Is muay thai better than boxing?
You have probably asked yourself this question and wonder which would be the better fit for you.
Looking at which style would win in a street fight (out of pure curiosity) is fairly subjective.
But if you are looking to learn fighting and combat for fitness, self defense or to comepte than than question of which is better – muay thai or boxing is a valid one.
At the end of the day the quesiton of ‘is muay thai better than boxing’ really depends on the individuals needs, goals and even location and access to training facilities and instruction.
But if time and circumstances permit, training both muay thai and boxing would be ideal.
But if the focus is to compete, whether amateur or pro level in either combat sport, then really time probably would not permit too much cross- training.
But a muay thai fighter who competes regularly stands to gain more from training in boxing than a boxer who also competes a lot, would gain from training and learning muay thai.
Is muay thai better than boxing to learn?
This really depends on the individual as to which is better to learn and train.
But for the most of the world population, boxing gyms and trainers are far more accessible than muay thai gyms and trainers.
This is because boxing has been an Olympic sport for a long time and is popular as a means for self development, discipline and self defense all over the world.
Muay thai has really only become popular around the world more recently.
And the UFC and growth in popularity of MMA ha splayed a role in this as well.
So for most people who are seeking out a gym and trainers to learn from and for partners to train with – boxing is more accessible than thai style boxing around the world right now.
But if you are fortunate enough to live in a country or area where muay thai is available then it is likely that boxing is also available and you may as well train both (unless as we discuss further down in this post you want to compete – it may be better to focus on one).
Which is a better fit for me?
The best way would be try both out and see which one you like better.
Or which one fits your needs better i.e self defense or whether or not you want to compete at amateur or pro level.
If self discipline, conditioning and self development is your goal, both styles can help you achieve this also.
Body shape, current conditioning level and age really do not matter too much if you are looking to get started in either style.
But there are important points to consider in terms of style and techniques.
Boxing primarily focuses on punches, with the goal of landing effective strikes on the upper body and head of the opponent.
Muay Thai, on the other hand, utilizes punches, kicks, knees, and elbows, making it a more versatile striking art.
Clinching and Grappling: Muay Thai incorporates clinching techniques, which involve holding the opponent in close quarters, using sweeps, knees, and elbows to gain an advantage.
In boxing, clinching is generally broken up by the referee, and the emphasis is on footwork and head movement to evade punches.
Ultimately, the choice between Muay Thai and boxing depends on your personal preferences, goals, and what you enjoy.
If you prefer a more diverse range of striking techniques and the inclusion of kicks, knees, and elbows, you might lean towards Muay Thai.
If you are more interested in the art of punching and defensive skills, boxing might be a better fit.
It’s worth noting that some individuals even choose to train in both disciplines to benefit from the strengths of each.
Which is better for self defense?
As a self defense style, muay thai probably has a lot more going for it than boxing.
And if self defense is your primary goal for learning either boxing or muay thai, then muay thai would be the better option.
And for the following reasons:
i) Clinching : clinching is a major part of muay thai and is very useful in a street fight or self defense situation as it allows someone to negate another persons aggressive attacks through closing the distance.
Boxing also includes climnching and can also negate attcks.
But the muay thai clinch game is far more superior and also includes knees and elbos strikes form the clinch as well as takedowns which is the next reason why muay thai is better than boxing for self defense.
ii) Takedowns : putting an attacker on the ground is an effective way to gain advantage or even end a fight. And takedowns are a well developed area in muay thai as well.
Especially takedowns from the clinch which includes sweeps, trips, dumps and even throws – all of which give muay thai an edge over boxing in self defense.
I have a whole post discussing the question of Boxing vs Muay thai for self defense you can read further if you wish.
If you compete then just choose one – unless…
If you are focussed on competing and fighting either amateur level or pro or even with aspirations to become a champion, then focussing one; either boxing or muay thai is the best option.
Choose one style and focus on it.
Unless you choose to focus on muay thai.
In which case it pays to dedicate some time in your training with a focus on boxing.
This can really benefit your muay thai game.
In fact, some of the best muay thai fighters of the ‘Golden Age’ were also boxing champions including Samart, Somruck and Sagat.
And if you choose to focus on muay mat style (heavy boxing/low. kick focus similar to Dutch style) then boxing is an obvious area to focus on.
But if comepting in boxing is your primary goal, then training and learning muay thai would not be of too much benefit and can take away time and focus from your boxing training.
Who would Win in a Style vs Style match Up?
In a pure street fight it is difficult to say who would win.
And it would be based on the individual fighter’s experience (in street fighting), heart/determination, conditioning, athleticism and a whole host of other factors.
And really a trained boxer can end a fight quite easily with one well time blow on the chin of an opponent.
The same could be said for muay thai who also throw punches as well as fight ending elbows, head kicks and knees.
So a muay thai fighter really has more weapons available to them to use in a fight.
And this is pretty obvious when you look at some of the thai vs western boxing matches which were fought under kickboxing rules in the video below.
The low kick is a dangerous and useful weapon that a boxer really is not prepared for when it comes to these kinds of style vs style match ups (note that these fights did not allow elbows or clinching for the most part).
