Many fighters make the transition to muay thai after spending time in the boxing gym. Does that mean muay thai is better? Can muay thai beat boxing?
As combat sports and ways of self-defense, muay thai and boxing each have unique strengths and weaknesses that can make it an even match.
This article will discuss whether muay thai can beat boxing.
Can Muay Thai Beat Boxing?
In an open street fight with no rules, it depends. Street fights end quickly and don’t go on for 3-minute rounds.
If each fighter is in the ring fighting under their own rules, again it depends.
To understand why, we have to look at the strengths and weaknesses of both boxing and muay thai, relative to each other’s techniques.
Strengths of Muay Thai
Unlike boxing, muay thai teaches fighters to throw kicks and elbow strikes.
In addition, muay thai fighters are familiar with boxing techniques. Many fighters start out with boxing and then decide to transition to thai boxing.
Two key strengths of muay thai against a boxer are:
- Knee and Elbow Strikes
- Ability To Aim For Legs
Knee and Elbow Strikes
First, muay thai fighters can use knee and elbow strikes.
This will keep a boxer out of close range and clinches.
Boxers tend to use level changes and head movements like rolls and slips to avoid punches. However, these movements will put a boxer in range for a muay thai fighter’s knee strikes and kicks.
To take advantage of this strength against a boxer, a muay thai fighter should fight in close range and use knee strikes whenever the opponent drops his head low.
Ability To Aim For Legs
Next, in a muay thai match, fighters have the ability to aim for legs.
Leg kicks and getting an opponent off balance is essential to training muay thai.
Against a boxer’s bladed stance, a muay thai fighter should focus on attacking the front leg at mid-to-long range.
Doing this will discourage the boxer from getting too close and landing strikes.
Weaknesses of Muay Thai
On the other hand, muay thai still has weaknesses like any other martial art, even though it has more possible attacks.
Because muay thai focuses on kicks, these are also its weak points.
Two key weaknesses of muay thai against a boxer are:
- Kicking Off Balance
- Wind Up For Kicks
Kicking Off Balance
First, muay thai fighters sometimes kick off balance.
For example, when a muay thai does a straight kick to push back opponent, he is unable to do anything else because it has a high recovery time.
In response to this straight attack, a boxer can take an angle and get in range to attack.
Wind Up For Kicks
Next, muay thai fighters have to wind up for kicks.
This can be a huge advantage for the boxer if he can time the leg kick, strike, and then get out of range again.
To make up for this weakness against a boxer, a muay thai fighter will have to use feints well to keep the opponent guessing.
Strengths of Boxing
Just because boxing has less attacks than muay thai doesn’t make it any less of an effective martial art.
There are many good reasons why western boxing is known around the world as “The Sweet Science.”
Though nothing fancy, the fundamentals of boxing are enough to beat a muay thai fighter when used properly.
Two key strengths of boxing against a muay thai fighter are:
- Ability To Stay Balanced and Move Around The Ring
- Control Range and Timing
Ability To Stay Balanced and Move Around the Ring
First, the boxer has the ability to stay balanced and move around the ring.
Boxing training teaches a fighter to use the whole ring, stay balanced, and always be ready to strike or defend.
Against a muay thai fighter, a boxer will have to use these skills to avoid kicks or to lure a kick to get his opponent off balance.
Control Range and Timing
Next, the boxer has the ability to control range and timing.
Since a boxer can’t use knee or elbow strikes and isn’t trained to properly defend against them, it’s best to stay out of range.
For a boxer, the best time to strike a muay thai fighter is while he is off balance from a kick.
The best strategy for a boxer is to stay patient and out of range, lure a kick, time the strike, and then get out of range.
Weaknesses of Boxing
Even the world boxing champion will have weaknesses against a muay thai fighter.
Two key weaknesses of boxing against muay thai are:
- Not Used To Protecting The Lower Body
- Unable To Protect Against Elbows and Knee Strikes
Not Used To Protecting The Lower Body
First, a boxer isn’t used to protecting the lower body.
In modern boxing, the focus is on defending the upper body.
Even after so many years of the sport, boxers today don’t have a good way to anticipate or protect against a low blow.
High kicks are fine, since a boxer can treat it like a hook and block it with the forearm or roll under.
Low kicks that target the front leg of the bladed boxing stance are the ones to worry about.
This is a big advantage for muay thai fighters who will aim for a boxer’s front leg when he’s in a bladed stance, which will keep the fight at mid-to-long range.
The only tool that a boxer has against a low kick is proper use of range.
Unable To Protect Against Elbows and Knee Strikes
Next, boxers are unable to protect against elbows and knee strikes.
Boxers tend to dip their head low to avoid punches.
Traditional boxing head movement, like rolls and slips, will put a boxer in range for a kick since bending low makes the head a target.
In addition, the clinch is less useful since a muay thai fighter can control the head and land a knee strike.
To make up for this weakness, a boxer has to stay out of range and wait for the right moment to attack.
Conclusion
So which of these martial arts will win: muay thai or boxing? Both are very effective martial arts.
If Saenchai went up against Floyd Mayweather Jr in a boxing match, Saenchai still has boxing as part of his foundation. However, Mayweather’s a master of range, timing, and defense.
This would be more evenly matched since both styles of fighting are standup styles.
As a matter of self-defense and combat sports, perhaps its best to know both fighting styles and get the benefits of each.
In the end, it doesn’t matter which of the martial arts you choose, just as long as you master it.
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