While Kickboxing and Muay Thai do have some common elements, there are several notable differences.
What is Muay Thai?
Muay Thai is a martial art that focuses on dealing powerful blows using punches, elbows, knees, and kicks. The leg kicks are designed to damage muscles in opponents’ calves and thighs. Elbows are used to cut open an opponent, and using clinch to both control a fight while delivering knees and elbows and to limit damage you take in. Muay Thai uses more offensive techniques.
What is Kickboxing?
Kickboxing incorporates kicking and punching to create combinations with a lot of footwork and movement of the feet and head. Some of the best kickboxers are extremely fast with their combinations and light on their feet. They circle and advance with ease. They use punches to set up kicks and vice versa.
Similarities
Muay Thai and Kickboxing are both martial arts with strategic footwork and setups. Both arts provide a competitive edge in today’s mixed martial arts world. Many fundamentals are taught in both such as weight shifting and evasive tactics. They both share some techniques like a roundhouse kick, but implementation varies. For example a jab, every martial art has some form of it, just adapted to the style of fighting.
Differences
- 8 vs 4 Point Striking System
The most common difference between the two sports is Muay Thai is an 8 point striking system that uses kicks, punches, elbows, knees, and clinching. Kickboxing is a 4 point striking system that involves punches and kicks only.
- Stance
Another major difference is the way the fighters stand. Kickboxers stand with their feet shoulder width apart and with one foot stepped back so that the feet are right angles to each other. The other leg is relaxed and the majority of the weight is on your back foot while maintaining the same angle. Muay Thai fighters stand with feet shoulder width apart, with your hips relatively square to your opponent. They do not stand sideways like kickboxers.
- Technique
Muay Thai fighters are taught to be more patient, to look for openings following an opponent’s strikes. Counterattacks are more prevalent in Muay Thai. In comparison to kickboxing, there is much less head movement, circling, and weaving.
Kickboxers tend to be very active with hands, angles, and movements creating a volume of combinations. Muay Thai fighters are looking for the perfectly timed single strike.
Kickboxers tend to be more defensive using angles and footwork to set up attacks while in Muay Thai you see more forward motion and counter-attacks.
The School of Striking at High Altitude Martial Arts incorporates elements of both martial arts in our striking classes. We have combined both arts to create a unique and one of a kind striking program that has elevated mixed martial artists games around the world. Come check it out!
