I LOVE Muay Thai and I love being a STUDENT in the art. One of the biggest most life impacting learnings in studying martial arts has not been a punch or kick...it has been RESPECT. In my time training I have discovered the importance of respect for myself, respect for others, and most importantly respect for my TEACHERS. Without this understanding it makes it difficult to learn and train properly and effectively.
Often students come to martial arts for the physical benefits, however it is the benefits to the mind and spirit that will bring long term physical and overall well-being. It is important to focus on these aspects and the rest will fall in place. If there is too much focus on the physical then the mind will grow weak and be unable to support the body which will then break down much more quickly. Strong mind, strong spirit, strong body.