why muay thai?

[cfr]

My very limited MA experience is this:
6 months in a guys garage. A combination of kickboxing, bjj, judo,
and Jap jui jutsu. He moved away.
5 months Hapkido. Cant say I really beleived in it.
3 months Kenpo. Left due to foot injury that Im still recovering from.
So my question is:
Why is everyone here so partial to Muay Thai or boxing to supplement
BJJ? I posted a question regarding what to take in addition to BJJ a
while back and the response was overwhelmingly leaning towards these 2.
Im not looking to be in a UFC. My interests are purely self defense.
The hangup that Ive got with these 2 arts is they both have rules. Lots
of rules. I have been in a Kenpo school for a little while now and the
problem I have with it is forms. (katas) They seem like a joke to me.
But other than that I dig it. One of the instructors used to do real
fighting competitions back in the days when stuff like eye gouging
was still allowed. To be fair and honest, they do boxing drills 1 -2
times a week. Plus some wing chung. I like the manuverability that I
learn from the boxing drills and the close quarters stuff from wing chun.
Plus, the school owner has done lots of training with the likes of Ed Parker
and Dan Inosanto. I cant see people like this training in garbage. Does
anyone out there beleive in this type of training to supplement BJJ?
I also dont like the preset techniques of Kenpo. But dont all styles
have those including BJJ?

[GrdStorm]

Most people reccomend Muay Thai to complement BJJ because Muay Thai is simple, easy to learn and DEADLY at stand up.

Muay Thai is more about conditioning your body and making it into a total weapon. For instance in traditional Muay Thai they condition your shins to be extra tough, similar to a club or bat.

Muay Thai is so simple yet it has range attacks (Round House, Foot Jabs) and close quarter attacks (Boxing, Knee strikes, elbows) that can take anyone down from any style. Even a Wing Chun guy I know admitted that a Muay Thai guy would be a tough opponent even when hes fighting a Wing Chun type of distance.

Muay Thai is probably one of the best stand up styles but if your comfortable with Hapkido and Kenpo then its up to you. Whatever you feel works for you.

[Fighter]

BJJ is great for learning groung fighting. They say 90% of fights go to the ground.

To supplement BJJ I would definatly go with JKD. JKD is a very simple effective style that incorperates all MA. Muay Thai is also effective and great for conditioning.

BUT

I would just do a Muay Thai course learn some of the conditioning training and apply that to your current training schedual.

[GrdStorm]

ehhhh JKD isn't really a style, people have a big misconception.

Jun Fan and JKD are not really styles, its really a fighting philosophy in which you take what is useful out of a style and add it to your arsenal. Whatever works is what JKD is about.

If oyur talking about JKD, your better off learning for traditional wing chun first.

[Fighter]

I know JKD isn't a style (check other forums youll see) its just easier to say style.

And you are correct. JKD is much better if you have learnt a traditional MA first.

That was Bruce's biggest regret. He wished he didn't have a name for it. Because the name Jeet Kune Do already means it another MA style.

Bruce was a great man indeed my mentor infact.

C ya.

[GrdStorm]

He was your mentor??? so u met him and trained with him and everything???

Yeah Bruce Lee was one bad ass chinaman

Wing Chun people always say that he probably would have been content with Wing Chun if he kept up with his study with Yip Man. He had to develope his own style to compensate for what he did not complete in his WC training.

[Fighter]

I was born after Bruce Lee died, sadly.

By mentor I mean I look to him for inspiration. I own all his books seen all his movies. Every day I wake up see a poster of him and are instantly inspired to train.

He was the greatest. And I one day want..... NO WILL be compared to the likes of him in the MA community.

C ya.

[GrdStorm]

I got one of the originial printings of the Tao of JKD (mah uncle's)



I don't know what that has to do with anything but its kool

[Fighter]

He spent years and year of research to write that book. I think it the best MA book Ive ever read.

And you got an original print thats sweet.

Some styles teach supposed "deadly" tactics but, of course, you cannot pressure test your skills with proper fighting training.

Others teach skills that may be a little more sports orientated. But you CAN pressure test them.

You can only apply techniques in a real situation that you have pressure tested properly in the training arena. Simulated attacks and defences, no matter how "deadly" the technique you are learning is, just do not cut it.

That is why I would recommend Thai over Kenpo. That is why I would recommend BJJ or Judo over more traditional Japanese Jiu Jitsu.

[nasigoreng]

I think one of Thai boxing's underestimated tools is the clinch. If you can clinch well, you won't be the one going to the ground.

Why don't you check out a Muay Thai school? or maybe Krav Maga (I hear they offer some 'realistic'-combat training) ? Go out and do your own research= isn't that the spirit of JKD?




Who cares what everyone else is doing? If you find something good, enjoy!

[cfr]

Others teach skills that may be a little more sports orientated. But you CAN pressure test them.


What I dont understand thought is the enthusiasm with so many for Muay Thai with the abundance of rules it has. Obviously I see its HUGE value or I wouldnt even be considering it. Im aware of its strong points. But Im also aware that I would be training to follow the rules. From what I hear people fight how they train. So how much sense does it make to train with rules???

When rules allow full power kicks, knees and punches to the head you will find there is plenty scope for street application.

Also many people still train in the use of the elbow. Their fitness is incredible, and the use of the clinch is very good too.

Don't ge me wrong, I would still recommend that a person learns how to fight on the ground as well. But if you want to learn realistic techniques i a realistic way, Thai Boxing is easily one of the best striking styles. And they prove it in the ring.

[Fighter]

These are the MA people should start training in, These are in my mid the most effective MA around:

Jeet Kune Do
Muay Thai
BJJ

These styles should all be practised all them time, also I would recomend in having a good home gym. And attend all MA seminar coming your way.

One should be come toatlly fanatical with their training. Thats what I do, Im striving for perfection though. Many pople out there are very different to me.

[GrdStorm]

Yes Muay Thai has rules but the bottom line is it is much like boxing where it has rules but if you take the gloves off you can knock someone into acoma

Muay Thai like a lot of modern MAs uses a lot of sparring to teach the person how to react against pressure and act ina real fight. Although it is not exactly like a real fight, its closer than going katas and crap like that which will get you no where.