Muay Thai and boxing are amongst the most popular striking arts in the world today. And, of course, many people question which one is better than the other?
Well, we’ll go into the topic, and discuss whether it’s even the right question!
Why Style Vs Style Is Stupid
Comparing styles is something that pretty much everybody does, whether they’re a martial artist or not.
No matter how little experience they have, someone always has an opinion on which martial arts style they think is the best and most effective. And that’s absolutely fine!
Everybody is entitled to an opinion, and it’s not always a good idea to assume any reasons why someone might have that opinion.
After all, everyone comes from a different background, and has different experiences, and even the most skilled fighters have their preferred arts.
However, the simple reality of it is that, when it comes to effective fighting styles such as boxing and Muay Thai, there isn’t really any one style that can beat another.
The truth about fighting is far more complex than that! When it comes to effectiveness, both Muay Thai and boxing are excellent.
Each style of course has its own strengths and weaknesses – and, of course, each style has unique rulesets for competition too!
Practitioners of both Muay Thai and boxing can always stand to learn a lot from each other. They’re both regarded as excellent striking arts, and indeed both of them are.
Make no mistake, both boxing and Muay Thai are extremely good fighting arts for anyone to learn. You don’t have to worry about whether one art is more effective or stronger than the other.
What really decides fights is how good you are, and how good your opponent is, at fighting. Style vs style doesn’t matter.
Person vs person, that’s what matters, no matter what style either person knows. So, don’t spend time worrying about whether Muay Thai or boxing is better than the other.
Worry about whether you’re better than the person you’re up against instead.
Fighter Vs Fighter
If you ever find yourself in the situation where you’re forced to fight, you’re better off with a grounding in a fighting art, of course.
And this inevitably leads to people wondering which martial art they’re better off learning. The important thing to remember about fighting arts is that they don’t do the fighting for you.
You’re the one there when the fists are flying, not your instructor or the latest book on kicks that you’ve been reading.
When it comes down to it, the most important factors in a fight are the fighters. So, the absolute best thing that you can do is to get as good as you possibly can at whatever art it is that you’ve chosen!
And maintain a good level of physical fitness and strength too, as you seriously cannot discount how much of an advantage simply being fitter and stronger can be. Especially when all other things are equal!
Fights are never between theoretical constructs, they’re between people. INdividuals with differing characteristics, differing backgrounds, differing knowledge, and differing abilities.
The absolute best things that anyone can do to give themselves a better chance in a fight are to get fitter and stronger, and train as hard and as smartly as they can.
This is true no matter whether you’re learning Muay Thai or boxing – or any other martial art, for that matter.
You’re not up against an instructional video, you’re up against a real person – and every person is different, and not simply a collection of techniques from a single fighting art.
So, again, forget about style vs style. Think about person vs person. And then accept the reality that you’re never going to be fighting with one art vs the other in a vacuum!
This is exactly why cross-training is so important for anyone who wants to improve at martial arts.
The Importance Of Cross-Training
If you’re still seriously asking whether boxing is better than Muay Thai, or vice versa, then why not consider training in both?
Cross-training is something that every single martial artist should do at least a little of! This is not least because there isn’t a sintle fighting art that can cover all bases.
Reality, remember, isn’t as simple as one art vs another. So, learning as much as you can about different fighting arts is the only way to give yourself the advantages of as many different styles and disciplines as possible.
If you look at the absolute best fighters in the world, all of them will know at least a little about some other fighting arts. This is partially out of natural curiosity, of course!
It’s normal to want to learn about other martial arts if you’re already a practitioner of one.
It’s much the same as with musicians, for example – most people who play one instrument already will have at least have had a play around on a few more!
And learning more about other fighting arts can of course improve your ability in your favorite!
The world of martial arts is so broad that there’s always that someone can learn, and always some way of improving your own game. So, don’t ever feel like you should restrict yourself to learning only one art!
Sure, it’s a totally fine thing to focus mainly on the thing that you really enjoy.
But spreading your wings , even just a little, will show you just how varied the world of martial arts is – and how much practitioners of every discipline can learn from each other.
Learn as much as you can, and you’ll quickly understand why it’s foolish to worry about style vs style.
Conclusion
Ultimately, the question of whether boxing is better than Muay Thai, or whether Muay Thai is better than boxing, is a silly and futile one.
Style vs style, discipline vs discipline – it’s all just theory, and doesn’t matter in a real world situation. Both Muay Thai and boxing are extremely effective fighting arts.
So, don’t worry about style vs style – concentrate on person vs person, and always work on improving yourself!
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