5 Reasons Why Muay Thai Is An Excellent Corporate Team Bonding Activity

Every workplace could benefit from strong, cohesive teams that work like well-oiled machines. These are the kind of teams that do plenty for the longevity, performance, and financial health of a company. However, the process of creating a good team doesn’t end at the recruitment phase.

On paper, the unique qualifications of different team members may fit together like pieces of a jigsaw puzzle. Yet skills and experience are tied to unique personalities that we only get to understand with time. Different personalities will then interact with each other organically, and the outcomes will depend on multiple factors.

This means that a leader needs to take extra steps to form a team that works well. Thoughtful and effective corporate team-building exercises, such as engaging in group Muay Thai sessions, can help with this. Here’s what effective team-building looks like, from the perspectives of leadership and team members.

What An Effective Corporate Team Bonding Event Looks Like

An impactful team-building exercise will take into account the different personalities of your team members. The idea is to get everyone to buy in and participate; even the people who may be reserved, detached, or skeptical. Group activities that are well thought out will get team members out of their shells and create a fun, stress-free session.

Most importantly, the ideal team-building exercise will achieve the company’s goals without making the event feel like a work thing. From this short explainer, you can already see that Muay Thai is an interesting, inventive choice for team-building.

What You Want To (And Can) Achieve With A Muay Thai Team-Building Event

Muay Thai training lends itself to improving workplace culture, which may sound surprising to some of us. Here’s how:

1) Muay Thai Will Get Every Team Member To Engage In The Team-Building Event

In Muay Thai classes, students are paired up with each other to perform a variety of partner drills.

Martial arts like Muay Thai are interesting to watch, learn, practice, and perfect. This holds for most personality types; from the introvert, to the life of the party, to the person who avoids workmates outside of work hours.

A typical Muay Thai team-building session may involve the following activities:

• The trainers may introduce the art and discipline of Muay Thai with a brief ‘exhibition fight’.
• Next, the trainers will give a brief explainer that touches on different aspects of the combat sport.
• They will also tell the group what to expect from their training session, from start to finish. Knowing what to expect gives each team member a sense of direction and control during the event.
• Many Muay Thai team-building events will conclude with a fun, goal-oriented task that your group will complete as a team.
• Other events will encourage teamwork by having team members pair up and practice specific techniques they learn.

The physicality of learning a martial art will compel everyone in the group to let their guard down and focus on their drills. By the time the trainers get to the final group activity, every member of the team should be fully invested.

2) Muay Thai Bonding Events Teach And Foster Good Interpersonal Skills

Clear communication is vital in Muay Thai training, as it ensures that partners understand each other’s movements and intentions during drills.

An effective team will have healthy interactions among its members, including the group’s leadership. Good communication, respect, and a sense of shared responsibility help a team to run smoothly. Martial arts can help with this, thanks to their emphasis on respect, discipline, and community.

A Muay Thai group event will show your team how to support and depend on each other as they train. Training typically involves:

• Shadowboxing (this can be a group activity in a team-building setting.)
• Pad Work, which can be done individually or in pairs.
• A session with a heavy bag, which is an individual activity that a trainer oversees.

Training will require team members to work together and bond as they work the on pads. Your team will also come together as they learn different techniques by shadowboxing. The cool moves, the cardio workout, and the studio setup will create a sense of camaraderie in your team. Best of all, the group gets to observe their awesome Muay Thai trainers interact with friendly, lighthearted respect.

These are all practical life lessons that the team can use in a work setting and in their personal lives. The best part is that team members learn these important lessons by observing and doing, not by attending a lecture.

3) Muay Thai Can Showcase And Enhance Skills That Help With Teamwork

By mastering techniques and drills in Muay Thai classes, individuals can enhance their collaboration abilities, fostering teamwork skills applicable in the workplace.

Lion prides and wolf packs seem to master teamwork by instinct, or some other method that we’re yet to discover. Humans have to work a little harder to create teams where each individual uses their strengths where they’re needed the most.

Group bonding exercises like Muay Thai bring out the not-so-obvious strengths of different team members. Putting people through demanding drills and team activities lets you see who’s a fast learner and who’s the one who practices until they get it right.

You can learn a lot about individuals when you get them to focus on Muay Thai and push everything else to the back of their minds. Use the information you find to leverage the strengths of your people to make the team better. The team-building exercise can build on the helpful qualities of the team members and tactfully address unhelpful traits.

4) Bonding Events That Feature Muay Thai Will Create Trust And Motivation

The time spent together sweating it out in the gym forms a tight-knit community that extends beyond the four walls, creating lasting friendships and camaraderie.

This is even more true when the team leaders fully participate in all activities. It’s helpful for the group to see their leaders learn a new thing and work hard to master the thing. The vulnerability that the leader shows may give the rest of the team the confidence to share their challenges when it comes to work. In the same vein, leaders should let their teams know about the challenges they face in different work settings.

The result is more trust and open communication that makes it easier for a team to discuss and resolve issues. This approach is much better than letting problems fester and interfere with productivity.

5) Martial Arts Like Muay Thai Are Just Plain Good For You

Training in martial arts releases endorphins that will make you feel better after each session.

The physical and mental benefits of practicing martial arts carry over to the corporate world. From a health perspective, a Muay Thai session will help to:

• Exercise the heart, lungs, muscles and brain.
• Reduce stress and trigger the release of feel-good hormones.
• Improve a person’s focus.

In the long term, Muay Thai will also boost self-confidence, instill discipline, and build many other aspects of a person’s character. Building character traits like patience, resilience, determination, and consistency allows a Muay Thai student to thrive in the studio, at the workplace, and in life. These benefits can only improve productivity and creativity in your company.

Unlocking Team Bonding Through Muay Thai!

A fun-filled Muay Muay Thai class with world champions at Evolve MMA Far East Square in Singapore.

Muay Thai is structured to achieve success in the studio, in the ring, and, out there, in the real world. This is just one of many reasons you should leverage the structure, discipline, and fun of Muay Thai for your company’s goals. Your team will also appreciate the interesting activities that come with Muay Thai team-building events. If you’re looking for

At Evolve MMA, we harness the transformative power of martial arts and physical fitness. Our environment is supportive, inclusive, and motivating, designed to empower individuals to achieve their personal and fitness goals. Whether you’re a beginner embarking on your fitness journey or a seasoned martial artist refining your skills, we cater to individuals of all skill levels.

Ready to give martial arts a try? Attend one of Evolve MMA’s complimentary classes to see what training is like up close.

Book your complimentary trial class with our World Champions below!

If you have any other questions regarding Evolve MMA and the programs we offer, you can get in touch with our membership executives at the following locations:

Evolve MMA (Far East Square)
26 China Street
Far East Square #01-01
Singapore 049568
Phone: Evolve MMA (Orchard Central)
181 Orchard Road
#06-01 Orchard Central
Singapore 238896
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#02-52 KINEX
Singapore 437157
Phone: Evolve MMA (Clarke Quay Central)
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#04-18 Clarke Quay Central
Singapore 059817
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Singapore 138617
Phone: (65) 6539 9590