Is there any reason to learn American kickboxing over Muay Thai kickboxing?

[Mephariel]

I am just wondering if you can choose between the two, why would anyone learn American kickboxing over Muay Thai kickboxing. Don't get me wrong, there is nothing wrong with American Kickboxing, but I thought Muay Thai kickboxers have all the moves that American kickboxers have plus much better usage of elbows and knees. So then, why learn American kickboxing when you can learn Muay Thai?

[Khun Kao]

Well, that World Combat League (WCL) run by Chuck Norris is actually quite entertaining. I really enjoyed watching their matches and they have a real intriguing fight format to make Full Contact (American) Kickboxing more interesting, but even they have added MuayThai technique into the mix (leg kicks and non-clinched knees).

[sportmuaythai]

Plenty of reasons. I think it's much easier to find American kick boxing schools in the US than to find a true MT school. There will be more opportunities to compete in American kick boxing than in MT as well. But most important, you must like one over the other intitially. Why do people learn to fight under The Marquess of Queensberry rules of boxing ? It has much less weapon than both American kick boxing and MT.
As for self defense, it's really more simple and effective to be more prudent, polite and ready to swallow your pride, than to learn any self defense system. That is unless you're in a peace keeping profession.

[Mephariel]

Plenty of reasons. I think it's much easier to find American kick boxing schools in the US than to find a true MT school. There will be more opportunities to compete in American kick boxing than in MT as well. But most important, you must like one over the other intitially. Why do people learn to fight under The Marquess of Queensberry rules of boxing ? It has much less weapon than both American kick boxing and MT.
As for self defense, it's really more simple and effective to be more prudent, polite and ready to swallow your pride, than to learn any self defense system. That is unless you're in a peace keeping profession.

But what if you can find a Muay Thai school just as easy in that person's area? Then what? Boxing is different though. You might want to learn boxing because it is a much bigger sport. You are probably going to be more well known as a boxer. But wouldn't Muay Thai kickboxing be sufficed for any kickboxing competition, including American ones? So in this cause, it wouldn't matter. I guess basically my question is, if you have equal opportunity to consider, why choose the art with less weapons and less history unless there is some advantage to being an American kickboxer as opposed to being a Muay Thai kickboxer that I don't know about.

[sportmuaythai]

But wouldn't Muay Thai kickboxing be sufficed for any kickboxing competition, including American ones? So in this cause, it wouldn't matter. I guess basically my question is, if you have equal opportunity to consider, why choose the art with less weapons and less history unless there is some advantage to being an American kickboxer as opposed to being a Muay Thai kickboxer that I don't know about.

If you've trained MT in similar circumstance as in American kick boxing, I doubt that you can beat an Amercan kick boxer with similar talent at his own game.
Then again, if you like more weapons and history or heritage, you'll probably like MT better. And you'll probably be a better fighter outside the ring, but that is beside the point.

[Python]

The only reason I can think of to choose to train American kickboxing over Muay Thai would be if you plan to compete and prefer NOT to take kicks to the legs and knees in the clinch. Otherwise, I think Muay Thai is the more complete art and sport. I have competed both American rules and Thai rules and prefer Thai, but I know many, many American (full contact rules) kickboxers who absolutely refuse to compete in Muay Thai and feel their rules are the best. If you want to truly test yourself, then train and fight Thai rules. Muay Thai is also the more complete system for self defense.

Another factor, and this is just my opinion, but I feel the majority of the Thai camps and gyms train more intensely than alot of the American kickboxing gyms. The nature of the rules force the athlete to train more intense to ensure his/her body is totally conditioned for the ring.

On another note, I think there are just as many, if not more, gyms in the states training Muay Thai than American rules. There are tons of qualified Thaiboxing coaches in the states who have trained extensively in Thailand, and many who have not, but are just as qualified. Muay Thai has grown leaps and bounds in the states.

[Blue Wave Gym]

1 reason

american boxers and american rules kick boxers have been working together since the 70's when you'd go to the ckarate or tkd school to train you're kicks and the go to the boxing gym to train your punches many gyms are now consolodated so it fun for all one of my fav sparring partners was boxers.I belive because of the close relationship between american boxers and american kickboxers that american rules kickboxers have the best hand most of the top pro kickboxers have amature boxing experience and it shows.
Most top pro american rules kickboxers have boxing coaches that just work thier hands. So better punching would be one reason to train that style it is also interasting to note that now many mauy thai gyms and boxing gyms are consolodated though you're not going to see boxers getting kicked in the legas any time soon in american kick boxig gyms when you spar a boxer you are not allowed to kick at all which is fine because you should be working on your hands. The target fior boxing and american rules kickboxing are the same not true in thai remember Kaman saying amer. rules guys are girly men the he loses to rick roufus and makes the excuse it's not my style but rob he's a girly man lol. I Still give props to rob though.

[DickHardman]

yeah some people prefer competing under american kickboxing rules because you will get less messed up than muay thai rules. getting your face messed up and having your head and face constantly opened up by elbows isn't for everyone.

[sportmuaythai]

american boxers and american rules kick boxers have been working together since the 70's. I belive because of the close relationship between american boxers and american kickboxers that american rules kickboxers have the best hand most of the top pro kickboxers have amature boxing experience and it shows.
The target fior boxing and american rules kickboxing are the same not true in thai. Remember Kaman saying amer. rules guys are girly men. Then he loses to rick roufus and makes the excuse, it's not my style. But rob he's a girly man lol. I Still give props to rob though.

Dear Blue Wave, I've tried to avoid controversial discussion between MT and American kick boxing. You're entitled to your own opinion, but there are facts. How many American kick boxers have won medals at the Olympic? Many MT fighters have, including gold. And how many American kick boxers have won either WBA or WBC world titles? Pls compare to titles won by MT fighters.
Incidentally, I don't think Rob was making an excuse. He was stating the reason. Yet Jongsanan Fairtex has won several ISKA titles despite being past his prime in MT fighting.

[Tom Yum]

Here's my 0.02 baht on the subject...

Amercan rules kickboxers this day and age are pretty much western boxers who know how to throw solid karate and TKD kicks. It wasn't always this way; it used to be American Kickboxing-full contact karate where fighters depended more on their kicks because they used back fists and ridgehands when they got into punching range, which scored and stunned but less frequently KO'd. They turned over to boxing style hands in the 80's, but never really trained close with boxing coaches until the late 80's/early 90's?

Watch some of the old tapes of fighters like Jean Yves-Theriault and Rick Roufus. They transformed as fighters during the late 80's and early 90's, becoming harder punchers.

When pit against muaythai fighters, they loose more often than win because of two trademark thai moves that they do not train in: leg kicks and clinch knees.

Still - American rules kickboxers are some bad ass mofos, who can punch rather well and throw high hard kicks!

[WildWest.]

Do the style you like the most be it either American Kickboxing, MT or origami. It's what you get out of it that's the most important thing.

[GonzoStyles]

the classic match up of American rules fighter versus Muay Thai

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=4927177132680635888&q=kickboxing&hl=en

[bigboywasim]

I am from Sacramento also. There is a great MT place on Northgate. The instructor is a really good one. You should take Muay Thai there.

[gabbah]

the classic match up of American rules fighter versus Muay Thai

http://video.google.com/videoplay?do...ckboxing&hl=en

hahaha... daaaaamn those legkicks gotta hurt!

[Blue Wave Gym]

yea but he came back and beat chisongrit in the next fight then beat rob kaman

so ther's no point ot be made then went on to be a great thai boxer lol
For the record I'd probably train thai instead but the place I went to wasn't so that's why. the comment about the elbows doesn't mean anything to me one of tkd instructors foughti n mt and got an eye injury so bad he had to had eyesurgery this was from an elbow. America rulers kickboxers and Boxers get horriable cuts all the time and no legal elbows there it's all irrelvevant cause I'd fight mma anyway lol. Mad props and much love to all fighters