Quote:
|
Originally Posted by fo2sh
can anybody please tell me whats the difference between KICKBOXING and MUAY THAI and which is better to train....or should i go with BOXING as it is better at street fights
|
Hey Fosh, muay thai is a type of fighting from Thailand. Its techniques are simple, but effective. It is also a sport practiced like boxing held in a ring except fighters can kick, strike with their knees, wrestle from the clinch (when two fighters grab each other), punch and strike with elbows. Full contact muay thai is very dangerous so class sparring is done with light to moderate contact emphasizing speed and technique. Knee and elbow strikes can devistate a person. You can strike anywhere in muay thai except the groin, throat or eyes.
Kickboxing comes from a form of full contact karate fighting developed from American karate instructors during the 70's. The hand techniques are all borrowed from boxing, but the kicks come from tae kwon do, karate and kungfu. Kickboxing generally keeps all strikes above the waist and has limited clinching. Its still a challenging sport, but has more rules than muay thai.
In the 90's people started cross training in boxing and muaythai with great success. Some pro-boxers are picking up muay thai really well and will make superior stand up fighters, like Shannon Briggs. Some thaiboxers train in boxing to improve their hand speed, defense and mobility and have begun competing as boxers like Lucia Rijker and Chuck Liddell (before UFC).
Generally speaking muay thai fighters are tougher than kickboxers because of the differences in techniques and rules, but they are both well conditioned athletes. I have seen some American boxers who are extremely tough who can rock muay thai fighters with their punching power and intensity. Whether you take muaythai or boxing, you will be in good hands.