Eight motivating life lessons shared by author and entrepreneur SJ Clarke (Ringside Gamble) after dedicating decades of business and Muay Thai practice!
How Muay Thai fighters physiologically approach every session, every exercise – in fact everything they do – impacts their ability to perform technical skills under stress. Champion boxers are keyed into what motivates them and drives them forward. Managing your work and career is no different, without understanding what truly motivates you it is incredible tough to show up every day, be the best version of you and add value to the company and your colleagues.
Here are eight life lessons I’ve learnt from being a practitioner of Muay Thai that apply to business:
- Be conscious of your body language
Shattered after a gruelling few months running a financial technology software company, I decided to take a short break to train in Thailand. On the first morning, I was sitting on the side of the boxing ring at 7 a.m. waiting for my class to start, stressing about next week’s meeting with my co-founders, which promised to be unpleasant. The sun had already reached 38 degrees and I was the first student in the gym.
One of the trainers was walking past when he abruptly stopped. He looked at me and said, “Better go home.” Taken aback, I challenged, “Why?”
Putting his hands on my shoulders, he pushed me bolt upright, took my hands out of my lap where they were knotted together and lifted my chin.
“Your body tells me, you can’t fight” he replied. “It looks small and weak. Think strong and you will be. If you can’t do that, better go to the beach.”
- You must have courage
Muay Thai training is gruelling. Not just the because of the physical aspects but mentally you have to be prepared. All Muay Thai trainers will tell you they can teach a student to have a perfect roundhouse kick, an incredible knee strike, but not courage or “heart”. You have to want to win and believe you can.
Fighters that do not have heart may win the first or even the third round, but they are not going to last the distance. You can be smaller than your opponent, but your spirit is everything. One of the most famous Muay Thai boxers of all time Suphachai “Saenchai” Saepong https://youtu.be/mfVHNjaAmvM is only 165 cm (5ft 4 inches) tall.
Muay Thai is a tough test; both psychological and physical. In fact, it’s one with real physical consequences. Fighters lose eyes, suffer head injuries. No matter how difficult a situation is at work, there are not going to be any physical dangers. No-one is going to knock you out. Turn up to your career like you would a Muay Thai fighter, with heart. If you can’t, then perhaps question whether the career you have chosen to succeed in is right for you.
- There are no short cuts. You have to prepare. You have to practice.
Practice, practice, practice. How Muay Thai fighters physiologically approach every session, every exercise – in fact, everything they do – impacts their ability to perform technical skills under stress. They are keyed into what motivates them and drives them forward. Being fully prepared alleviates stress. If you know you have done your best, and have sought feedback from your colleagues and mentors, then there is every reason to believe you are going to succeed.
If you want to be a writer, you have to read. It is difficult to write well if you don’t like reading.
- Walk away when you need to
Muay Thai fighters do not win by themselves. Boxing is a team sport, and the best trainers love to share their knowledge. They want you to succeed and be the best version of yourself. You need to put the work in and show commitment. Learning Muay Thai is a two-way street; you can’t show up expecting to learn without putting in the effort.
If you find yourself at a Muay Thai gym where the trainers are pushing you hard for private classes or on their mobile phones during sessions, walk away. Instantly. You are wasting your time. If you have co-founders who do not share your values, who shirk responsibilities and are not putting the effort you are, cut a deal and move on. Muay Thai demands you make decisive decisions fast.
- Control your emotions
Before entering a ring, Muay Thai fighters still their minds. They are calm. Think about how you would picture the gaze of a Monk, emerging from a mediative state. Envisage how peaceful and free of worry his eyes are.
In Thailand, I had the honour of removing Kru Wah’s Mongkhon – a headpiece worn by Thai boxers while performing the pre-fight performance dance. Traditionally, these headpieces are still blessed by a monk and believed to possess special powers to protect and bring good luck to their wearer. When saying positive words for the battle ahead, I was struck by Kru Wah’s relaxed demeanour. It was as if he had already won and was getting ready for bed after a good meal.
Kru Wah’s fight was beautiful to watch. He executed each strike fast and effectively whilst maintaining his prima ballerina assoluta sense of balance. He was precise and exact regardless of the pressure being applied by his opponent.
When making a point or in tense situations, remain calm and take time to observe the body language and micro expressions of the people around you. That way you can better adjust to your audiences’ comments and insights. Have faith in the meeting strategy you have worked on with your colleagues and mentors and you’ll be sure to win the day
- Be grateful and give back
Mongkunpet was a young girl when I first met her in 2016. She had already fought 30 amateur boxing matches; she was around 30 kilos. An exceptional athlete, Monkunpet has gone on to win national championship belts.
During a fight in Phuket, she badly hurt her foot, breaking several toes. Somehow, she fought through the pain and won the match. The next day she limped into the Rawai Muay Thai training arena; formally bowed to each of the 12 trainers in gratitude, and limped out again. If a young girl can do this to thank her teachers, we should be able to find time to show appreciation to the mentors and teachers who selfishly helped us achieve goals. We should make a commitment to have mentees ourselves.
Rawai Muay Thai is an incredibly forward-thinking training centre. The founders Diana and Tuk were the first gym in Thailand to start training female boxers. It is only in the last few years that women have been able to enter the boxing arena at the national stadium to compete.
I always accept an invitation to mentor when approached by a school. Most recently I had the pleasure of meeting with a group of entrepreneurs in Singapore. These amazing young adults shared their company vision for an exciting business idea.
- Choose a strategy that works for you
Once a Muay Thai boxer has successfully won a number of fights, their trainer will decide which fighting style best suits the student’s temperament.
For example, Muay Femur fighters are best known for their high fight I.Q., patience and the ability to move between various styles of execution as needed They are phenomenal at counterattacks. In contrast, a Muay Mat fighting style involves adopting a forward-moving aggressive approach and deploying explosive punching combinations to ultimately knockout their opponents.
Similarly, in business, you need to think about which competitive strategy works best for you. Are you a deeper thinker who prefers not to rush in, or more on the front foot when it comes to pushing forward your narrative… or neither of the two? Give thought to the type of company culture where you can excel wherever you are on your career journey.
- Focus
You need to be 100 per cent present in Muay Thai training. It is not like a spin class where you can ponder over your lunch choices. When you have a hectic lifestyle, pressures at work or with juggling family commitments can accumulate and cause stress. Just training a couple of hours a week will make a difference. Because your mind will be at rest from thinking about other people or situations. Learning to focus completely is a terrific way of giving your mind a break.