Is muay thai better than kickboxing?
To be honest I am a bit biased toward muay thai being better than kickboxing in more ways than kickboxing is better than muay thai.
But overall, the question of ‘Is muay thai better than kickboxing?’ is subjective.
And basically depends on individual preferences and goals. Both Muay Thai and kickboxing are striking martial arts that have their own unique characteristics.
But in this post I will explain why I think muay thai is better than kickboxing.
But also why in some ways (especially as a spectator sport and a faster paced combat sport) why I think kickboxing is better than muay thai.
I also get into why some styles of kickboxing are actually more similar to muay thai due to their origin coming from the same time and geographic region as muay thai in South East Asia. But they are called ‘kickboxing’ simply because they are not from Thailand.
Cambodian and Burmese ‘Kickboxing’
First it’s important to define kickboxing and muay thai and understand that there are styels of ‘kickboxing’ from the same region as Thailand where muay thai originates.
They are far more similar to muay thai than the modern day kickboxing that is a hybrid style of muay thai, Boxing, Karate and other styles that originated in the 60s and 70s, mostly out of Japan.
So muay thai is from Thailand.
Muay means boxing in Thai and Thai obviously refers to the country where it originates from – Thailand.
It is also known as Thai boxing.
But styles from Cambodia known as Khun Khmer and Lethwei from Burma/Myanmar are very, very similar to muay thai.
They all originate form the battlefield and today they are competitive combat sports very popular in their respective countries.
But these styles also differ from muay thai in their own unique ways.
Lethwei, also known as Burmese bareknuckle boxing is fought without gloves and includes head butts.
It is also called the Art of 9 Limbs due to the use of head butts in competitive matches.
Khun Khmer places less emphasis on clinching (which is a major part of muay thai) and more emphasis on spinning kicks than muay thai also.
So for the purpose of this article I will mainly be looking at kickboxing as in its modern form such as in K-1 or Glory kickboxing and even the modern style of Dutch kickboxing that is recognised in the world today.
Advantages of Muay Thai over Kickboxing
There are several advantages that Thai boxing has over kickboxing and we will look at the key ones below.
In these ways you could say that they do make muay thai better than kickboxing.
Clinching
One of the main advantages of muay thai over kickboxing is the clinch game.
Clinching is a major part of muay thai and can be a an important factor when deciding which combat style is better.
The muay thai clinch is probably the most developed and effective stand up grappling that can be found in combat sports today.
It is also very applicable to self defense situations.
Often kickboxing rules limit clinching to 5 seconds or less.
And the referee will break fighters up pretty much as soon as they begin to clinch up.
This also offers an advantage to kickboxers under specific kickboxing rules over muay thai fighters who specialise in the clinch game.
Elbows
Elbows are an extremely effective and deadly weapon that muay thai has very developed techniques for to execute and defend against.
Many kickboxing promotions and rules sets do not allow elbows in competitive matches.
So in this way muay thai is better as an overall fighting style and even self defense art in that it does include elbows.
And it goes deep into the elbow game.
This also makes muay thai favourable to train if MMA is your interest as MMA also allows elbows in competition.
Takedowns
As part of the muay thai clinch game and also catching kicks, takedowns are very useful and score highly in Thai boxing matches.
There are different throws, sweeps, dumps and trips which are part of muay thai.
And the majority are not permitted to be used at all in kickboxing matches.
This is another major advantage that Thai style has over modern day kickboxing in terms of combat sports and even self defense.
Again as takedowns are a major part of MMA, this makes muay thai very useful as part of a fighters MMA training program.
Kickboxing is Faster Paced
There is a reason why kickboxing is still a popular spectator combat sport.
Mainly because it is a fast paced style that obviously utilises kicks and punches.
This makes it far more exciting to watch for the majority of combat sports fans over muay thai.
The common way for Thai boxing matches to start is very slow paced.
Often the first 2-3 rounds are a slow feeling out process with even the judges placing more emphasis on scoring in the last 2 Rounds.
For Thai people who are used to and accustomed to such slow starts, this is fine.
But for Western audiences who want action from the get go – kickboxing is the preferred option to watch.
Spinning Attacks in Kickboxing
Thai style is known for powerful round kicks, clinch knees and clinch elbows.
Spinning attacks are not really used much at all in muay thai but due to the hybrid nature of kickboxing which includes aspects of Karate and Taekwondo, spinning attacks are used far more.
When landed with correct timing, spinning attacks such as spinning back fists or tornado type TKD kicks and even spinning back side kicks can result in brutal KO’s
Which is Better for MMA?
The short answer is, any MMA fighter should train both styles.
We have looked at the advantages that Thai style has including; the clinch, elbows and takedowns which are all important in MMA.
But also the fast paced combos and up tempo striking game is extremely useful for MMA.
And of course MMA includes spinning attacks which can be used to score knock downs and fight ending KOs due to their powerful striking force that is built up through the momentum of spinning and inleashing.
Which is Better for Self Defense?
From a purely self defense real life combat situation and not a ring sport, in my own opinion I would recommend muay thai.
This is because the clinch is a very useful strategy to tie up an attacker and nullify their punches as well as strike them with knees and elbows of your own.
And the clinch also sets up takedowns, throws and trips which are very useful in self defense situations.
Spinning attacks are very difficult to time and land and leave you open to an attacker especially if you miss.
Which is better for fitness/weight loss?
Both styles include a lot of emphasis on conditioning and strengthening and toughening up the body.
So both are very effective when it comes to fitness and weight loss.
And you do not have to fight or compete at all if you join a kickboxing or muay thai gym.
But becoming as fit as a fighter through the hard and effective training both styles offer you will lose weight and get in incredible shape with either of these two combat art styles.
