Taekwondo vs Muay Thai: Two of the most well-liked martial arts with a striking component are Taekwondo and Muay Thai. Although most people believe that muay thai is a more effective fighting method, a skilled Taekwondo practitioner may be just as lethal in a standup battle.
Generally speaking, one of the main reasons Muay Thai is considered the better striking technique is that it prioritises close quarters, clinch fighting, and distance combat, whereas Taekwondo only stresses fighting at a distance. Consequently, practitioners of Taekwondo who have not undergone cross-training in other martial arts may find themselves in a scenario like to a “phone booth” and be unsure of how to respond.
While Taekwondo fighters generally train to utilise kicks and punches, Muay Thai fighters also learn how to employ various weapons, including punches, kicks, knees, elbows, sweeps, and throws.
Examining The Distinctions And Parallels Between Taekwondo And Muay Thai
Thailand’s national sport and cultural icon is Muay Thai. Due to the eight weapons that Muay Thai mostly uses—two feet, two hands, two knees, and two legs—it was created in the 16th century for close combat hundreds of years ago. This makes it sometimes referred to as the art of eight limbs.
King Rama V vigorously supported muay thai in the 19th century, leading to the sport’s designation as the national sport. As mixed martial arts developed and Muay Thai athletes increasingly found themselves competing against opponents from various striking backgrounds, the sport gained international attention towards the end of the 20th century. The striking system that gained the most traction was Muay Thai, and it continues to do so.
A Korean martial art dating back to 50 BC is called taekwondo. In English, taekwondo means “the method of kicking and punching.” In the sport, fighters are only permitted to employ punches and kicks.
Taekwondo differs from other striking-based martial arts in that it strongly focuses on mixing kicks.
You might also be interested in reading this: Top 7 South Paws in Muay Thai History
The Principal Distinctions – Taekwondo vs Muay Thai
To further understand why Muay Thai is typically thought to be the more effective style, let’s examine the key distinctions between these two forms.
Techniques
Muay Thai may employ several hundred distinct techniques. They consist of stance methods, elbow, knee, clinch, punch, and kick. A few dozen advanced methods that address every facet of striking are also available. Put another way, Muay Thai doesn’t waste time on flashy techniques; instead, it concentrates on methods that have been shown to be successful for generations.
However, with over 3000 techniques, Taekwondo is a far more expansive form. These include stances, punches, kicks, and open-hand techniques. Thousands of spinning and high-flying kicks, frequently linked together, are taught in taekwondo.
Rules
The fundamental guidelines for Muay Thai matches are:
- Each match can consist of a maximum of five rounds, each lasting three minutes, with a two-minute interval in between.
- At least six-ounce gloves are required for fighters.
- Trunks or shorts appropriate for Muay Thai must be worn.
- Mouthguards are required for fighters. Men are anticipated to use protective cups as well.
- Shoes and shirts are not permitted during games.
- In the event of no stoppage, the match’s winner is decided by points.
The fundamental guidelines for Taekwondo matches consist of the following:
- Three two-minute rounds with one-minute rest in between make up a match.
- The only body part that fighters may punch at is the torso. Punches to the head or below the belt are not allowed.
- Combatants are able to kick each other in the head and chest.
- Points or knockouts can be used to win fights.
- Golden point rounds determine draws; the first combatant to achieve a point wins the bout.
- Below-the-belt kicks are prohibited.
Which Is A Better Self-Defense Style?
The majority of professionals in martial arts would concur that Muay Thai is the better technique for self-defence. This is due to Taekwondo’s emphasis on an unrealistic style of combat in which opponents are avoided at all costs by staying at a distance. In actual battles, you seldom get the luxury of having lots of room to move about and try to hit the ideal kick.
Furthermore, head hits are forbidden in Taekwondo, thus although Muay Thai fighters exercise this technique, Taekwondo practitioners are not taught how to deliver punches with their heads off the centre. Punches are the most common strike in self-defense situations, and only proficient fighters target the body. Taekwondo practitioners are therefore ill-prepared to deal with the most likely kind of attack that an attacker may deploy. They are impacted while they are protecting themselves since they are unable to strike hard objects like a person’s skull out of instinct.
Fighters who practise muay thai are far more equipped to handle any circumstance that may arise during self-defense. They know how to manage themselves in close quarters, which is common in street battles, and they usually take advantage of the chance to deliver vicious knees and elbows. Muay Thai fighters are also trained in the art of throwing, sweeping, and sweeping opponents at a distance.
And there’s the whole leg kick thing. Leg kicks, which are among the most popular and efficient kicking techniques in mixed martial arts and Muay Thai, are not permitted in Taekwondo. An effective leg kick may greatly limit an attacker’s range of motion, allowing you to more easily disarm them or flee for your life. Additionally, it’s a low-risk approach, so throwing one from a distance doesn’t significantly increase your danger.
For MMA, which is better?
It’s plausible to assume that professionals believe Muay Thai is a more effective discipline for mixed martial arts than Taekwondo because more mixed martial artists train in the former. That does not, however, imply that you should stop doing taekwondo.
It just takes one kick to knock out an opponent, and taekwondo practitioners have some of the quickest and most powerful kicks you’ll ever witness. Taekwondo’s usefulness for self-defence is restricted by the way it is taught and the regulations of competitions. For strikers of all stripes, a Taekwondo practitioner who has also trained in other martial arts, such as boxing or Muay Thai, presents particular challenges. The majority of individuals are unaware of how to counter the thousands of kicks that are employed in the sport.
Taekwondo vs Muay Thai: Which One Is Good? Let us know your thoughts in the comment section below.
