The thought of competing as a professional fighter didn’t even cross Mia’s mind during her first couple of years training
She simply liked the physical nature of Muay Thai and the encouragement she was getting from her peers and instructors.
That was enough to light a fire inside her.
Now, Mia looks to takes things to the next level. She wants to be a role model for others who are dealing with self-esteem issues like she once was. She says her increased dedication to Muay Thai as she prepares for her professional debut has taken her confidence to a completely new level.
She particularly enjoys the intensity of her sparring sessions.
“When you are standing in front of an opponent, you have to have 100 percent self-confidence – not 95, not 99 but 100 percent belief that you have the ability to beat that person,” she says. “You can’t explain it until you do it. It’s a real ego check. There are times when you get the s*** kicked out of you and you wonder what the hell you are doing. But it builds so much strength inside you. It’s an amazing journey that Muay Thai takes you on.”
Mia won her professional Muay Thai debut, knocking out her opponent, Nong B, during the third round of their contest. She now plans to compete in mixed martial arts.
“The first thing I said was ‘I want to do it again’,” Kang said about her victory. “I’m not completely happy. I didn’t reach my full potential but no fighter does the first time.”
Martial arts are increasingly being used as a form of unconventional therapy for people with low confidence and anxiety issues.
Your confidence levels will naturally grow as you progress through the ranks. That will eventually lead to you seeing yourself in a completely different light. The new friends that you meet at the dojo will serve as a support system that’s always there to motivate you when feelings of self-doubt start creeping in.
There are also many other essential benefits that you get from training a martial art like Muay Thai. Some of these include:
- Improved flexibility
- Improved balance
- Improved endurance
- Reduced fat levels
- Increased energy
- Reduced stress and anxiety
- Improved sleep
- Improved self-control
- Ability to defend yourself
Text: Evolve MMA
Evolve MMA is Asia’s top martial arts academy to house the most number of world champions across all major martial arts disciplines.