Are Kyokushin Karate and Muay thai really that differant?

[mr.mma]

I also posted this in the muay thai forum.

I was just watching these guys go at it in a kyokushin match.
Other than they cant punch to the head, I noticed they kicked with the shin and did a lot of low kicks and used knees aswell. The only differance I really noticed was they never clinched.

Are muay thai and kyokushin karate really that differant?


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

[KDH]

REALLY different? No, because they both kick ass and are pretty hardcore styles.

Different? Yeah. First of all, Kyokushin has katas, MT does not. And in addition to the differences you have already mentioned, many Kyokushin instructors teach a lot of step kumite (sparring) for self defense. MT has no step sparring or any form of prearranged self defense. Furthermore, many Kyokushin senseis like to incorporate judo throws. MT is strictly a standup style.

Do what style you like the best. Don't get caught up with the whole MT craze. MT is a great style but it's not so good that everyone should drop what they're doing and switch over to MT. Besides, the MA world these days could use more diversity.

[Maxx]

Muay Thai and Kyokushin do have differences. There are a few differences in the execution of the round kick. While the kicking technique used in Kyokushin is similar to muay thai in comparison to other styles of karate, it is still closer to the snapping round kicks of traditional martial arts, just thrown harder.

Kyokushin does have elements of clinching but it is more redirection as opposed to outright grabbing. Assuming that the rules of their tournaments haven't changed over the past 10 years, it was illegal to grab and hold in Kyokushin tournaments. You could control an opponent with the open palm and push and tug, but you could not sieze and control. Because of this, most the the knee strikes you will see in those tournaments are ballistic.

I know that throws and sweeps are also legal in kyokushin, but they have to be pulled off instantly. You are not allowed to catch a kick and hold it, you must act immediately.

Muay Thai is not governed by the restictions on the clinch nor on the times limits after a kick is caught. The throwing techniques in Muay Thai are much more subtle than they are in Japanese and Okinawan styles and are based much more on taking advantage of a person who is off balance or who doesn't have a good center of gravity. When executed, some of the more "assanine" MT fighters will also fall on top of you and drop an elbow in the process.

The biggest difference is probably the use of elbows and knee,elbow combinations. A lot of Kyokushin fighters train for the tournaments and while elbows are taught as part of self defense, they are not developed to anywhere near the same level the MT fighters do.

[DickHardman]

not being able to punch to the head makes a huge difference in your training inmop. a HUGE difference.