10 Reasons Ego May Be Slowing Your Progress in Muay Thai (and 10 Ways to Fix It)

For anyone who has been training for any substantial amount of time in Muay Thai, progress sometimes plateaus not because of a lack of technical ability, physical conditioning, or training opportunities—but because of something far subtler and more difficult to detect: ego.

Ego isn’t always loud. Sometimes it whispers excuses. Sometimes it hides behind false humility or overconfidence. It can sneak into sparring, sabotage recovery, or turn constructive feedback into personal offence.

I reached out to a number of my great friends from the world of Muay Thai (who also happen to be globally renowned coaches) to get their insights into what they think holds back students and fighters (and what they think helps them excel).

We’re going to break down 10 ways ego might be quietly wrecking your progress, and more importantly, 10 practical strategies to counter it before going over exactly what each coach wants you to bear in mind.

1. You Spar to Win, Not to Learn

The Ego Trap:

You treat every sparring round like a fight. You avoid being hit at all costs, throw hard to “win,” and choose opponents you can dominate.

The Consequence:

You stop learning. You don’t experiment with new techniques, and you miss opportunities to grow through challenge.

The Solution:

Reframe sparring as research. Go into each round with a specific focus: timing, defence, fighting from southpaw, or working off your back foot. Leave your pride at the door and focus on data collection, not domination.

2. You Avoid Training with People Who Challenge You

The Ego Trap:

You prefer drilling or sparring with lower-level partners where you can look good. You avoid the teammate who always outclinches you or lands clean counters.

The Consequence:

You limit your exposure to discomfort. You stay in your comfort zone and your growth stagnates.

The Solution:

Seek out your toughest training partners. Ego says, "Protect your image." Progress says, "Expose your weaknesses." The more you get humbled in the gym, the sharper you'll become.

3. You Struggle to Take Constructive Feedback

The Ego Trap:

You hear correction as criticism. You take it personally or feel offended when a coach or experienced teammate points out mistakes.

The Consequence:

You miss golden opportunities to improve. You become harder to coach and plateau technically.

The Solution:

Adopt a white belt mindset. Every critique is a compliment—it means someone cares enough to invest in your growth. Respond with curiosity, not defensiveness.

4. You Overtrain to Prove Your Toughness

The Ego Trap:

You train physically through injuries, ignore fatigue, and push through exhaustion because you don’t want to appear soft or weak.

The Consequence:

You end up injured, burned out, or chronically fatigued. Your performance and consistency suffer.

The Solution:

Respect recovery as part of training. It takes more discipline to rest when needed than to grind mindlessly. Train hard, but train smart. Use the time you would normally want to do hard physical training to work on other areas such as visualisation or watching fight breakdowns. Or if injured, focus the time that would normally be spent training, on rehab, physio and “boring” functional exercises.

5. You Ignore Your Weaknesses

The Ego Trap:

You focus on what you’re good at. You avoid drilling your bad side, neglect clinch, or skip drills that expose your limitations.

The Consequence:

You become a one-dimensional fighter. Your holes get bigger over time, especially under pressure. You get exposed more and more as your opponents rise in quality.

The Solution:

Schedule weaknesses into your training. Block time specifically to address your most uncomfortable areas. Film yourself, review honestly, and attack those gaps.

6. You See Yourself as 'Too Advanced' for Basics

The Ego Trap:

You roll your eyes at fundamental drills or skip warmups because you’ve “been there, done that.”

The Consequence:

Your technique regresses. You build habits on a shaky foundation and miss chances to sharpen the essentials.

The Solution:

Recommit to mastering the basics. Great fighters drill the jab and teep every session. Precision comes from repetition. Let go of flash and embrace fundamentals.

7. You Compare Yourself to Others Constantly

The Ego Trap:

You fixate on teammates who are progressing faster, getting more attention, or winning more fights. You view training as competition instead of collaboration.

The Consequence:

You lose focus on your own journey. Envy replaces gratitude. You train angry or discouraged.

The Solution:

Compete with your previous self. Track your personal progress: rounds sparred, weaknesses improved, mindset shifts. Use others for inspiration, not comparison.

8. You Struggle with Losing

The Ego Trap:

You view “losing" in sparring as failure. You avoid situations where you might look bad in front of others.

The Consequence:

You don’t take risks. You miss the chance to build resilience and problem-solving.

The Solution:

Redefine failure as feedback. Every loss is data. Every shot landed on you teaches. Real toughness is in coming back smarter, not just tougher.

9. You Try to Teach More Than You Learn

The Ego Trap:

You constantly correct others, offer unsolicited advice, and speak more than you listen. You default to the role of teacher in every interaction.  You think you know it all or know the better way.

The Consequence:

You stop learning. You miss opportunities to receive guidance and stay blind to your own gaps.

The Solution:

Be teachable, always. The best fighters ask questions, seek feedback, and stay hungry. Teach when asked. Learn at every chance.

10. You Train to Impress, Not Improve

The Ego Trap:

You perform for others. You throw flashy combos, hit pads hard, or go hard in drills to look good rather than grow. You focus on your social media presence more than your actual development.

The Consequence:

You burn out or stagnate. Your training becomes performative, not progressive.

The Solution:

Train for progress, not praise. Focus on your process, your intention, and your improvement. Your results will speak louder than any performance.

FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions)

How does ego affect Muay Thai performance?

Ego creates mental roadblocks that prevent technical improvement, open-minded learning, and proper recovery—slowing down a fighter’s long-term progression.

 

How do I know if ego is affecting my Muay Thai training?

If you avoid tough partners, reject feedback, or always try to “win” in sparring, ego may be holding you back.

 

What’s the best way to manage ego in training?

Stay curious, accept feedback, focus on personal growth, and regularly reflect on your intentions during training. A white belt mindset helps—even at elite levels.

 

Insights with Damien Trainor 

 

What Holds People Back

1. Inconsistency with Training

One of the biggest progress killers is inconsistency. I’m not saying you have to train every day, but attending at least twice a week will lead to real benefits. The problem arises when someone trains this week, misses the next, maybe shows up the week after — that’s when progress stalls. Often, this is the point where a student starts to drift away entirely. Of course, life sometimes gets in the way, and that’s understandable. But as coaches, we need to keep an eye out and help people stay on track where possible.

2. Replacing Martial Arts Training with S&C

Thanks to social media, there’s a trend of showcasing highlight reels where fighters appear to focus mostly on strength and conditioning (S&C) with just snippets of pad work or sparring. This creates a skewed perception. I’m often asked, “How much S&C should I do?” My answer is always the same: No more than two sessions a week. S&C should support your martial arts — not replace it. Remember, highlight videos are designed to be eye-catching, not to reflect the full scope of a fighter’s training.

3. Thinking They Already Know It All

Some students have dabbled here and there, and come in thinking they’ve already got it figured out. They resist coaching and just do their own thing. The saying, “A cup that is already full cannot hold more,” fits perfectly here. To grow, you have to be willing to listen and learn.

4. Training Half-Heartedly or Avoiding Discomfort

There are students who show up but barely put in the effort. They’ll never reach their full potential because they’re not truly trying. Then there are those who are consistent and open-minded, but once training gets tough or uncomfortable, they shut down. Progress lives outside your comfort zone. Staying inside it only holds you back.

5. Letting Setbacks Stop Them

Whether it’s losing a fight, failing a grading, or just having a bad session — setbacks are inevitable. But some students let these moments discourage them too much. The ones who can’t bounce back will often stall or quit. Resilience is key.

 

What Helps People Excel

1. Consistency

Every student I’ve seen succeed — physically, technically, and mentally — has been consistent in their training. It’s the most important factor.

2. Applying What’s Taught

Top students are like sponges. They’re eager to learn, they listen carefully, and most importantly, they apply what they’ve been taught in their own training.

3. Training Outside of Class

These students don’t just train when the class is on — they show up during open mat times or outside class hours to work on their own. I often use a school analogy:

• Class time = lesson with the teacher

• Solo training = coursework

• Fight or grading = exam
  To do well in the “exam,” you need both the lesson and the coursework.

4. Giving 100% to Their Sport

The ones who truly excel are all-in. They live and breathe their chosen discipline. They go home and watch videos, read about it, follow the top athletes, and attend events. They immerse themselves fully.

5. Bouncing Back from Setbacks

What sets these students apart is their ability to push through hard times — losses, failures, tough sessions. They keep going. And that resilience doesn’t just help them in training — it spills over into every area of their lives. That’s why I believe martial arts is one of the most important things people can get into.

 

You can learn more from Damien no matter where you are located in the world by downloading any of his six amazing full length instructional volumes “Fighting Concepts for World Class Striking”, “The Fight Game - Strategies for World Class Striking”, “Solo Training - Bag Work for World Class Striking”, “Muay Thai Training - Developing World Class Striking”, "Muay Thai Sparring - Developing World Class Striking" and “Muay Thai Bag Work - Developing World Class Striking”.  All of which are featured on the Warrior Marketplace.

 

 

Learn more about Damien by connecting with him via his website or social media as listed below

 

• Website - https://www.k-starlegacy.co.uk
• Instagram - @trainor103
• Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/DamienTrainor
• YouTube - @Trainor103
• X - @damien_trainor

Insights with Christian Knowles

 

 

What Holds People Back

1. Ego Over Learning

• They’d rather “win” a sparring round than learn from it.

• Afraid to look bad, so they avoid new techniques or uncomfortable drills.

2. Inconsistency

• Skipping sessions, training when it’s convenient, not when it’s needed.

• Progress requires rhythm and routine—stop-start training leads to plateaus.

3. Fear of Feedback

• Defensive when corrected.

• Don’t apply coaching points because they think they already know better.

4. Comparing Themselves Constantly

• Focus on where others are rather than their own growth.

• It causes frustration and can lead to burnout or quitting.

5. Not Respecting the Basics

• Always chasing fancy techniques without mastering balance, stance, guard.

• Basics win fights and create the platform for creativity.

What Holds People Back

1. Trying to be something you are not

Listen to your coach and work with the strengths you are given. I’m not saying to not work on your weaker aspects but don’t try to change your style because of it. Listening is so important.

 

2. Too much talking

There is a balance to this. With the world of social media, it’s easy to get drawn into “battles”. This can be used to sell a fight. But as Elvis said, “a little less conversation, a little more action please” 

 

3. How you conduct yourself out of the gym

Your coach only has you for a limited time, it’s down to you to do the “outside” work. Whether that be running, eating well and getting enough rest. To be a fighter you must live and breathe it. 

 

4. Be a team player

Yes absolutely, it’s you fighting in the ring but understand the team around you are in it with you. Helping out others in a gym whether it be sparring, advice or holding pads is important. Having a positive environment will create phenomenal and happy fighters. 

 

5. Controlling your emotions and dealing with issues

Everyone is different but what can weaken a fighter, is the outside world's problems seeping negativity into training and effecting your performance. Being able to balance life with your training is important. I’ve seen it too often and the best advice is to get everything in order and in line. 

 

What Helps People Excel

1. Be obsessed

To get to no.1, you really have to live and breathe it.  It’s not for everyone but if you desire to be the best, then you need to be fully immersed.

 

2. Live the life

Simple as that.

 

3. Injury does not mean you should stop training completely

Work around injuries and find ways to keep progressing with your training.

 

4. Look after yourself

After a fight, of course celebrate BUT that doesn’t mean being out of the gym for long periods.  Always be ready for that call.

 

5. Don’t just train to fight, train as much as you can

The best of the best don’t just train for competition, they train to be a better version of themselves.

 

You can learn more from Kieran no matter where you are located in the world by downloading either of his two amazing full length instructional volumes “Southpaw to Orthodox - Elite Level Striking Evolved" and “How to Train Muay Thai - Developing Elite Fighters”.  Both of which are featured on the Warrior Marketplace.

 

 

Learn more about Kieran by connecting with him via his website or social media as listed below

 

• Website - https://www.kierankeddleacademy.com
• Instagram - @kierankeddle
• Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/KieranKeddleacademy

 

Insights with Tyler Wombles

 

 

What Holds People Back

1. Ego

99% of the male population already feel they know how to fight. A lot of times that ego slows the growth of students and fighters.  As they are being coached, they're not really downloading any of the information. They're not listening with intent. It can also drive them to do everything 100% speed and power. They don’t appreciate the need to learn small details and walk slowly through techniques.

 

2. Lack of consistency

I feel like this is one of the major things that hold people back. Any style of martial art is not something you learn over night. It's a life time of learning and growing, of trial and error. If you do not make it a mandatory part of your routine, you wont grow and reach your full potential.

 

3. Lifestyle

The type of lifestyle the martial artist lives outside of the gym is a key factor in growth. Partying in the club, drinking and doing drugs are not conducive for optimum development as a student or fighter.

 

4. Poor instruction

Research, research, research! Make sure the gym you choose is a good one. Don't buy into snake oil salesman in martial arts! Do your research and look into who you're learning from. They don't need to be a world champion but they should be a REAL martial artist.

 

5. Not having fun

if you're not having fun whilst training, then pick a different activity! Martial arts is supposed to be hard but even when it's difficult, it should always be fun. If you don't love what you're doing, you wont excel!

 

What Helps People Excel

1. Consistency 

2. Dedication

3. Healthy Choices

4. Taking Notes

5. NO EGO

 

Learn more about Tyler by connecting with him via his website or social media as listed below

 

• Website - https://classicfightteam.com
• Instagram - @classicfightteam
• Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/classicfightteam

 

Insights with Jean-Charles Skarbowsky

 

What Holds People Back

1. The need to win all of the time

If you win all of the time, whether as a result of a fight or as an imagined result of your sparring, you are not going to spend enough time reflecting on how to get better. Losing fights is par for the course. If you are challenging yourself with the correct opponents, you are going to lose at least now and again. In the gym, you should be working with the athletes and fighters who push you, not the ones whom you can dominate and win every exchange with.

 

2. Not listening to their coach

If you are training with a coach on a regular basis then you should have enough respect for him/her to listen to what they say. If this respect is missing then you should change gyms. Listening solely to your friends, family and those who say yes to everything will not help you develop in the long run.

 

3. Take fights

Fight in as many promotions and countries as you can. If you only fight in one promotion, it can sometimes limit the potential level of your opponents in many ways. If you are the champion of one, it is not a bad thing to be the unknown or underdog on another.

 

4. Let go of the past

When fights go against you or when you are going through a difficult time, don’t live in the past. Don’t cling to past victories and performances. By doing so, you rob yourself of the opportunity to be even better in the future. It is ok to have proof of the past and celebrate it, but not to the detriment of where you are able to get to going forward.

 

5. Progress is different for everyone

Progress means sometimes feeling like you are getting somewhere and sometimes feeling like you are getting nowhere. It is different for everyone at different stages of their life. In Muay Thai, the best progress is slow and done over the long term. Don’t seek quick fixes and don't expect to see massive jumps forward in skill over night. If you can, spend as much time as possible in Thailand, where it is often easier to fully immerse yourself into training.

 

Learn more about Jean-Charles by connecting with him via his website or social media as listed below

 

• Website - https://skarbowskygym.com
• Instagram - @jeancharlesskarbowsky
• Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/SkarbowskyGymParis

 

Balancing Ego

Although, as mentioned numerous times above, an inflated ego can be a hugely negative and potentially damaging thing when it comes to progressing in Muay Thai.  It can also be used in a positive light as well.  When healthy, the ego can be what helps an individual invest in whatever they are doing, show resilience when obstacles are met and remain motivated over the long term.  The key is finding the right balance.  As the old saying goes, train as if you have never won, and fight like you have never lost!

 

What do you think?

Do you think your ego (or that of one of your students/fighters) is holding you (or them) back? 

What do you think are common things that hold people back in training and what are the best ways they can excel?  

 

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