Muay Thai or Boxing?

[Staring At Fate]

Either way I'm going to to take them both but I'm going to a fighting GYM and I'm not sure what too start training in first. What would be more effective to know in fights?

 

[Borb]

Muay Thai= Punches, Kicks, Elbows, Knees
Boxing=Punches

For street fighting, I'd suggest Muay Thai just because of it's pure versatility.

 

[RuDOWN4It]

Boxing for sure, if you want to fight MMA or learn to defend yourself in a street fight. Boxing has better footwork period. I took a couple of my friends who train MT to a boxing gym to check it out, the first thing they said was "wow look how that guy traps another guy in the corner of the ring, you never see that in MT."

The point is, in MMA or street fight, you can't be standing on just your back leg like most MT fighters do. If you learn the footwork of boxing, you'll learn how to get in positions, control your opponent, and move him the way you want to. If you want to get in to MMA eventually, the boxing stance is also better for sprawling and defending takedowns.

 

[WAND3RL3I S1LVA]

Boxing for sure, if you want to fight MMA or learn to defend yourself in a street fight. Boxing has better footwork period. I took a couple of my friends who train MT to a boxing gym to check it out, the first thing they said was "wow look how that guy traps another guy in the corner of the ring, you never see that in MT."

The point is, in MMA or street fight, you can't be standing on just your back leg like most MT fighters do. If you learn the footwork of boxing, you'll learn how to get in positions, control your opponent, and move him the way you want to. If you want to get in to MMA eventually, the boxing stance is also better for sprawling and defending takedowns.

uhh... wait a minute. i almost disagree with everything.

boxing might have better footwork, ok

but in MT, do you not trap guys in the corner?

and how is boxing better for sprawling? boxing stance leaves your lead leg way close for a grappler to attack, whereas MT you're more square with your opponent making it easier to sprawl imo.

MT is overall better for an MMA transition, as it focuses on greater diversity on strikes.

plus MT has at least some clinch work (thai plum) which again, is pretty useful in mma/street fights.

my 2 cents.

 

[RuDOWN4It]

uhh... wait a minute. i almost disagree with everything.

boxing might have better footwork, ok

but in MT, do you not trap guys in the corner?

and how is boxing better for sprawling? boxing stance leaves your lead leg way close for a grappler to attack, whereas MT you're more square with your opponent making it easier to sprawl imo.

MT is overall better for an MMA transition, as it focuses on greater diversity on strikes.

plus MT has at least some clinch work (thai plum) which again, is pretty useful in mma/street fights.

my 2 cents.

In MT, you can trap a guy in the corner, but the strategy is not used as often as it is in boxing. Boxing guys move a lot more in the ring, therefore cutting off the ring is something you are constantly doing.

Sprawling is easier in boxing, at least in my opinion, because boxers have a lower center of gravity. Boxers have to bob and weave, so their stance is lower. Whereas MT'ers stand almost straight up since they don't really have to duck their head for much.

I definitely agree that clinching in MT helps a lot in a street fight. But if you let someone get in that close on you in a street fight, chances are someone is already knocked down/out.

 

[Pro Killer]

In MT, you can trap a guy in the corner, but the strategy is not used as often as it is in boxing. Boxing guys move a lot more in the ring, therefore cutting off the ring is something you are constantly doing.

Sprawling is easier in boxing, at least in my opinion, because boxers have a lower center of gravity. Boxers have to bob and weave, so their stance is lower. Whereas MT'ers stand almost straight up since they don't really have to duck their head for much.

I definitely agree that clinching in MT helps a lot in a street fight. But if you let someone get in that close on you in a street fight, chances are someone is already knocked down/out.

You really don't know anything about Muay Thai do you??? Firstly theres no reason that people don't trap another person in the corner in Muay Thai I do it all the time.
I will agree with you that Boxing has better footwork, Thats probably true but people can be trapped and stalked in Muay Thai as well.

I don't know which is better for sprawling as both aren't designed to defend the take down, Especially boxing as there are Throws in Muay Thai you have to defend with mainly balance, I'd say the average MT v Boxer being shot at by a Wrestler, The MT guy will do better because purely these days, Most people who train MT will do some MMA, Atleast more than most ppl who do Boxing.

Your last setance makes no sense, Its very easy to get in that close on an untrained person and block what they have and then clinch/ knee the fuck out of them.


TS: For a start it's a dumbass question to post to be honest because people who train Boxing will say do Boxing and people who train Muay Thai will say Muay Thai.
My 2 Cents:
If this "fight" you are talking about is on the street then do Muay Thai as it's very easy to break your hand in a streetfight on someone's head so if you do Boxing and you land a one two with someone's head down, You've fucked up your knuckles and there still infront of you, If your going to use Muay Thai, Then you can kick their legs, which really fucks untrained people up, clinch in close and elbow/knee. E.g. your less likely to injury yourself.

If this "fight" is meaning an MMA match then both have their advantages, Both are very effective and you have to pick what style you wish to use!

 

[thirteen]

What would be more effective to know in fights?

If you want to fight in a boxing match, learn boxing.
If you want to fight in an MT match, learn MT...

 

[Lachlan]

Both. Muay Thai absorbed a huge ammount from western boxing back in the day so they have long held similarities. Boxers tend to have better footwork and hands and use angles better, Kickboxers tend to have more utility, the clinch game is a lot more evolved, kicking obviously, with good movement you can dictate the distance of the fight very well. Both are great. Regular sparring against both sets of fighters can only equate to improvement. I always had an interest in both sports, so i learned both. If you manage it correctly and use your brain it's very easy to get a good flow between the two skillsets.

 

[DrBdan]

In MT, you can trap a guy in the corner, but the strategy is not used as often as it is in boxing. Boxing guys move a lot more in the ring, therefore cutting off the ring is something you are constantly doing.

Sprawling is easier in boxing, at least in my opinion, because boxers have a lower center of gravity. Boxers have to bob and weave, so their stance is lower. Whereas MT'ers stand almost straight up since they don't really have to duck their head for much.

I definitely agree that clinching in MT helps a lot in a street fight. But if you let someone get in that close on you in a street fight, chances are someone is already knocked down/out.

It's not so much that MT fighters don't have to duck their head (a MT fighter could duck under a hook) but rather that it's a bad idea to duck since you can easily duck into a knee. You don't have that threat in boxing so you can bob and weave with less to worry about (though you could possibly duck into an uppercut). If I'm going to duck under a hook I've been taught to crouch with my legs so my body is more upright, keeping my head further out of danger.

Of course this also just highlights one of the differences between boxing and Muay Thai. Muay Thai often has the attitude of "take a shot, give a shot" so there is less emphasis on avoiding a strike and more emphasis on taking the shot so you can hit back.

To answer the TS: do you have the opportunity to try both? If so, try them both and go with whichever one you enjoy more. There's no point in picking one because someone on Sherdog said it was "better" if you don't enjoy it.

 

[Skrewloose]

Boxing is a great base.

 

[Pinoy Badboy**]

Both. Muay Thai absorbed a huge ammount from western boxing back in the day so they have long held similarities. Boxers tend to have better footwork and hands and use angles better, Kickboxers tend to have more utility, the clinch game is a lot more evolved, kicking obviously, with good movement you can dictate the distance of the fight very well. Both are great. Regular sparring against both sets of fighters can only equate to improvement. I always had an interest in both sports, so i learned both. If you manage it correctly and use your brain it's very easy to get a good flow between the two skillsets.

Interesting post. Question, do you ever train both at the same time? Or go back and forth between sports?

 

[Pinoy Badboy**]

Wow the Muay Thai guys are out for blood in this one.

Btw TS, this is an undending arguement. No clear cut answer for ya here.

The bottom line would be to just pick what you like, or the better gym in general, then sharpen up on the other stuff later.

Or if ya got the time and money do both.

 

[caelitus]

I would say it depends on your background. If you never took karate or kickboxing when you were younger then it's going to take that much longer to get good at Muay Thai in my opinion. Boxing will probably give you more instant gratification.

 

[Slamurai]

I don't think Muay Thai is too effective in Canada... Ever try to land a head kick to a guy, while wearing winter boots and treading through ice and slush?

 

[Pinoy Badboy**]

On the other hand, Surprise rape in can....nevermind this isn't the OT.

Boxing is sweet, simple and to the point as far as a basic way to defend yourself IMO.

 

[pailum117]

How many times do people have to ask this question? Op, if you want to be a boxer learn boxing. If you want to do mma why in the blue $%@* would you only learn boxing??? Boxing is very, very good when either boxing or supplemented with muay thai. MMA is FULL CONTACT, NO HOLDS BARRED FIGHTING; meaning people will be kicking you, kneeing you, elbowing you and trying to take you to the ground as well as punching you; only one of which boxing teaches you how to handle. And think of it this way in all the MMA promotions how many top contenders who only use boxing? They don't, because planting 60% of your weight on your lead leg and turning your side to your opponent isn't terribly bright when someone is kicking your legs with the force of a MLB player swinging a baseball bat, and wrestling you to the ground. I'm not even saying you need to learn Muay Thai; learn boxing with Kyukushin, or boxing with sanda, or boxing with shotokan, or even boxing with Tae Kwon Do. The point is if you don't learn to deal with kicking/kneeing/elbowing/grappling you are almost guaranteed to get tooled

 

[swirldog]

What's better? Apples or oranges?

 

[Straw_Dog]

Apples.

 

[Pinoy Badboy**]

no oranges, because they have better takedown defense.

an apple would get taken down and pounded out by a banana with ease the way they stand.

 

[uppercuts21]

How many times do people have to ask this question? Op, if you want to be a boxer learn boxing. If you want to do mma why in the blue $%@* would you only learn boxing??? Boxing is very, very good when either boxing or supplemented with muay thai. MMA is FULL CONTACT, NO HOLDS BARRED FIGHTING; meaning people will be kicking you, kneeing you, elbowing you and trying to take you to the ground as well as punching you; only one of which boxing teaches you how to handle. And think of it this way in all the MMA promotions how many top contenders who only use boxing? They don't, because planting 60% of your weight on your lead leg and turning your side to your opponent isn't terribly bright when someone is kicking your legs with the force of a MLB player swinging a baseball bat, and wrestling you to the ground. I'm not even saying you need to learn Muay Thai; learn boxing with Kyukushin, or boxing with sanda, or boxing with shotokan, or even boxing with Tae Kwon Do. The point is if you don't learn to deal with kicking/kneeing/elbowing/grappling you are almost guaranteed to get tooled

Jesus Christ.