Which MA's best compliment Western Boxing?

[Boxing Master]

What do you guys think which styles best compliment a Boxer?
Depends on a person's personality, but in terms of theory.

Striking styles
American Kickboxing
Muay Thai
Karate(Shotokan, Gojo-Ryu, Shorin-Ryu, Kempo, etc.)
Kung Fu(Shaolin, Wing Chun, Choy Li Fut, etc.)
Tae Kwon Do
Tang Soo Do
Ninjitsu
Other striking arts

Grappling styles
Jiu-Jitsu(Brasilian, Gracie, Traditional Japanese, etc.)
Aikido
Judo
Wrestling(Freestyle, Greco-Roman, Sambo, Submission, etc.)
Other grappling arts.

[thaibxr]

if you are saying what style would make you a better all round fighter learn some kicks and a lot of grappling/submission. you dont really need any other stand up if your already a decent boxer probobly just need to learn take down defense and escapes.

[old skool dude]

I think western boxing is an excellent empty hand art, but for self defense, needs to be modified for the streets. palm heel strikes, and finger jabs/flicks need to be used in place of jabs and crosses to the HEAD (close fist strikes to the body are fine) and also palm hooks/slaps to the HEAD in place of hook punches to the head. You can certainly do damage to the head area by punching but, you run the risk of breaking your hands by using them to strike to the head.
A good compliment to boxing would definitely be thai boxing. Thai boxing has proved it's effectiveness and needs no introduction. Thorow in some filipino empty hand techniques, and a throw or two, and you've got yourself a pretty effective means of defense.

[_Peter_]

I'd suggest a grappling art like BJJ or Sambo for work on the ground to complement your prowess with your hands and something like muay thai so that you can gain good knowledge of how to best implement knee, elbow and kicks. This will all be invaluable to you in the world of MMA.

[toshiro]

You wanted to know which would be the best to help your Boxing? Or which was the best to help you out with something else, like SD or something? I'd say Muay Thai or Filipino boxing if you were talking about improving your boxing. Both would help develop things that would be helpfull in the ring, mostly at close range though.

[Yaberdaber]

I would say the best choices for me in mixing in western boxing would be to first master kicks by TKD, then grappling by judo or aikido, then weapons, probably sayoc kali or some filipino kali art, and top it all off with a little weight training.

[Hwa Rang]

Boxing Master, If you are looking for a martial art that will make you a better boxer I would definately say Wing Chun as this is very good with the hands. It would give you more power in your punching becuase it is internal. It would give you better defence because it has energy asorbtion and redirection. Your attacking would benefit in general from Wing Chun because you attack and defend at the same time in it.

To better your street fighting I would say Wing Chun again as it will teach you some devastating low kicks and give you the benefits mentioned above. You would also get taught how to use 2 butterfly knifes and the long pole. If you want a complete arsenal for fighting, you would need to learn grappling ie BJJ but you can't be on the ground with multiple opponents so its not a absolute must.

[Ikken Hisatsu]

what? why would a boxer want to learn anoter art that focuses on hand strikes?

also, im not sure mixing thai boxing and boxing is such a great idea. while it adds more to the mix, the mechanics of a boxing punch are slightly different to that of a thai boxing punch. enough so that it will confuse your body. I would say stick with boxing and learn a few elbow strikes (not hard) and take up a grappling art. for a boxer judo would be good to work from the clinch.

[Thai Bri]

Theres some awful advice on this thread. Why learn a different striking art, especially one with different principles to the one your already studying? And learning Aikido for kicks is like telling someone to buy a horse in order to teach them how to fly a plane.

Boxing is great. Put it with BJJ or Judo and wou'll be a far better fighter than just about everybod else you meet.

[ddrive]

what? why would a boxer want to learn anoter art that focuses on hand strikes?
also, im not sure mixing thai boxing and boxing is such a great idea. while it adds more to the mix, the mechanics of a boxing punch are slightly different to that of a thai boxing punch. enough so that it will confuse your body. I would say stick with boxing and learn a few elbow strikes (not hard) and take up a grappling art. for a boxer judo would be good to work from the clinch.

Wing Chun isn't simply about hand strikes. It develops your sensitivity, hand trapping, and focuses on using more of the body when you do strike. if you combine the intense training of boxing and wing chun tactics..

If a person decides to train in thai boxing, he doesn't have to punch the way thai boxers punch. He can incorporate what he's/she's learned from boxing, and focus on the various kicking techniques/tactics.

For the ground, Judo and JuJitsu. From what I've seen of Judo (it seems like they constantly work from the clinch), and JuJitsu works most of their tactics once they reach the ground. So I hope that my advice helps out!

[Ikken Hisatsu]

"If a person decides to train in thai boxing, he doesn't have to punch the way thai boxers punch. He can incorporate what he's/she's learned from boxing, and focus on the various kicking techniques/tactics."

you missed the point. the way you move in thai boxing dictates the way you punch. it is PHYSICALLY IMPOSSIBLE to punch in the same way as a boxer when you throw leg kicks into the mix. sure he doesn't have to punch the same way but all the training he does IS going to conflict. he won't be able to spar using boxing punches against other thai fighters unless he wants a permanent limp. now, for self defense, this is much less of an issue. how often do you see someone try and kick another persons legs out in a streetfight?

as for the boxing+wing chun, sure it might help a SMALL amount (if you find a good teacher). but boxing with a grappling art will make you a much more rounded fighter.

[Tom Yum]

[QUOTE=Ikken Hisatsu it is PHYSICALLY IMPOSSIBLE to punch in the same way as a boxer when you throw leg kicks into the mix. sure he doesn't have to punch the same way but all the training he does IS going to conflict. he won't be able to spar using boxing punches against other thai fighters unless he wants a permanent limp. [/QUOTE]


Not really. There are some K-1 fighters and Thai fighters, that are good boxers as well - Ernesto Hoost, Albert Kraus, Ramon Dekkers, Micheal McDonald, CroCop etc.

Ernesto Hoost is the king at putting together devastating punches and low kicks.

[Ikken Hisatsu]

yeah. I too can punch well. but I have practiced both boxing and thai boxing, and they do conflict. its just that thai boxers cant put as much weight on the front leg.

[Tom Yum]

True. The stances are generally different as well, being that the boxing stance is generally lower and that you are encouraged to move your head alot more defensively; doing so too much in Muay thai opens up a kick to the head.

You obviously need to be carefull if you're going to use alot of boxing against a muay thai fighter, since being lower brings you closer to knee kicks and makes you easier to clinch.

However, if timed right, a good boxer could keep pressure against a muaythai fighter at punching range; provided he can defend thigh kicks too.

[Uber_Tap]

I agree with Thai Bri, add grappling to your skill set. The best pure striking arts in my opinion are MT and Western Boxing, and you apparently have already studied boxing so you should be fine on your feet. If you hit the ground you need to be able to defend yourself there as well because even somebody that was an average high school wrestler will give you fits if you have no idea of what to do on the ground.

Judo probably isn't a terrible idea if you can't find a BJJ or Sambo school around you, but you don't need Wing-Chun or any of the other striking art. Good boxing beats good old school stand up MA. You train full speed and full contact at boxing and they don't. There are some exceptions, but they are few and far between. I'm assuming you are asking what to add that will help your self defense skills, and I don't see how you can pick another striking art over adding a ground game. People are just pushing their arts on you.

Go to a bjj school just a few times to see what you think. I figure you will be suprised at how vulnerable you are when you leave your feet.