If You Want to Get Better, Stop Chasing “Comfortable Training.”

The difference between people who improve and people who stay bad forever is surprisingly simple.

Lately I’ve been writing about more advanced topics and technical details, so today I’m going to write for beginners.

At our gym, we get guests from all over the world.Some people drop in while traveling. Some have just started Muay Thai and think, “I want to get a little better.”Others have been training for years but feel like “I want to break through to the next level.” Everyone has different reasons.

But let me say this first:

Muay Thai is way harder than you think.A lot of people show up believing that if they learn flashy techniques, they’ll become good. If they sweat a lot, they’ll become strong.

In reality, it’s the opposite.

Combat sports use your entire body.It’s not like golf or skiing, where equipment does half the work.

You need the ability to use your own body as the tool—and control it precisely.

So for someone who hasn’t done much athletic training before, the truth is: the hurdle is high.

Sure, if you have great coordination, physical ability, and intelligence, you might improve faster.

But that’s only a possibility—not a guarantee.

Even naturally athletic people don’t magically become skilled overnight.

The reason is simple.

Your body is connected through your brain and nervous system.When you tell yourself, “Move your foot like this,” or “Use this part of your body like that,” whether your body actually obeys depends on how well your nervous system can transmit that command.

The less athletic experience you have, the more those neural pathways tend to be dull.

So in the beginning, it feels even harder.

Here’s the reality:

Muay Thai can look “kind of legit” after a little practice…but actually becoming good is a completely different problem.

If you want to improve, you need real training.

And that training is usually plain, boring, repetitive, and uncomfortable far more often than it feels good.

If Your Goal Is Just to Sweat, That’s Fine

“I don’t care about form— I just want to sweat.”“I want to relieve stress.”“I want to feel like I lost weight.”“I don’t care if my form is ugly. I just want to smash mitts, slam kicks into pads, sweat hard, and feel satisfied.”

If that’s your goal, that’s totally fine.

But if you’ve read this far, you probably aren’t that type.

You want to get better.Maybe someday you even want to fight.

This blog is for you.

So why do people train for years and still never get good?

Now we get to the real topic.

Why So Many People Are Still “Ridiculously Bad” After 3 Years

We get a lot of guests from around the world, and honestly…

Even people who say things like:“I’ve been training for over three years,”or “I’ve fought amateur matches,”

…we still see plenty of them who are shockingly bad.

It might sound harsh, but it’s a fact.

And most of them share the same issue:

They don’t have the fundamentals.

Jab. Straight. Hook. Kick. Knees. Elbows.Muay Thai has countless techniques.

But here’s what many people misunderstand:

“Knowing how to throw something”and“being able to throw it correctly”are not the same thing at all.

Unfortunately, what most people are actually doing (while thinking they can do it) is…

They’re just copying movements and doing something that looks kind of right.

But the truth is: every movement has an optimal solution—based on sports medicine, anatomy, and physics.

Why do you move this way?How does this movement transfer power more efficiently?

Without understanding that, you can repeat something ten thousand times and still not improve.

And this is the most important point:

Correct movement = beautiful movement.

What Is “Beautiful Movement”?

Beautiful form isn’t about talent or “natural style.”

It’s simply what happens when you strip away waste and chase maximum efficiency.That efficiency shows up externally as beauty.

That’s why, in training:

Building beautiful form is the single most important thing.

Shadowboxing Is the Most Important Thing. If You Love Pads Too Much, You’re in Danger.

So what do you need to master that beautiful form?

The answer is simple:

Do shadowboxing. A lot of it.

But 99% of people who come to the gym do this instead:

They smash the heavy bag with brute force.They hit pads with brute force.They sweat hard and feel satisfied.

Let me say it again:

Heavy bag work and pad work do not automatically lead to skill.

Especially pad work—because trainers are incredibly kind.

They adjust the distance for you.They match your timing.They wait until your punch or kick lands.

And the worst part?

You strike and stop.You strike without defending.You leave yourself wide open… and they let it slide.

In a real fight, that moment would get you countered instantly.

But in real life, that never happens, right?

Your opponent won’t adjust for you.They won’t wait until your shot lands.They’re constantly moving.

Landing on a moving opponent—in a split-second window—that is combat sports.

Combat sports is not “hit a stationary target as hard as possible.”

Just like Conor McGregor said:

“Fighting is all about speed and timing.”

Wild power swings mean nothing.

The more you tense your muscles, the slower you move.Slower movement = less speed.Less speed = late timing.

In a sport where speed and timing are everything, what you’re doing is the exact opposite of what you should be chasing.

You need to understand that first.

But Somehow Everyone Loves Pads

They sound good.You sweat.Even with ugly form, if you get that loud BANG, you feel like you “did something.”

You record it, post it on social media, and feel proud.

But to anyone who actually understands fighting… it’s painful to watch.

And even if you keep doing that for years—

your skill will not improve. Not even 1%.

Of course it won’t.

But the people reading this blog are different.

You want to cut ties with that version of yourself.

You want to become truly skilled—and throw techniques with real beauty and control.

Even Naoya Inoue, one of the best boxers in the world, never skips shadowboxing—around six rounds of it in training.

The higher the level, the more seriously they take shadowboxing.

Muay Thai’s top fighters are the same.

If you don’t do what the best fighters do, how do you expect a beginner to improve?

It’s the Same as Golf: Some People Stay Bad Even After 20 Years

Think about golf.

There are countless amateur guys who brag, “I’ve been playing for 20 or 30 years.”

But most of them don’t have proper form.They don’t understand why they move the way they do.

Many never even learned from a real coach.

So what happens?

They copy people, try things randomly, and “kind of” swing—but in the end, they’re just swinging a heavy metal stick over and over.

Of course they don’t improve.

(Unless, of course, they personally value the act of swinging a stick itself… 💦)

Combat sports are exactly the same.

Just swinging your arms and legs with brute force will not make you better.

This might sound ruthless, but:

Even if you come to Thailand,even if you train at a famous gym,even if you learn from a famous coach—

if the way you practice is wrong, nothing changes.

Some people say, “Different gyms teach different things.”

But I’ll be honest—while not always, most of the time they’re saying the same thing.

It only sounds different because of vocabulary, language barriers, and different ways of explaining it.

The essence doesn’t change.

Because truth is basically one.

Almost everything in combat sports movement can be explained through physics and anatomy.

Correct Form Improves “Reproducibility.” That’s Why Shadowboxing Is the Strongest Tool.

If you get tired easily…if you have no stamina…if your movements lack consistency…if your accuracy is poor…

Then what you need isn’t toughness or talent.

You need correct form.

Correct form makes your movement repeatable.

It increases reproducibility and pulls out your physical potential at maximum efficiency.

That’s why shadowboxing is overwhelmingly important.

Honestly, when you come to the gym, you could spend 70–80% of your time on shadowboxing.

Conclusion:

If you want to improve, do a lot of shadowboxing.Watch yourself in the mirror. Build correct form and timing.

How long can you stay in front of the mirror?

That is the first step.

And the more you do shadowboxing, the more you realize something unavoidable:

In combat sports, you can’t escape “boring training.”

Fundamentals Are Boring. That’s Why They Work. Don’t Underestimate Them.

Value fundamentals above everything.

In reality, most people learn a jab or a kick two or three times, start hitting pads a little, and already feel like, “I got it.”

We see this constantly among beginners at our gym.

“I’ve trained at a few other Muay Thai gyms, so I understand Muay Thai.”“I’m not a beginner anymore—I’m intermediate.”

People say that confidently.

No, no, no.

It’s not that easy.

Combat sports training is incredibly boring at the foundation level.

You repeat the same movement again and again and again, endlessly.

And only then does correct movement finally enter your body.

It’s the same as going to a sushi academy for three months—that doesn’t mean you can work in a real sushi restaurant.

The real difference is:

How much boring repetition can you do when nobody is watching?

That’s what separates people who improve… from people who stay bad forever.

Even one jab is deep.

Honestly, I’d love to train nothing but jab for three to six months.

Before you move on to hooks and straight punches, there’s a lot you need to build first.

Kicks are the same.

People say punches require “sense,” but kicks are even more brutally honest:

You improve in direct proportion to how many times you kick.The time and effort you put in show up directly as skill.

Look at real Muay Thai fighters.

Since childhood, they’ve kicked over 1,000 times a day, every single day.

That number becomes their power, their technique, their strength.

1,000 a day, each side—2,000 total.

Do that for a full year, and you finally reach the level where you can “kick properly.”

I’m not forcing busy people to do that.

But that also means:

You can’t go to some Muay Thai camp a few times, throw 200–300 kicks, and somehow think you’ll improve.

That’s just paying money, burning energy, and going home tired.

That’s why you need to make sure your time in the gym doesn’t end as “just exercise.”

Increase the Density of Training. Come In With “Today’s Focus.”

You pay money to come to the gym—so finishing with only shadowboxing and drills can feel like a waste, right?

So what should you do?

Simple:

Bring your own “theme of the day” to each session.

Of course, as a beginner, you probably don’t even know what your problem is.

So at first, the trainer watches your movement and identifies the one thing you should fix most right now.

For example:

・Execute yesterday’s middle kick drill correctly and actually make it work・Don’t finish your strike and stop—prepare for the counter after your punch/kick・Are you telegraphing your punches?・Are you kicking with brute force?・Find a better feeling than yesterday

Your focus will differ depending on the person.

But training without a clear goal usually ends up as self-satisfaction.

You get hyped up, move around messily, sweat hard, and leave with nothing but the feeling of “I did a lot.”

Instead—

I want you to train while talking to yesterday’s self, and feeling the feedback from today’s self.

That’s how people actually improve.

Language Barriers, and the Real Purpose of Drills

When teaching beginners correct movement, every combat sports gym hits the same wall:

Language barrier.

Guests come from everywhere. Languages are different.English is the default, but many people aren’t good at it.

Trying to make someone understand form and “feel” through words alone has limits.

With gestures alone, it’s even harder.

Kids can repeat the same movement 1,000 or 10,000 times and absorb it naturally.

Adults can’t.

That’s why “Just kick 1,000 times a day” discipline talk is inefficient and unrealistic for most adults.

So we try to explain as clearly as possible:

Why that form mattersWhy you move that wayWhy you must do it that way

Still, some parts don’t fully land.

That’s where we use drills as a “replacement for language.”

Drills force your body to learn the necessary mechanics.

To be honest, at first you won’t understand what’s going on.You’ll get forced to repeat the same movement again and again.

It’s not fun.It’s boring.It’s dull.

Of course it feels better to hit pads or smash the heavy bag.

But inside those drills are the key ingredients that guide your body toward correct movement.

Sometimes it looks like it has nothing to do with fighting—but that movement is actually the foundation.

That happens all the time.

That’s why our gym intentionally programs “boring-looking drills” into training.

And I can say this with confidence:

People who stack shadowboxing and these drills seriously and consistently change dramatically in three to six months.

Pad Work Is a “Review Bonus.” It’s Not the Main Course.

Still, doing nothing but fundamentals and drills every day would be miserable.

We understand that.

So of course we include pads and mitts in the program.

And compared to many gyms, our pad work is denser, longer, and more plentiful.

But don’t misunderstand:

It’s not the main training.

It’s a review—a place to check the movement you built through fundamentals.

If you want “pads only,” you can request private training and do “pads only.”

But—

So many beginners misunderstand this, so I’ll say it clearly:

Pad work alone will not make you improve.

Pad work is closer to a real fight than the heavy bag.

But it is not the fight itself.

People call pad work “the middle ground between heavy bag and real fighting” because it involves three critical elements: distance, timing, and reaction.

That’s why it works as training—and why it feels so good.

But here’s the trap:That “feel-good” sensation is exactly what holds you back.

If you do pads without fundamentals, your broken movement gets locked in.

Your inconsistent form gets overwritten as the new normal.

Fundamentals aren’t built on pads.They can only be built through fundamentals training itself.

Pad work is nothing more than a place to test the fundamentals you’ve built.

Only people who understand this actually get better.

Brute Force Makes You Slow. Relaxation Is the Answer.

Here’s another truth beginners don’t know:

Most beginners throw punches and kicks with brute force.They think combat sports means swinging limbs as hard as possible.

No. That’s wrong.

The human body gets slower the more you tense.

This isn’t motivation talk—this is literally how the body is built.

More precisely, when you tense too much, opposing muscles contract at the same time (co-contraction).

Joints that should move smoothly become stiff.The “play” in your movement disappears.

Then acceleration drops.Speed drops.

And when speed drops, timing gets late.

So that tension you think is “power” is actually killing your speed and timing.

Change your mindset here:

Your arms and legs are just tools. Relaxation is the base.

Your hands and feet don’t have a will of their own.They are not supposed to “work hard” independently.

They are the endpoints that get pulled by your core movement.

The moment the endpoints become the star, your movement becomes small.

Smaller means weaker. Slower. Sloppier.And worst of all—it doesn’t connect into the next action.

If you punch using only shoulder and arm strength:

Your shoulders and arms fatigue first.You gas out quickly.

And arm-only punches always become the same:

・light・slow・don’t land

And you finish and stop.

No defense. No evasion. No follow-up.

Meaning: dangerous. Wide open.

What you need isn’t arm strength.

What you need is whole-body coordination (the kinetic chain).

Ground → legs → hips → core → shoulder → arm (endpoint)

That order is how power transfers.

The arm runs last. The endpoint rides last.

So there’s no need to swing arms and legs with brute force.

In fact, the more you tense, the more your chain breaks and your movement slows.

You kill your speed.You kill your timing.

You’re throwing away the very things you want.

If you fatigue quickly, it’s not because you lack stamina.

Your kinetic chain just isn’t working.

So where does that chain begin?

Next, let’s look at that carefully.

The Motor Is the Ground. The Engine Is the Legs and Hips.

Many people misunderstand this:

Punching and kicking power does not come from arm strength or leg strength.

It comes from your feet—your contact with the ground.

Striking in combat sports is built on ground reaction force.

You push the ground, and the ground pushes back.You absorb that reaction into your body.

The ground is why you can generate force.The ground is why you can accelerate.

If you’re floating in the air, you can’t punch or kick properly.

And to transfer that lower-body power into the upper body, you need your core.

But core does not mean “tighten your abs.”

The core is a pillar that power travels through.

If you over-tighten, the pillar breaks.

More accurately: you lose joint freedom, the chain disconnects, and the force from the ground never reaches your endpoints.

Your lower body (legs and hips) rotates your center axis, creating angular velocity and torque.

That energy travels through the core and rides out to your hands and feet, in sequence.

This is the same structure for punches and kicks.

The arms run last.They only ride on the energy created by the legs and hips.

The arms are not the main character.They are the result.

That’s why you don’t need to swing with brute force.

The more you tense, the more the chain breaks, and the slower you become.

Speed dies. Timing dies.

And you’re throwing away what you want with your own hands.

Center of Gravity and Balance. If the Foundation Shifts, Energy Leaks.

By now, you understand:

Power is not “arm strength.”It’s energy generated from the ground, transferred through the whole body.

So here’s the next question:

When the energy doesn’t reach the target—what’s wrong?

The answer is:

Your center of gravity and balance. Your foundation.

To move while keeping your body axis stable, you need balance.

If your weight shifts right/left or forward/back, you can’t keep your axis stable and output smoothly.

Combat sports move the center of the body and deliver power to the endpoints.

So what happens the moment your foundation collapses?

The energy you created in the lower body escapes before it reaches your endpoints.

It leaks. It disperses. It cancels out.

This is what’s physically happening.

For example:

・you lose balance・your axis tips・your weight drifts

Then the force from below doesn’t become forward output. It gets neutralized.

Meaning—

The motor is spinning, but no power comes out.

In your own mind you feel like you’re “punching,” “kicking,” “using power.”

But what reaches the opponent is empty.

The power is being produced—then disappearing inside your body.

This is the biggest reason people with ugly form are weak.

It’s not that they lack strength.

Their power pathway is broken.

That’s why balance and center of gravity matter most.

If your foundation is off, everything collapses.

But if your foundation is aligned—

Even the same movement suddenly produces completely different output.

Before you add flashy techniques, fix this first.

That’s why we include drills that keep your center of gravity centered.

Boring—but effective.

Skip this, and you will never grow.

Footwork Is the Key

If your foundation is aligned, your output changes. You understand that.

But—

Some people have a decent foundation and still can’t land anything in sparring.

Why?

Simple:

The moment they move, their foundation collapses.

Combat sports aren’t done standing still.

You must keep your foundation while moving.

That’s where footwork comes in.

From here on, this isn’t about “hand and leg technique.”

It’s about positioning technique.

Footwork Controls Distance and Angle

The most important thing in combat sports isn’t your punches and kicks.

It’s footwork.

Because footwork determines:

・safe distance (where you can’t be hit)・hitting distance (where you can reach)・hitting angle (the advantageous line)

Footwork controls distance and angle.

If that doesn’t work, then:

Even with a beautiful jab, it won’t land.Even with a powerful kick, it won’t reach.Even if you’re fast, bad positioning makes it useless.

Before “technique,” you must be in the place where techniques can land.

Footwork is what creates that.

People With Terrible Footwork Become “Arms Only / Legs Only”

Even people with years of experience often have footwork that’s completely broken.

They probably ignored footwork and spent years doing only punches and kicks.

But that’s like going to a battlefield with weapons, without a map.

Footworkless fighting doesn’t work.

And people who can’t step properly usually become this:

・they don’t understand distance・they lean forward when striking・they can’t recover back・they strike and stop, wide open・they’re unsafe, weak, tired—and nothing lands

The Most Neglected Skill Is Footwork

In reality, everyone wants to smash a target in front of them with full power.

Make a loud sound.Sweat.Feel satisfied.Get the “I did something” feeling.

But the moment you give in to that temptation, your progress hits a wall.

And you’ll train for years without getting good.

Because you think you’re “adding techniques,” but you’re actually neglecting your foundation and positioning the entire time.

So no matter how much time and money you pour in, you won’t grow.

It’s the same as the amateur golfer whose handicap never improves after decades.

Combat Sports Are the Ultimate Mental Sport. Your Feelings Don’t Matter.

In the end, combat sports are about controlling your emotions and desires.

In that sense, it’s the ultimate mental sport.

Even if you feel like you’re “hitting super hard,” if your punch looks weak to your opponent, it means nothing.

What you feel inside—your “I’m hitting hard”—is not the same as your opponent’s reality.

Subjectively strong. Subjectively fast.“I’m punching so fast.”“I’m putting so much power.”

Your subjectivity doesn’t matter at all to the opponent.

What matters is what is objectively true from their perspective:

Is it fast?Is it scary?Is it powerful?

That’s all that matters.

So put your ego and your “I feel like” aside for a moment.

You need to see yourself from a slightly detached viewpoint:

Is your punch traveling the shortest route to the opponent?Is your speed at impact at its maximum?Are you decelerating before impact?Is your full-body power transferring cleanly into the kick at impact?

The state where all of that is happening—

That is beautiful form.

And ultimately, we return to this:

Shadowboxing is everything.

Start there.

Final Words

Improvement isn’t talent.

It’s the quality of practice—and the amount of repetition.

Don’t run to flashy training.Don’t get fooled by what feels good.Stack boring fundamentals correctly.

That is the fastest path.

So starting today—shadowboxing.

(If you want, check our other article on shadowboxing here.)

Bonus: Wrap Your Own Hands.

There’s something I absolutely want beginners to understand:

Too many people don’t wrap their own hands.Too many can’t.

Hold on.

You don’t understand how important hand wraps are.

Hand wraps are protective gear for your fists.

But it’s not just that.

They’re also a ritual—a transition from ordinary life into the fighter’s mind.

You calm your mind, wrap carefully without misalignment, and protect your fists.

It’s a small meditation time reserved for fighters.

Don’t treat it lightly.

And honestly—

If you post on social media saying “I train Muay Thai” or “I box,” but you can’t even wrap your own hands…That’s kind of embarrassing.

Our gym has QR codes posted everywhere.

Scan them and you can watch wrapping tutorials anytime.

This isn't a royal ceremony—you're not a king or queen. Do not let trainers to wrap your fists. You should take care of it.

Your Knuckles Hurt? Your Skin Split? That’s Not “Tough”—Your Wraps Are Bad.

Classic beginner problem.

On day two or three, people say:“My knuckles hurt.”“My skin is peeling.”

Some even think, “My fists are strong.”

No. That’s not it.

In most cases, it’s just that your wraps are bad.

If they’re loose, they slide inside the glove.

Every punch rubs your skin, and it peels.

It’s not because your punch is powerful.

I’ll say it again:

Hand wraps exist to protect your fists.

Wrap so it doesn’t hurt.Wrap so it doesn’t rub.

Carefully. Securely.Listen to your own hands as you wrap them.

Busy? Listen to the podcast-style recap of this post while you walk, stretch, or cool down. Press play below.