Muay Thai and Joe Rogan

[A Muse of Fire]

I watch MMA much more than kickboxing or MT, and I've noticed that what Joe Rogan calls " Mauy Thai" is very different than what happens stadium fights in Thailand.

Also, as far as I know, there were no fighters from Thailand in the UFC. So why and how how did MT become so associated with MMA?

 

[nakmuayw]

What is very different from your perspective?

Ofc there will be much higher quality and a different game in thailand but it's pretty much the same idea, except for the level of knowledge and obviously the need to adapt to the ground game...

 

[B4NK0]

Anderson Silva

and IMO, the kick and elbow techniques are more useful than TKD, Karate, and such

 

[OliverAtom]

Almost every mma camp has a muay thai coach or a coach that has atleast practiced or studied muay thai at some point. The influence of MT in MMA seems pretty clear.

Its mostly because of the rules. Knees, elbows, kicking the legs, 8 point striking system, even clinches and throws are legal. All these make MT ideal for MMA.

 

[Pleb]

Of course it's going to be different that what you see in an actual Thai fight. There are a number of different factors in MMA. Just like the BJJ you see in the UFC varies from what you'd see at Grappler's Quest.

 

[Cocakillbana]

It's the way clinch fighting is called that is annoying. Anytime someone gets a double collar tie it's referred to as the "Muay Thai clinch" as if that's what you're going to see in Muay Thai fight. When you see clinching that is more like what is in Muay Thai he calls it a modified Muay Thai clinch, or some shit like that. And it's not just Rogan, it goes for basically every MMA announcer and most MMA fans.

 

[Julius_Caesar]

There was a video out a couple years ago interviewing Jon Jones about Greco Roman wrestling vs MT Clinch and the use of the clinch in MMA and then he turned around and said, "if someone grabs behind your head with both hands then they'll get taken down". Just from that comment alone you can tell what most of the MMA world perceive as the MT clinch which is some watered down western version because REAL MT clinching is way more then just grabbing behind the head and throwing knees.

 

[TonyK]

Many people and schools have different interpretations of what Muay Thai really is. Ask Dutchmen, Belarussians, Thais, Brazilians and Americans to show you Muay Thai and chances are you're gonna see 5 different things.

 

[0rpheus]

I watch MMA much more than kickboxing or MT, and I've noticed that what Joe Rogan calls " Mauy Thai" is very different than what happens stadium fights in Thailand.

Also, as far as I know, there were no fighters from Thailand in the UFC. So why and how how did MT become so associated with MMA?

1. Joe Rogan trains bjj and stand up quite a bit but his knowledge of Muay Thai is heavily skewed towards mma. He's not a great source of knowledge for pure Muay Thai. So, take what he says with a grain of salt.

2. Muay Thai in the stadiums doesn't have to deal with takedowns or submissions because of their rules so the style naturally looks different. Muay Thai can be adapted very well for mma however as Jose Aldo and Anderson Silva demonstrate. They are only mid level Muay Thai practitioners at best.

3. Thais don't transition to mma because they don't have an established grappling/wrestling/mma scene. It would be a big risk and lose money for the gym to push a fighter into mma.

4. Also, the country is becoming more middle class and fighting is looked down on as a lower class endeavour. Soccer is super popular now for all Thais and the number one sport. MMA would have a hard time becoming popular.

 

[Snubnoze707]

Just the other night him and Brian Stan we're going on about how the Muay Thai kick always has a step which makes it slower than a TKD style kick. I've seen Thai style kicks thrown from stand still, jumping in the air, on a back peddle, exiting the clinch, etc... A lot of generic generalizations about Muay Thai from the MMA perspective.

 

[ironfist05]

1. Joe Rogan trains bjj and stand up quite a bit but his knowledge of Muay Thai is heavily skewed towards mma. He's not a great source of knowledge for pure Muay Thai. So, take what he says with a grain of salt.

2. Muay Thai in the stadiums doesn't have to deal with takedowns or submissions because of their rules so the style naturally looks different. Muay Thai can be adapted very well for mma however as Jose Aldo and Anderson Silva demonstrate. They are only mid level Muay Thai practitioners at best.

3. Thais don't transition to mma because they don't have an established grappling/wrestling/mma scene. It would be a big risk and lose money for the gym to push a fighter into mma.

4. Also, the country is becoming more middle class and fighting is looked down on as a lower class endeavour. Soccer is super popular now for all Thais and the number one sport. MMA would have a hard time becoming popular.

MMA is actually banned in Thailand because it is perceived as threatening to the cultural tradition of Muay Thai.

Rambaa sombdet is the best known Thai in mma. He's considered the GOAT at 115 lbs.

 

[Yodsanan]

MMA is actually banned in Thailand

It's not.

 

[A Muse of Fire]

I guess what I'm wondering is why specifically Mauy Thai is seen as more relevant and connected to mma than kickboxing.

Why is every fighter that throws leg kicks introduced as a Mauy Thai fighter and not as a kick boxer?

 

[Tankeray]

Just the other night him and Brian Stan we're going on about how the Muay Thai kick always has a step which makes it slower than a TKD style kick. I've seen Thai style kicks thrown from stand still, jumping in the air, on a back peddle, exiting the clinch, etc... A lot of generic generalizations about Muay Thai from the MMA perspective.

this

 

[VicariousVice]

Dont listen too Joe, he thinks Kevin Ross is a high level Muay Thai fighter and that Lion Fight is the cream of the crop, lol.

 

[0rpheus]

I guess what I'm wondering is why specifically Mauy Thai is seen as more relevant and connected to mma than kickboxing.

Why is every fighter that throws leg kicks introduced as a Mauy Thai fighter and not as a kick boxer?

Just ignorance. It's not malicious or anything. There are very few good Muay Thai trainers in the US. I can think of MAYBE 5 gyms that train authentic Muay Thai.

The rest mix western boxing, kick boxing, various karate styles, and even Taekwondo to varying degrees of lesser success.

Hence the massive confusion about what Must Thai is.

 

[Harukaze]

It's just like how Joe Rogan calls any hip throw a "harai goshi". I just don't understand how that guy has kept his jobs for so long for being such a moron.

That, and I'll never forgive him for ruining "The Man Show".

 

[VicariousVice]

I guess what I'm wondering is why specifically Mauy Thai is seen as more relevant and connected to mma than kickboxing.

Why is every fighter that throws leg kicks introduced as a Mauy Thai fighter and not as a kick boxer?

It's probably because of guys like Wanderlei, Shogun, Anderson etc having done so well in the striking department in the past. Even though apparantly Chute Boxe started using TKD, or so Ive heard.

 

[VicariousVice]

It's just like how Joe Rogan calls any hip throw a "harai goshi". I just don't understand how that guy has kept his jobs for so long for being such a moron.

That, and I'll never forgive him for ruining "The Man Show".

The guy is a black belt in BJJ, so he does have some knowledge, I've always thought that they needed to bring in a striking commentator. Maybe a Wrestling/Judo one too. Just a guy who trains in multiple striking arts(Boxing, Kickboxing, Muay Thai, Karate) and is familiar with the intricacies and theory and one for Wrestling/Judo. Get rid of Goldie, the guy is only there because of his voice, he brings nothing to the discussion.

Maybe once the striking gets alot better they'll try and find someone who knows what hes talking about. A guy who understands Boxing, Kickboxing, Muay Thai, Karate etc. and make him a third commentator, like what Boxing has. I hope that happens one day.

 

[Snubnoze707]

The guy is a black belt in BJJ, so he does have some knowledge, I've always thought that they needed to bring in a striking commentator. Maybe a Wrestling/Judo one too. Just a guy who trains in multiple striking arts(Boxing, Kickboxing, Muay Thai, Karate) and is familiar with the intricacies and theory and one for Wrestling/Judo. Get rid of Goldie, the guy is only there because of his voice, he brings nothing to the discussion.

Maybe once the striking gets alot better they'll try and find someone who knows what hes talking about. A guy who understands Boxing, Kickboxing, Muay Thai, Karate etc. and make him a third commentator, like what Boxing has. I hope that happens one day.

Rogan spent all of his teen years doing Taekwondo competitions. He comes from a striking background. BJJ came later in his life.

He doesn't have a Judo background, so it's kind of rediculous to call him a moron for not knowing every techniques name.