For some reason, when I tell people Muay Thai is my hobby, they either do not know what it is or think I am violent and derive pleasure from inflicting pain on others.
The truth is, I love Muay Thai because of the focus required when working on technique. Even the smallest tweaks can change everything. For example, when performing a front kick — also called a teep — stabbing with the ball of the foot rather than landing with the whole foot significantly changes the impact.
I can spend an entire hour doing the exact same move over and over, which I have done numerous times, and find immense satisfaction. When sparring, I focus on fixing one hole in my game, whether that is range management or cutting angles. I find joy in focusing on that moment; if I am not, I get a fistful of leather in the face.
It is ironic: When most people see elbows and punches, they cannot imagine anything more chaotic. But for me, I find peace in that moment. I do not think of anything else: who I am, who I will be, what, why or even when.
I even find joy in the run before Muay Thai. Because of the sport, I started doing roadwork; another way of saying running miles for both physical and mental gain. A core memory of this semester was running from downtown Binghamton by D.P. Dough back to campus at midnight. When I run in the dark with nothing but my thoughts, knowing that every step makes me stronger (quite literally, since the impact helps increase bone density in the shins when coupled with heavy bag work), I feel a type of sated joy. In an era where everyone looks for the newest shiny thing, it is hard to find a joy that is truly satisfying and does not beg for more.
If Muay Thai seems too hardcore — and believe me, it is very painful in the beginning — I recommend picking up a martial art of any kind. Not only can it teach you self-defense, it can also teach you a humility you cannot find in the emptiness of vanity.
In Muay Thai, there is no room for the past or for the future. I am not who I was yesterday or who I need to be tomorrow. I am simply the distance between my face and a leather gloved fist. At that moment, I found a stillness that the rest of the world can’t provide.
That is why I love the smell of leather and sweat.
Ryan Shin
General Intern
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