This Sport Might Heal Me

I discovered Muay Thai and there is no going back

I've never been a sporty person, and I've never had a particularly strong immune system either.

I hate running more than anything. I’ve broken so many toes and fingers in my life that I am literally too terrified to kick or catch a ball. I grew up with a tennis fanatic for a father, so I can get the ball over the net about 70% of the time. And that’s on a good day. After all the matches I’ve watched in my life I still have zero clue how the point system works… What the hell does ‘love’ mean and is the announcer saying ‘douce’ or ‘douche?’

For my whole life I’ve struggled with my health. From being a sickly kid with a frightening amount of school absences, to having fallen ill four times during the last three months traveling Asia. Some worse than others, typhoid fever being the far end of that spectrum as of late. I know that the thing that will cure me and keep me healthy is consistent cardio. And my kind of cardio is walking to and from the grocery store then finishing with a fat-burning spurt up my fourth-floor walk up.

But something fundamentally changed inside of me when I discovered Muay Thai (aka Thai kickboxing), the combat sport that uses fists, elbows, knees, and shins to strike an opponent. I didn’t just activate strength from unused muscles. I felt something deep inside of me awaken.

Muay Thai was born in Thailand (then Siam) in the 13th century and it became the combat technique for the military. It embedded the core principles of strength and courageousness into a nation that was discovering it’s own identity. Now eight centuries later this sport is popular all over South East Asia and the rest of the world.

I found extreme pleasure in hitting shit with my hands. It is so much more fun than pretending to enjoy lifting weights and running on a treadmill (you can cut the little Oscar worthy performance now). With every swing, you release every bit of pent up frustration and anger. And you better bet I was pretending that punching bag was my ex-boyfriend’s shit eating grin. *exhales sharply*

This sport pushes you to be strategic, focused and think on your feet. You’re quietly listening to your intuition as you lock eyes with your opponents. Anticipating, protecting, never drop your hands from your face.

In the process you’re wielding a power that is deep within you. Whether it’s one you tap into everyday or one you’ve stored on a shelf too far from reach, atrophying and collecting dust. It’s a power that will shock and surprise you and leave you hungry to taste again.

After a breakup and a few layoffs, the thing that’s taken a serious beating has been my confidence. I know that Muay Thai is going to be the mechanism and catalyst for unexpected change within my mind, body and soul. I can feel it in my bones already. What gives a woman more confidence than being able to defend herself from an attacker? Or like today, carrying her 20kg backpack around a train station in a foreign country with ease?

This sport will be the way I rebuild and strengthen my body, health and confidence. I’ll be ready to take on whatever life throws at me. Whether it’s a breakup, layoff or an actual punch.

Bring it bitch.