Thai comes straight to mind. This action packed combat sport of Thailand is also a form of MMA (Mixed Martial Arts) and involves extensive training. Did you know the word “Muay” is actually derived from the word “Mavya” in sanskrit meaning “to bind together” or “to make things united”.

In a society where every day we hear of some sort of crime against children, it is very important to teach our kids self-defence. It is so essential for children to learn some form of self-defence in today’s day and age. However not just for self defence, here are some other reasons it is beneficial for children to learn Muay Thai-

1. Offers excellent physical activity or exercise

Muay Thai is also known as the “art of eight limbs” because one needs to use fist, elbows, knees and shins apart from the four limbs. It offers an excellent form of physical activity for kids. Even the training schedule leading up to learning Muay Thai involves great exercises like running, boxing, rope jumping etc.

2. Great for discipline and mental focus

As is with all forms of martial arts, the person learning develops a great mental focus and discipline. This is extremely important for children. Other than this, it also keeps today’s kids away from staring at screens (laptops, mobiles, online gaming) for endless hours. Today’s children grow up in very fast paced environments and Muay Thai helps to add stability.

3. Builds strength and agility

Since it involves rigorous physical activity, it provides a lot of strength training for children. Comparing Muay Thai with traditional forms of sports often fetches better in terms of the strength it gives children. Muay Thai is very effective in increasing leg strength and also abdominal strength as it focuses on those areas predominantly. It also provides a lot of agility as it is a very agile sport.

4. Socialization for kids

This may sound as a cliché but while learning Muay Thai, your child may actually develop long lasting friendships and learn socialization skills with children of similar age group having similar interests. Since Muay Thai also instils confidence, you child may emerge stronger, happier and more social after learning Muay Thai. It also teaches children a healthy competitiveness which is very good for their social development.

5. Muay Thai Championships

Having learnt such an extreme MMA, there are several prestigious championships that your children can take part in. There are many that happen on a global and country level. While winning may imply monetary benefit, most importantly qualifying to participate in any of these may be considered very prestigious.

All the above reasons make Muay Thai the most sought out sport that children must learn. Since it forms an extremely niche skill in anywhere other than Thailand, it has a tremendous scope to bring great exposure to kids knowing Muay Thai.