Boxing vs Muay Thai.

**theatrain** · December 14th, 2005, 12:11 AM

My birthday is only a few months away now (March 3) and I was thinking about asking my family to get me a membership for some boxing lessons. I also like the idea of Muay Thai because as far as I knoww that combines boxing with a little leg work knees and elbows. I was wondering if I should just join Muay Thai right away so I get the best of both worlds. Will my instructor teach me everything I need to know about boxing and then get to the leg work and elbows? Or do you guys reccomend I should take some time taking boxing lessons at one place that specializes just in boxing and than after I feel comfortable with that move on to Muay Thai?.

I would like to hear from people that have taken lessons in Muay Thai, and boxing of course. Thanks for the info.

**g_samsa** · December 15th, 2005, 12:33 PM

I have not done Boxing, but I was a Muay Thai Instructor for several years and know a little something about that. Both boxing and Thai Boxing are Sports and therefore are governed by different rules. If you are a boxer competing in Muay thai then you will not have been taught to protect your legs. A boxing guy will also have some difficulty bobing and weaving. When he ducks his head he will likely find a knee or shin. But, having said that, A muay thai guy is not nearly as skilled as a boxer with his hands. If the boxer can overcome the above mentioned pitfalls then he will likely prevail because of his superior hands. My point in saying this is to tell you that if you are interested in the sport then you ought to stick to one or the other and not cross over. They are both great sports, but they are mutually exclusive.

Historically, in the west, it was considered unmanly to kick or use your legs in anyway. In the interest of sportsmanship everyone agreed that using the legs was a no no. Thus, the development of the hands is far superior (not even comparable) to any other martial art in the world. Not even Wing Chun and other similar martial arts can compete with the speed and accuracy acheived by boxers.

If you are going to use the sports as a meathod of self defense, then I would say that you can benefit greatly by both and should study as many other martial arts as possible while you're at it. Hope this is at least a little usefull.

Ajboost · December 27th, 2005, 05:32 PM

Great Info.

so-calBULK · January 23rd, 2006, 12:09 PM

muay thai lessons are the best investment i have made. ive also boxed for 2 years and i wouold have to say with muay thai you get the best of both worlds plus some narly ass clinch and knee skills. good luck in whatever you do.

**PowerHouse** · January 23rd, 2006, 12:25 PM

Never been in boxing, but been doing Thai for 7years now. I would do boxing first to get you into good shape. My brother is in boxing classes and has been for a few years now and it has whooped him into shape.

You will learn proper form and technique with your punching, and have good cardio after you have done boxing for awhile. Thai is something you dont need to just jump into without any other previous MA. You need to work on shin and elbow conditioning while your in boxing. Get a HEAVY bag,( i have a 300 muay thai bag) and work on high kicks, knees, work on the clintch, elbows, and punching.

china2 · January 24th, 2006, 09:07 PM

I practiced in this club
www.muaythai.com.hk

Lift4life · January 27th, 2006, 03:46 PM

You should train in both, with base training in boxing. In muay tai, ultimate fighting or in any martial artls matches there a more punches thrown than kicks and you should wanna a punch right.

kaiserkarlschneider · January 27th, 2006, 04:06 PM

I believe you should choose what you believe it will suit you most. Muay Thai uses both arms and legs, Like it has been said, it's mutually exclusive. Anyway, if you are a beginner, you'll go through some basic training for boxing in general whatever you choose. I don't know if it is possible for you but there are clubs that allow a free-trial lesson. Maybe it will help you make up your mind

Krafty · January 27th, 2006, 04:12 PM

Try Boxing to get you ready then get into Muy Thai

chicorage · January 27th, 2006, 07:37 PM

As was already mentioned, it really depends on what you want to get out of it. If you really have a strong interest in either sport than just stick with that. If you want to get in shape than pick either one and you'll certainly get it. Now if you're looking to defend yourself on the streets, then I would look for some MMA classes. That way you'll learn everything from wrestling, BJJ, Judo, boxing and Thai among others.

r2jdm · January 27th, 2006, 09:12 PM

muay thai is better compared to boxing. boxing has more foot work though

**CrazyCanuck** · January 27th, 2006, 09:13 PM

Personally I'd go with Thai Boxing over boxing because the extra use of knees, elbows and feet may help keep it intresting rather then just punching.

kaiserkarlschneider · January 28th, 2006, 09:15 AM

Just to add a detail, Boxing training is very good for building up your body condition, regardless of the fighting techniques.

Black Dog · January 28th, 2006, 01:32 PM

both styles are strong for conditioning, but the two focus on totally different things. Muay thai is much more traditional and most schools will have you learn all the customs before you step into a ring. With boxing, you usually jump right in.

In the end, they are both pretty effective fighting styles so it comes down to whether you want to use more parts of your body to fight, or just become really good with your fists.

**hayabusa0** · February 1st, 2006, 03:45 AM

I would try out both. I don't think it's a matter of thinking which discipline is better; they both have their pros and cons. Obviously in a MT fight between a kickboxer and boxer, the kickboxer will win. In a boxing match, vice versa.

Try out both. You should be asking yourself which one you'll like better and which art is best suited for you. And if you have the money, do both, mix in a little submission grappling, and you'll be ready to become an MMA fighter.

goudgezicht · February 2nd, 2006, 09:38 AM

I preffer boxing over Thai. That is mainly because where I live, only the less-openminded people do Thai. I've longed to do it for once, but I just don't like the people.

Boxing is a great deal of repeating techniques over and over again together with repetitive condition training. It might get too dull if you don't have a solid goal.

Sawyer · February 10th, 2006, 12:03 PM

I'd prefer Muay Thai over boxing. Its better, IMO, for your condition.
However, if you really need to defend yourself, grab an anatomy book (specifically about the bone structures) and join an Aikido club.

Mr. D. · February 10th, 2006, 08:16 PM

If you wish to combine boxing with kicks you may want to try Savate. La Boxe Francaise (sp?) combines a form of kickboxing with Western boxing for a well rounded fighting system. You would learn how to box and the kicks are effective as well. However, the most important thing in learning any art is to find a good teacher. The teacher is much more important than the art itself. So, if you can find a good Savate teacher in your area you might find exactly what you are looking for. Good luck. Mr. D.

**g_samsa** · February 11th, 2006, 02:25 AM

Sound's like nobody agrees on much here. I guess that's a good thing because if we did agree then we'd all be doing the same things and martial arts would be much less interesting. Imagine the martial arts world sans variety. Wouldn't that be booring? My point is that we all like to say our own martial art is the best (and to us it is), but without the others how would we ever enjoy our own as much. It's fun to match and compair, to play the "what if" game.

blackpetals · February 27th, 2006, 03:49 AM

Muay Thai is far the best. I like boxing too, but nothing compares to devistating strikes with the elbows and knees. I have been doing Muay Thai for over 3 years now and it's definately an intensive workout as well as great self-defense for the street. You should check out this gym in Fort Wort, TX. NEW WORLD COMBAT & FIGHTING SPORTS. This gym has all of what you're looking for. Boxing, Muay Thai, Ground Fighting, Close Quarter Combatives, MMA Training. The head Instructor is a well known Fairtex Instructor and traines Pride and UFC fighters, including Guy Mezger, Tra Telligman and others. He's really great, he'll get you to where you want to be. If you want to do it for the workout or to compete he can help you out. This is the best gym in Fort Worth.
Best of Luck