What do you think is better.

[Fighterkid15]

Im trying to figure out what to train in. Which is better, Muay Thai or just regular kickboxing, and why?



Thanks!

[mushinmaster]

Depends. What do you want?

[Ice Phoenix]

Fighterkid15, I've been wondering this myself!

To extend the question if I may, what form of Kickboxing is best for real-world self-defense, Western, Thai, or Burmese (Bando)???

[Biker]

If you have the option available to you, go with the Bando. Bando and Muay Thai are very similar, but Muay Thai is more sport oriented, although is incredibly adaptible for self defense and will provide you with more than you will need to thoroughly destroy most opponents as well as toughen you physically and mentally. Bando incorporates things like attacks to the back of the head, which generally are not seen in Muay Thai. They are similar but different.

In my opinion Western kickboxing is very limited. No lower leg kicks, no use of knees or elbows all of which are devastating when used.

Either Muay Thai or Bando and you can't really go wrong.

[Tim Mousel]

Kickboxing or muay Thai - definitely muay Thai. The addition of leg kicks, knees and elbows make it more devastating than kickboxing.

Tim

[Fighter]

Ill have to agree with Tim. Muay Thai is much better, much much better. MT allows many more techniques to use. It will help you prepare your self better in a real world confronation.

[Ice Phoenix]

Any more opinions about Bando?

[Fighter]

Im sorry Ive never heard or seen bando in action so Ill have to leave that up to the others. But I'll try to fing some info and give you my opinion later.

Any sites, books etc people recomend?

[terry]

Re: What do you think is better.

Originally posted by Fighterkid15
Im trying to figure out what to train in. Which is better, Muay Thai or just regular kickboxing, and why?

As Ajarn Chai says, "Learn every martial art you can."(1) Then you decide. Your answer may even change over time. But don't waste your time trying to answer the wrong question. 'What is the best art?' isn't a very productive question to pursue. Why not try a better question, such as: 'When and where does each art and/or training method have maximum efficiency?'

Muay Thai is an excellent way to produce good standup fighting skills through a short, intense period of training. But it is also a sport that has rules (generally against things that work) to protect the safety of the participants.) However, the modern ring sport of Muay Thai isn't the only Thai art that is out there. The Thai hill tribes up near Laos and Cambodia have arts that are very efficient. And in the South there is Pattani Silat, which, true to its geography, has influences of both Bersilat and Muay Thai. You can also look back in time to arts like Muay Boran. You may at first think that the low stances of Muay Boran are useless...until you realize that those guys were stepping over dead bodies on a bloody battlefield. All you have to do is look around a little and there is plenty to find. As an example, I ran into a guy one time, a former Rajdamnern champion, named Songserm Sudangnoi. This guy, now in his 60s was using finger jabs off his elbows, cutting the tool and throwing with the efficiency of a silat expert.

I haven't seen all the animals, but from what I have seen I think Bando is an excellent art. Boar bando has some things that are quite similar to Muay Thai. The round kick from bando that I was trained in has a lot of power. It it kind of a cross between a half-knee-half-shin kick and a straight knee #2. But it is a near vertical kick as opposed to the horizontal position of most Muay Thai kicks. To my experience a Muay Thai guy will not be familiar with this line.

Terry

(1) This statement, properly understood, means to dive into an art and get good enough at it that you get to have an opinion. Try a minimum of five years.

[Fighter]

Good post terry. Another way of putting it is "The fighter makes the style, not the other way around". But if I had the choice of the two I would go with MT.

[yungsmoke]

were can i find information about Muay Boran? i've never heard of this art

[terry]

Originally posted by yungsmoke
were can i find information about Muay Boran? i've never heard of this art

Give me about a week to respond to this. Much of my reference material is in boxes while I am on vacation (new carpets--long story). Anyway, I have some source material that you may find interesting, and I'll post it. Thanks for your patience.

Terry
Web site: www.thaiboxing.com

[Fighter]

Im looking forward to this information all so, Ive never heard of Muay Boran it sound good