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[[ Muay Thai or Kickboxing ]] What is the better standup?

2K views 18 replies 11 participants last post by  MLS 
#1 ·
What is? I've always wondered, Could anyone help explain why one is better then the other, or is it like apples and oranges here?
 
#4 ·
I think it is like apples and ornges. To different styles although Kickboxing is an off shoot of Muay Thai. I pratice Muay Thai because I think it is better with much more of a varity of attacks then Kickboxing. Plus it is in my opion better for stand up if you are a MMA fighter or want to be a MMA fighter.
 
#7 · (Edited)
kick boxing isnt a style...its a sport...muay thai is a style within that sport

like for instance in wrestling theres folk style free style and greco roman, they are all wrestling, just different styles...

no if you said karate, savate, tkd, and muay thai...i could give a solid answer...which would always be muay thai because it is the only one that effectively delivers power using the proper weapons (the shins, knees, elbows, and hands.) also muay thai can have western boxing in it, where as karate, savate, and tkd all have pretty shitty hand games.
 
#10 ·
kick boxing isn't a style...its a sport...muay thai is a style within that sport
Muay Thai has been around for hundreds of years, kickboxing for about 50 and was based partly on MT.

In my mind as a "very general" idea of the differences, I would look at cro-cop and wanderlei silva. Cro-cop and myself fight almost exactly alike. He is obviously a kick-boxer, wanderlei silva is more muay-thai. Cro-cop fights from the outside, wanderlei fights a lot on the inside and uses knees etc.
It is you personal preference on how to fight - from distance or not. MT teaches you how to fight effectively in close range also - giving you more weapons to use.
 
#8 ·
Okay I would choose kick-boxing for myself and here the reasons why.

In kick-boxing I was taught out to fight from the outside and counter punching with footwork and bobbing/weaving. I am 6'4" with 81inches of reach and this style works great for the way I like to fight and my body type.

Muay-thai teaches power from the inside, and I can fight there to but I choose to not to.

In my mind as a "very general" idea of the differences, I would look at cro-cop and wanderlei silva. Cro-cop and myself fight almost exactly alike. He is obviously a kick-boxer, wanderlei silva is more muay-thai. Cro-cop fights from the outside, wanderlei fights a lot on the inside and uses knees etc.
 
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#11 ·
Muay Thai offers more "weapons" per say. I train in both and blend the two together the best I can.
 
#13 ·
The thing kickboxing helps me with really is fighting from the outside, which someone mentioned. Also their is more of an emphasis on the head kick in western kickboxing as low kicks aren't allowed. Take note that I study a more European style (Dutch).

Since the rules are so much different between the two it's not really fair to compare them. If you took a Muay Thai fighter and put him in a western kickboxing match he would lose most of his weapons and advantages. Where as if you took a kickboxer and put him in a muay thai match he would be overwelmed with the strikes that are allowed.
 
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#14 ·
Kickboxing = Punches and kicks above waist.

MT = Punches, kicks, elbows, knees + strikes below waist are allowed.

Just thought I'd clear that up.

Kickboxing is good if you want to kickbox, MT is good if you want to fight MT.

For MMA, I'd say MT is better. For self defense, I'd say MT is better.
 
#16 ·
Muay Thai is more effective. Since it allows for more techniques than kick boxing PLUS all the techniques from kickboxing it's logically more effective or equally effective.

Also, Cro Cop is a Muay Thai fighter in the aspect that he uses low kicks and clinch + knees. It's just that K1 doesn't allow elbows, and only one knee from the clinch and then you have to let go, so it's not very Thai-ish.
 
#17 ·
I suppose thats true. I have used the clinch with knees before as well. So I guess in that in only one single specific aspect I am also a Muay Thai fighter although Ive only had 3 training sessions and ive trained kick-boxing for years.

Seriously he is a kick-boxer.
 
#18 ·
sorry xeberus if no one told you wiki is a shit hole source....

again...kick boxing is a sport and not a style

Types of kick boxing include,
karate (several styles)
muay thai (several styles)
san shou (several styles)
tae kwon do
savate
then traditional k1 style

types of muay thai...traditional (kinda like kung fu) combat or sport style (thai land competition version, used in famed lampini stadium) dutch and european style. basic forms of muay thai, crocop is a european style muay thai practitioner sorry hes shown as a kick boxer by wiki, thats cuz he faught in k1. thai people use their legs more, europeans (and americans) took western boxing and added thai kicks, most of them arent as good at kicking though and are more stiff using less hip (crocop)

i dont know a whole lot about karate styles or tkd, generally more point based, and less strikes to the legs.
savate is cool but much less powerful than thai. and french
sanshou is a weaker traditionally weaker than thai in striking, but now alot of people use thai, boxing, and judo in san shou.
traditional sport thai allows knees and elbows, also you have to wear certain things and they play drums during the fight.
K1 is filled with muay thai fighters but doesnt allow elbows, k1 is kinda the standard for kick boxing events. most rules are based off theirs and most places dont allow knees and elbows because their more dangerous.

did i leave out anything?
 
#19 ·
Kickboxing is just a generalized name, it's only been used for like the last 50 years or something like that.
 
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