Is Muay Thai Kickboxing?
The term kickboxing is a bit confusing. It stands for a group of martial arts that mix punches and kicks together, and it is also a fighting system on its own that emerged in the 1950s. When speaking about it, you should always have in mind that kickboxing stands for two things. But is Muay Thai kickboxing then?
The simple answer is yes, BUT Muay Thai is kickboxing because it falls into a group of martial arts that mix punches and kicks together. But at the same time, it also differs a lot from kickboxing as a combat sport. This is the main reason why people mix these two terms with one another. Saying that Muay Thai is Kickboxing is both true and false. Let’s find out why.
In this article, we will focus on how Muay Thai and Kickboxing as combat sports differ from one another.
What is the difference between Muay Thai and Western Kickboxing?
The biggest difference is that Muay Thai uses 8 limbs as weapons, while Kickboxing uses 4 limbs. Fighters from both styles can strike with kicks and punches. But Muay Thai adds elbow and knee strikes on top of that. And, the other difference is that Muay Thai allows fighting in the clinch from which fighters can take the opponent down using trips and throws.
Emphasis and strategies
Muay Thai fighters can use all limbs as weapons. But the emphasis of the art is on throwing hard kicks from the distance and fighting in the clinch. The main goal is to throw each kick with a lot of power, close the distance, and pull the Thai clinch from which you can do damage with elbows and knees. Punches, on the other side, are not that important. They use them just to punch their way in, or set up kicks.
Kickboxing, on the other side, is a mix of karate kicks and western boxing techniques. The emphasis is on pressure, hand strikes, high volume of strikes, and finishing each combo with a low kick. Fighters tend to utilize more footwork and head movement than Muay Thai fighters and use knees only to strike the body (K-1).
Rules
Muay Thai rules are very simple. Matches have 5 rounds with each round being 3 minutes long. There is a 2-minute rest between the rounds and fighters compete in a square ring. They can strike with kicks, punches, knees, and elbows.
Kickboxing rules differ a lot between organizations. We have full contact, semi-contact, K-1, and many other variations of the rules. But in most, the matches look quite similar to Muay Thai. The only difference is techniques as kickboxers can’t use elbows, fight in the clinch, or knee strikes (except for K-1).
Muay Thai vs Kickboxing For MMA
Muay Thai and Kickboxing are both present in modern MMA. In some way, you can’t succeed in cage fighting without at least basic skills from these two arts. Still, it’s fair to say that Thai boxing plays a much bigger role as it is more versatile than kickboxing.
MMA is a combat sport where fighters compete in all three elements. They fight in the standup, grapple and wrestle in the clinch, and fight on the ground using chokes and joint locks. To cover all the aspects, athletes need to be experts in at least two different arts like BJJ or Muay Thai, or wrestling and boxing.
When it comes to striking, Muay Thai is often seen as a total package as it teaches you how to use all limbs as weapons. It trains you to fight at all ranges, and most importantly for MMA, to fight in the clinch. You won’t get far in the game without knowing how to, at least defend in the clinch. Sooner or later, someone will expose your lack of Thai boxing skills, and it would be a very painful experience.
Kickboxing, on the other side, is also good for MMA. It is the best when it comes to mixing kicks with the punches, and actually better than Muay Thai in some areas. Kickboxers tend to have better footwork and head movement for instance. But the lack of clinch is what makes Thai boxing a better option when it comes to MMA.
Muay Thai vs kickboxing for fitness
Muay Thai and kickboxing are both great options if you want to improve your fitness, lose weight or get in top shape. You really don’t have to think too much about which one is better for you as both burn a lot of calories. If you commit yourself to classes, expect to get in top shape after just a few months of training.
Training in both styles is a mix of anaerobic and aerobic workouts. The focus is on endurance and grueling cardio workouts, but you will do a lot of strength training as well. You won’t develop big muscles as you can do with weight lifting. But on the flip side, you will look lean and ripped and develop twitch muscles.
Muay Thai and kickboxing burn a lot of calories per class which makes them a popular option among average people who want to lose weight. For instance, one study has shown that a single Thai boxing class burns around 800 to 1000 calories. Take these numbers with a grain of salt, as the exact number depends on many factors like your weight for instance. But overall, it burns the same number of calories as running for instance. And the same stands for kickboxing as these two workouts are very similar.
Muay Thai or Kickboxing for self-defense
Muay Thai is typically a better option when it comes to self-defense. Kickboxing is not bad by any means, but Muay Thai fighters have more weapons at their disposal. The more weapons you have in a fight, the better the chances are you will win the fight.
The entire concept of Muay Thai revolves around power and it has probably the biggest damage per strike ratio. This is crucial because street fights are no matches in the ring where you can win a decision. No, it is a chaotic brawl where you must focus on finishing the fight as fast as possible. You never know whether the attacker has a weapon, or their friends may decide to jump on you.
The best Muay Thai weapon for self-defense has to be the famous “Thai clinch”. You see, most self-defense scenarios include grabbing and pulling at close range. With Muay Thai, you will know how to use this situation to pull the clinch. This position enables them to throw strikes, and it allows you to unload with a barrage of elbow and knee strikes.
But if you think that Muay Thai is too brutal, don’t worry, kickboxing is great too. Every technique you learn in kickboxing works in real life and can help you stay safe and out of trouble.
Is Muay Thai better than kickboxing?
Which one is better comes down to your personal preference and what you want to achieve with your training. Overall, it’s fair to say that Muay Thai, as a more versatile style, is better than western kickboxing in many areas. This doesn’t make kickboxing a bad option by any means, and you should go for it if you like it without any question. Still, this is why we give a slight edge to Thai boxing.
Muay Thai is clearly better for self-defense because it trains you to fight in the clinch. It also teaches you how to maintain your balance, and throw the opponent down using trips and throws. It covers the same aspects as kickboxing but adds more skills to it.
The same stands if we are talking about MMA fighting where Thai boxing has emerged as the best striking style. Again, it is the clinch that makes it better than kickboxing, and of course, powerful kicks. But even if you come from a kickboxing base, you can easily pick up the basics of the clinch and do well in MMA.
And when it comes to fitness, we give a slight edge to kickboxing. Yes, Muay Thai burns a lot of calories and will get you in shape in a record-breaking time. But kickboxing classes are more beginner-friendly and less intensive. Average people who are not into fighting will enjoy kickboxing classes much more than Muay Thai, that’s for sure.
