Training both Kyokushin and Muay Thai at the same time?

[BigInJapan]

I'm thinking of starting kyokushin, question is does it mesh well with muay thai? Like will I find consistency between the two arts or will it be difficult for me to go from muay thai to karate in the same week?

 

[OHNO]

What level is your MT?
Why are you thinking of starting Karate?
I don't think you will find much consistency or meshing between the two arts. but if you have a solid MT base you might be able to pick up a few tricks to add to your arsenal. If you're a MT noob I'd stick at it for awhile to solidify the basics and make sure you don't pick up any bad habits.

 

[OHNO]

edit: double

 

[RMMaryport]

Why mix two different fighting styles? Stick with your Muay Thai, if you do both you will pick bad habits, as they dont go hand in hand, for example, MT with your light front leg doesn't agree with Karate stepping heavy on your front leg?

See what I mean?

 

[zombiejitsu***]

MT> Karate. Especially for MMA if that's what you ultimately want to do.

 

[LEGS MAHONEY]

face palm

 

[Toxteth]

You can mix the two, but I would suggest if you do I would treat them as completely different entities and don't try and mesh the two too much until you're getting pretty good. Kyokushin is great for conditioning though so I personally don't think it would do too much harm, have one as your base, and one as supplementary training.

 

[shinkyoku]

MT and kyokushin karate works pretty well together, and they combine just fine.

The formal karate training is very different from what you do in MT, but once you start sparring, or break out the bags&pads, the differences is mostly just rules&equipment (no head-punches or clinch vs gloves & no sweeps). The techniques and attitude is very similar. MT has better elbows&punches against the head, and a better clinch.
Kyokushin has better body-punches, better bareknuckle skill, sweeps, and a greater variety of kicks.

Having said that, training two styles at the same time usually means slower progress in each.
If you are not already accomplished in MT stick with it for a while longer before you start to crosstrain.

When you do, check with the instructor of the kyokushin gym. If you are polite about it, there is a chance he may allow you to get into the heavy duty fighting with the advanced guys quicker, rather than have you dominate your fellow newbie whitebelts.

 

[ssdd]

I dont know about traditional competition Kyokushin but my MT instructor knows kyokushin and the style of leg kick is very damaging, you kind of drop your weight on the leg at a downward angle instead of just whipping it like a bat. Its painful

 

[LEGS MAHONEY]

As long as you have a good solid base in whatever art you started with there is nothing wrong with adding something else down the road. Personally i think the whole theory that a lot of arts don't mesh together is nonsense Alot of people simply think this because they dont have a actual understanding of the arts people ask about on here AND they are so rigid in their training they can't tailor anything new to their arsenal because they are too robotic in their methods.

 

[LEGS MAHONEY]

yes that downward kk kick does look quite painful!

 

[panamaican]

My opinion:

If you have a solid base in MT already, go ahead and cross train. The usual argument against training two different arts is that you need to focus on fundamentals early in your training and too many differing approaches will slow you down. But if you're past that, go ahead.

I also think every art meshes pretty well with every art. Once you get past the stage of thinking about how to do techniques and leaving your thinking to strategy, you can start incorporating everything out there. As far as switching mindsets in the middle of the week is concerned, it's entirely dependent on how mentally flexible you are but if you can't switch hats during the week, you definitely can't switch during the fight either. I train two different places and I haven't had a problem changing hats on a day to day basis, if anything I focus better in class and on technique because of it. But I know what my main art is, so mentally the other stuff is supplemental, it gets less time out of class, less extra reading, etc.

 

[Daido_Juku]

may i ask what ur reason for training both is? it seems like u could just spend all that time to focus on one

Pls. Read.

 

[Boxer123]

Anderson Silva trains in Muay Thai, Boxing, Tae Kwon Do and Aikido, don't listen to anybody who says cross training in a TMA is useless, especially a legitimate and ferocious art like Kyokushin. I have been Thai Boxing for close to 6 years now and as of tomorrow i'm going to start training Kyokushin Budokai, as long as you have strong fundamentals in your first/"base" art, anything else you do will just be extra tricks/moves that you have added to your arsenal that your fellow Thai Boxer probably won't have. I say go for it!

 

[spookon3**]

I dont get this kyokushin " downward kick" that people are talking about, how does it differ from a muay thai kick, someone inform me. Is there video of it, im thinking about starting kyokushin when the summers over as well.

 

[shinkyoku]

I dont get this kyokushin " downward kick" that people are talking about, how does it differ from a muay thai kick, someone inform me. Is there video of it, im thinking about starting kyokushin when the summers over as well.

They are talking about the "Brazilian"kick (called so after a few brazilian kyokushin fighters brought it out from being a obscure variation to a mainstream competition version). It has several names in Japanese but is usually called Tate kubi geri, tate kubi mawashi geri or something similar.
It is not like you cannot find it in other styles/arts than kyokushin/knockdown karate, but it has become something of a trademark kick.

Here it is taught by Shinkyokushin star fighter Norichika Tsukamoto
YouTube - Norichika Tsukamoto show "the Brazilian kick"

Here it is taught by Ademir DaCosta (formerly kyokushin fighter, now founder of Seiwakai karate in Brazil)
YouTube - Seiwakai - Mae Mawashi Kubi Geri - Kancho Ademir da Costa
He shows a couple of other kicks too, but you will soon se which it is.

Brazilian kyokushin fighter Glaube feitosa (once a student of Ademir DaCosta) used a front leg version to great effect in k-1
YouTube - Glaube Feitosa Highlights

 

[Bennosuke]

Since KK shares many techniques with MT, it can certainly aid your training. Some aspects such as no face punches may make training frustrating and may even be detrimental to your MT training. However, you won't learn how to throw shovel punches anywhere better than a KK dojo.

Also, I don't think A. Silva currently trains in Aikido or TKD, I think he did those as a kid

 

[shinkyoku]

Also, I don't think A. Silva currently trains in Aikido or TKD, I think he did those as a kid

offtopic, but actually Silva said in a recent interview that he still trains TKD. Even though it is no longer a major part of his training, he still go training in his old dojang whenever he can find time -although mostly just for the fun.

 

[Bennosuke]

That's kinda funny/cool! It would probably be good training for his kicking speed :icon_chee

 

[Boxer123]

Since KK shares many techniques with MT, it can certainly aid your training. Some aspects such as no face punches may make training frustrating and may even be detrimental to your MT training. However, you won't learn how to throw shovel punches anywhere better than a KK dojo.

Also, I don't think A. Silva currently trains in Aikido or TKD, I think he did those as a kid

He still does TKD sparring/incorporates some kicks from TKD into his arsenal and was just training in Aikido with highly ranked Steven Segal. The point is a true martial artist will not just dismiss a martial art, they will find what works for them and apply it to their arsenal.