by Don Heatrick
@donheatrick

Muay Thai Is More Than A Martial Art – Fighting Athletes Transcript:

Nico Carrillo demolished Muangthai at Lumpinee in two rounds. He was both tactically on point and physically peaked.

His work had progressed ever upward in the lead up to this huge opportunity. Always improving… Not just over the weeks, or months before the fight, but years.

This is in stark contrast to the traditional Thai approach to fighter development. And warrants a closer look as we explore why Muay Thai fighters are much more than martial artists. And why refusing to acknowledge that will hurt you and your fight record.

Muay Thai begins with the martial art. The Science of 8 limbs. The ability to overcome an opponent using the body as a weapon with two fists, elbows, knees, and feet…

But, Muay Thai went much further, evolving into a spectacular full contact ring sport – where only effective, practical techniques survived the acid test in the ring.

A beautiful balance of artistry and savagery has emerged. Thailand itself proudly values Muay Thai as a national treasure.

Iron sharpens iron, and fighters in Thailand have pitted their skills against each other in organised competition since at least the 1900s. This iterative process has run ever since, filtering for the most competitive training practices.

But, initial advances hit a plateau after the golden era… With all fighters largely using the same physical preparation methods, the only differentiating factor between winners and losers was technical and tactical Muay Thai skill.

…Effectively a martial arts emphasis. Skill always comes first, and it’s the biggest strength in traditional Thai training. However, it’s also caused a blindspot. And one that’s now being exploited by fighters with a more open minded approach to training.

The problem is that Muay Thai fighters are much MORE than martial artists. A martial artist is primarily focused on skill development – it’s mainly about the technique, strategy and tactics.

But a Muay Thai Fighter is a COMPETITIVE martial artist – a combat sports ATHLETE, whose physical attributes become as important as skill…

When skill is equal, the strongest, powerfulest, fastest, most relentless fighter wins. And being weight class athletes, physical preparation matters… Power to weight ratio is crucial.

And we can see this playing out in fights like Nico Carrillo vs Muangthai.

To use my race car analogy;

The martial artist is a skilled race car driver. A Muay Thai fighter is a skilled race driver in a highly tuned race car.

Over time, traditional Thai training has learned to disregard the advantages afforded by better physical preparation.

Because up until now, in Thailand that has been a level playing field. Everyone has been racing using the same cars. But now, skilful farangs are entering the race with better race cars. And skill alone is no longer enough to balance the odds.

There are three key evidence based components that traditional Thai fighters are missing out on…

Firstly, long-term, progressive strength and conditioning programs designed to build strength, power, and speed, along with relentless endurance to levels that can’t be matched otherwise.

Secondly, sports nutrition that fuels better performance both in training and during the fight, along with better recovery and general health.

Thirdly, evidence based weight cutting strategies that safely drop weight and reinstate it again before competition without negatively affecting performance.

As both martial artists AND athletes, these strategies are equally part of the game as a competitive fighter. And as the skill gap closes, we’re beginning to see this play out at the highest level in Muay Thai, as the sport becomes increasingly more professional on the world stage.

More fighters are leaving no stone unturned in their pursuit of reaching their potential.

Fair Fight

When I was competing, I’d ask myself to consider the ultimate “fair fight”…

If I was competing against my identical clone, who’d also trained identically to me for years, except he HADN’T exploited the strength and conditioning or nutritional strategies I have…. Which version of me would most likely to win?

Don’t neglect skill development. It’s crucial, you are a martial artist. But, don’t neglect athletic development or you will come unstuck… You are a both a martial artist and a combat sports athlete.

It’s NOT a choice of one or the other — both these aspects add together, stacking on top of each other to create you total performance. Getting this balance right significantly improves your chances of getting the win, by compounding marginal gains.

For the longest time in Muay Thai, “skills paid the bills.” But, now we must add that “athletic prowess is vital for success.”

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