Muay Thai
A qualified martial artist who practices Muay Thai can tell how scary the sport can get while in the ring. Since it involves a lot of hard kicks to the guts, swinging punches, flying knees and sharp elbow strikes, you cannot completely avoid getting a bloody nose, a black eye and even cuts. If you are taking Muay Thai as a profession, this should not scare you though. You must courageously face your competitors, but you should know that it could be tough and brutal. For those who are doing it as a hobby or to stay fit, you can go for the modern Muay Thai, helps you in self- defence, cardio and weight loss, physical fitness, among other benefits.
Common injuries
When training for Muay Thai, you cannot miss certain injuries, whether you are doing it as a hobby or as a professional. They include:
Bruised Shins
When kicking in Muay Thai, your shin is exposed to injury, especially when your opponent is blocking your kicks. This causes pain and bruises, especially to a first timer during training. But after a few weeks, your shin gets used to the sparring and you only get bruised occasionally.
Bruised Thighs
The hard kicks, flying knees, shin bone kicks and low kicks that characterize Muay Thai often cause injuries to the thighs. Even the light low kicks cause bruises at times.
Bruised Arms
For first time practitioners, it becomes challenging and hectic when holding pads for your partner to kick. The massive force that comes from kicking the pads sends a shocking impact to your arms, and this impact is felt at your wrists. Your arms will sustain but as time goes by, you’ll get used to it. You’ll also become stronger and learn better hand positions to avoid injuries.
Wrist Sprains
This injury occurs if you do not prepare well before taking on the opponent. You need to properly wrap your hands and wear gloves. If you fail to do so, the frequent punches on pads and bags will definitely cause wrist sprains.
Muscle Pulls
Muscle pulls are common almost in almost all sports. Showing up early gives you more time to warm up and stretch your muscles. This prepares your body for the intense exercises and reduces the chances of having muscle pulls.