Both arts are very similar, but many people often think that kickboxing and muay thai are the same exact thing. Although they are technically very similar, they are quite different for a few reasons. First of all, muay thai emerged in Thailand, hence the word “Thai” in its name. Kickboxing is a legitimate fighting art in its own right, but it’s more of a competition art for one simple reason. You can only kick above the waist, making it better for those more interested in learning an interesting art for the sake of competitive sparring rather than self-defense.
The Big Differences
Muay Thai incorporates a lot more strikes than kickboxing. In kickboxing, it’s like traditional​ western boxing, but instead, you add the element​ of kicking. However, it should be noted that all of the kicks in kickboxing are above the waist. This means that all kicks would be either to the torso or to the head. However, this is totally different with Muay Thai. Muay Thai emerged specifically in Thailand many hundreds of years ago. It emerged as a tribal, communal fighting art, but as it spread around the world, people realized how incredibly powerful and effective it was as a combat art.
What made Muay Thai so unique was the fact that it featured a lot of knees, elbows, and other kicks. It also includes the famous Muay Thai clinch, a maneuver where a fighter traps the opponent using their arms and elbows, leaving them vulnerable to powerful knee strikes to the solar plexus.
So now what you know the difference, which one is more effective for you?
Which Should You Learn
Without question, the most effective art of the two would be Muay Thai. Muay Thai is excellent because it features strikes and attacks that are not meant for a structured competition​. The main problem with competition martial arts is their tendency to lack variety and diversity. With traditional kickboxing, you lose a lot of different abilities to defend yourself against multiple attackers or unorthodox opponents.
With Muay Thai, it features full-contact sparring, and it has a multitude of different strategies for you to learn. This is important because it allows you to adapt and conquer any opponent that tries to attack you. The best part about Muay Thai is you not only get great exercise, but you’ll also realize that you are now a trained fighter and lets you defeat virtually anyone you want.
