The muay thai vs karate debate has been a hot topic for decades in the martial arts world and combat sports.
This is a difficult debate to settle definitively.
However both arts have made significant contributions to the martial arts world and combat sports today.
In fact it was the debate of muay thai vs karate that resulted in the birth of the sport and martial art of kickboxing.
So both arts are revered and treasured for their contributions to martial arts.
This post will not look at which is better but more at how similar the arts are and how their hybridization and combination made history in martial arts and combat sports by creating the new style of kickboxing.
Similarities – Muay Thai vs Karate
Many of the other posts and articles out there on the web approach the karate vs muay thai debate by first looking at the differences between these martial arts.
So let’s look first at the similarities between muay thai and karate to get a better understanding of the two arts.
i) Both Focus on Unarmed Combat
Karate translates to English to mean ’empty hand’ with a focus on unarmed combat and self defense.
The origin of all forms of karate is believed to be from the Japanese Islands of Okinawa where ’empty hand’ self defense forms developed due the banning of weapons by mainland Japanese.
Muay thai also as primarily a ring sport is solely focused on unarmed combat.
Originating from Siam (old Thailand) muay boran or ‘ancient boxing’ originated from unarmed combat on the battlefield as well as in competition among Siamaese warriors to select the Kings Royal guards.
ii) Both arts are Stand Up Striking Styles
In comparison to the grappling arts such as Judo, BJJ or Gracie Jiu Jitsu and Sambo, both karate and muay thai are primarily striking styles.
The focus of karate and muay thai is to strike and inflcit damage and pain on your opponent through powerful punches and kicks, knees and even elbows.
However in muay thai the stand up grappling known as the muay thai clinch is used and is very developed with many techniques for striking in the clinch and defending the clinch as well as many takedowns, sweeps and throws.
Karate also utilizes stand up grappling with some forms also using joint locks and throws and other takedowns. However similar to muay thai, the fight stops once it goes to the ground.
iii) Both have their origins in much older Chinese and Indian arts
While karate has its origin in Okinawan fighting styles and muay thai is known to come from muay boran and Siamese fighting, the pre-history of Okinawan art Siamese fighting arts is thought to come from China.
In Southern Thailand where the old muay boran style known as muay chaiya is practiced, origin stories of muay chaiya state that the style was developed by the Chinese monk, Phor Than Mar who traveled to Chaiya Province and stayed in the village of Pum Riang.
According to the origin stories of Okinawan martial arts which precedes karate, the Okinawan fighting style originated from China.
As explained in a previous post about Chinese Kung Fu, the Buddhist monk Boddhidharma traveled from India to China with Buddhist scriptures.
When Boddhidhrama reached Shaolin he found the monks there in poor physical condition and taught them physical exercises based on Raja and Hatha Yoga which is then said to have developed into Shaolin kung fu.
In Okinawan legend a man from Okinawa is thought to have learned these systems while living in China and brought these back to Okinawa.
Kickboxing Born Out of Karate vs Muay Thai
Rawee Dechachai vs Kenji Kurosaki – 1963
1963 is the year when the muay thai vs karate debate was taken to the ring to be argued in a style vs style fight in Lumpinee Stadium, Bangkok.
There have been reports of earlier such fights between nak muay and karateka.
But the 1963 fight between the Thai boxer, Rawee Dechachai and Kyokushin karate co-founder and well respected figure in the art, Kenji Kurosaki has actual video footage and undeniable evidence of the fight.
The fight was won by the Thai boxer by elbow KO and you can see the fight below.
You will notice from the fight that Kurosaki used more grappling and body locks to take his opponent down.
This fight was actually very historically relevant as Kurosaki is said to have then gone on to train extensively in muay thai and take techniques from Thai boxing in combination with Kyokushin to develop a hybrid style which would later be known as kickboxing.
Kurosaki would establish the Mejiro Gym in Japan in 1969 and brought over Thai trainers.
Origin of Dutch Style Kickboxing
The Mejiro Gym and new kickboxing style was open to foreigners such as the Dutch man Jan Plas which would lead to the development of the Dutch style of kickboxing.
Plas would open a Mejiro Gym in Amsterdam in 1978.
This style was also studied and trained by Dutch fighters and would lead to the development of Dutch style kickboxing.
Tadashi Sawamura vs Samarn Sor Adisorn – 1963
A few months after the Bangkok fight between Kurosaki and Dechachai, history was again created when for the first time in Tokyo, Japan a Thai boxer would face a high level Karate black belt.
In this match (3rd degree black belt) Tadashi Sawamura faced top Thai fighter Samarn Sor Adisorn.
In this challenge, again muay thai came out on top with Samarn damaging and hurting Sawamura with heavy knees in the Thai clinch and finishing him with a heavy right hand late in the match.
The Tokyo fight shows a new style being developed in utilizing kicks and punches but without much of the thai clinch or use of elbows.
Sawamura would go on to train more of the Thai boxing techniques and become a star on the Japanese Kickboxing scene.
It was out of these early karate vs muay thai matches that the sport/martial art of kickboxing was born.
Karate vs Muay Thai – Summary
This post was not meant to answer which style is better or more effective but instead to show more the similarities between karate and muay thai.
However is the age old debate of which style is better that lead to the early karate vs muay thai matches in the 1960s which then has lead to the development of a completely new sport and style.
This new style known as kickboxing was born out of the karate vs muay thai argument and has taken the best techniques from both martial arts and created a new exciting and fast paced sport.
Furthermore from this debate new styles such as Dutch style emerged out of the karate/muay thai influence with many great matches and formidable martial artists coming out of the tough gyms in Holland, Japan and many other countries where kickboxing has taken root and become popular.
