Muay Thai VS BJJ is a common discussion within the martial arts.
This is probably because both Muay Thai and BJJ represent the best from their respective specialties when it comes to combat.
BJJ is probably the best to learn for grappling for self defense and compeition and Muay Thai is probably the best to learn also when it comes to striking involving more than just the hands i.e boxing.
In my opinion martial arts compliment each other really well and are a great combination to learn together.
In addressing the question of muay thai BJJ as martial arts you should learn together, you should ask yourself is why do you want learn these martial arts?
Learning Muay Thai or BJJ
Whether BJJ or muay thai, if you want learn to be a high level competitor or champion then I would suggest you really seek out classes and teachers that you can train in person with.
To compete at a high level at either muay thai or BJJ would definitely take many training sessions and a lot of sparring.
However if you’re keen to learn to keep learning and growing as a martial artist (without concern for competition) then muay thai and BJJ are great to learn for anyone at any level.
But to be a World Champ at either muay thai or BJJ would take single minded focus on one or the other.
If MMA is your game of choice then of course focusing on both is a must.
But for the everyday person who wants to learn both separately this is also totally doable and also a really excellent combination without even considering training or competing in MMA.
Muay Thai VS BJJ – Similarities
1. Both are Combat Military Arts in Origin
Brazilian Jiu Jitsu or Gracie Jiu Jitsu came from Japanese samurai battlefield fighting systems. After being brought to Brazil the Gracie developed the art and today is known as BJJ or Gracie Jiu Jitsu.
Muay thai also developed as the unarmed system of fighting form the Ancient warring kingdoms period in SE Asia.
Muay thai ancient fighting system is known as Muay boran.
2. Both make use of clinching and upper body grappling
The clinch game in muay thai is highly developed and Thai fighters train and spar the clinch every training session. Specialized clinch and knee fighters are known as muay khao.
Similarly BJJ uses a clinching and upper body grappling especially in stand up.
Controlling the opponents head, neck and arms to manipulate their movement into bad positions are major parts of both muay thai and BJJ.
3. Both Muay Thai and BJJ are Major Parts of MMA
Due to the effectiveness of both muay thai and BJJ, they are both crucial parts of an MMA fighter’s game and training/learning.
Whether learning them to use their effective techniques in competition or to be able to defend against their effectiveness – both BJJ and muay thai cannot be left out of MMA.
Muay Thai Vs BJJ – Main differences
1. Striking
The major difference of course in Muay Thai VS BJJ is striking.
In BJJ competition such as that organized by the IBJJF, striking is not allowed.
These forms of competitions focus on grappling and can be done with or without the gi depending on the tournament.
The common them is that striking is not allowed in any typicall BJJ compeittion.
Combat Jiu Jitsu developed by Eddie Bravo did seem to be a viable BJJ striking contest but has not seemed to take off.
In combat Jiu Jitsu striking is allowed on the ground but not standing.
Of course muay thai focuses primarily on striking with all 8 limbs to great effectiveness including in the muay thai clinch.
2. Fight Stance
In grappling such as BJJ or Judo the power side is forward.
In striking arts like muay thai and boxing the power side is always at the rear to be able to generate power.
The power side is at the front in grappling to be able to have a strong defense against onward attacks such as takedowns and grapple entry.
Regarding muay thai stance – the upper body in muay thai is more upright but with shoulders hunched forward and chin down.
In BJJ the shoulders are also raised in fighting stance but the posture is lower to the ground.
3. Ranking Systems
BJj takes a very traditional approach to ranking systems and employs belt rankings from white to black belt and progressing to further degrees of black.
These ranking systems that are employed by Karate, TKD and BJJ actually originate from Jigoro Kanos Judo belt ranking.
Ranking systems in gyms in Thailand do not exist as such as traditional gyms in Thailand focus on competition and Championship belts.
Outside of Thailand however ranking systems similar to BJJ have developed to reward and encourage students to continue to make progress.
What makes muay thai bjj a good combination?
In the world today it is generally accepted that some of the most complete martial arts fighters out there are MMA athletes and especially those competing in top promotions such as the UFC.
It is also accepted the mixed martial arts means exactly that, learning different styles and having several different tools in tour toolbox in terms of martial arts and fighting techniques.
As such both muay thai and BJJ rather than Muay thai VS BJJ are included as part of any MMA fighter’s training and learning.
Below are some of the reasons I believe muay thai and BJJ go well with each other.
1. Muay thai BJJ compliment each other as martial arts and for self defense
In actual sparring or fighting, muay thai’s long range weapons such as teeps (front kicks), round kicks and straight punches allow you to keep and judge distance with your opponent.
And while you may also get the knockout it is more likely the fight will go to the ground in a fight with MMA or no rules.
If you go to the ground unexpectedly or you can use your grappling to take the fight to the ground when you need to.
This is where you can utilize your BJJ to control positions on the ground and eventually submit your opponent or escape and run away to safety in real life fight.
2. Both the muay thai and BJJ have credible online resources you can learn from safely and effectively
There are many online resources for learning both muay thai striking and BJJ from which you can learn and improve.
This is especially so for someone in a similar situation as me where there are no gyms or teachers in my country for either muay thai or BJJ.
Overseas travel for the most part is quite expensive. Apart from flights there is accommodation and food as well as the training fees you need to budget for.
For those who are focused on one martial art but want to learn a bit of the other through online learning and solo home training some excellent resources such as gracieuniverisyt.com and nakmuaynation.com for BJJ and muay thai respectively.
Why muay thai bjj may not be the best combination to learn?
We have looked at reasons why muay thai and bjj are a great combination but why might they not be so great to learn and train together?
1. They both take a long time to master
Generally it takes about 10 years to obtain a black belt in BJJ.
If you love BJJ and focus purely on BJJ then I think adding in another martial art such as muay thai could take away from your development in BJJ.
We each only have limited time and it is really difficult to keep the wheels spinning in several areas in our personal lives.
If your aim to is to become a master in one or either of the martial arts then perhaps cross training may not be the best idea for you.
Muay thai itself takes many, many hours of daily practice to become proficient in.
However in terms of the home learner and solo trainer, there is a lot more you can practice solo within muay thai than BJJ.
But either way both martial arts take a long time to master and if your goal is to become a master then it may be better to master that art first before cross training different arts.
However if you just want to be a well rounded fighter overall or perhaps you are looking at getting into MMA at some stage then it would be wise to cross train. Accept however that you will become proficient in certain techniques from each art but maybe not a master in that art.
2. Learning these arts cost money
If you are lucky enough to have both gyms and instructors for muay thai and BJJ in your area then you will soon find that attending both gyms and taking classes will end up costing a bit of money.
This will end up costing money and time in terms of travelling to both gyms and paying for lessons and gradings as well as equipment such as shin pads, gloves as well as a gi for BJJ.
If of course there is an MMA gym in your area then even better as you can spend time at one gym training your MMA and striking and grappling martial arts together.
Overall pursuing the martial arts can be a expensive exercise and when trying to learn both muay thai and BJJ and to gain some degree of proficiency in each will cost you in terms of receiving instruction and grading.
In the end however if you can afford it I think it is more than worth it to learn martial arts.
Conclusion
To sum up and answer the question from my own perspective and opinion, “Is muay thai BJJ a good combination to learn?”. I would say definitely yes!
I have discussed a couple of pros and cons of learning these two martial arts, especially with respect to someone who learns mainly from home training solo.
At the end of the day it really depends on your goals. As someone who trains both mostly outside of a regular gym, they compliment each other really well.
For someone interested in MMA both are needed.
