Difference Between Maui Thai and Kickboxing

There are different styles of combat sports, and nowadays, these are popular sports that people are taking an interest in. Muay Thai and Kickboxing are two types of combat sports. However, there is a major difference in the mechanics and body positing between these two sports.

Muay Thai vs Kickboxing

The main difference between Muay Thai and Kickboxing is the involvement of different body parts in the respective sports. In Kickboxing, the sportsman uses only hands to deliver kicks and punches, whereas, in Muay Thai, the person uses both hands and legs to deliver the moves.

Muay Thai is a type of sport where the sportsperson takes an aggressive stance to fight the opponent. In this sport, the individual uses his hands to execute his moves, such as kicks and punches. Since the fighter uses only his or her hands to deliver his strikes, body movements involving the head and other parts of the body are not used to fight back.

On the other hand, Kickboxing is used to bring the defensive side of the player. This sport does not emphasize using aggressive stances. However, it allows the fighter to use elbows and knees. Since it involves both hand and leg movements, a lot of footwork is required.

Comparison Table Between Muay Thai and Kickboxing

What is Muay Thai?

In Thailand, Muay Thai was first invented as one of the popular martial arts. In this sport, the fighter uses kicks and punches as his or her striking moves. Here, the sportsperson becomes defensive. He or she does not aggressively attack his or her opponent.

One of the basic techniques to block the opponent is the move, where one needs to lift the knee up to the elbow to execute the strike. If one is left-handed, he or she needs to put his or her right foot forward. On the other hand, if someone is right-handed, he or she should put his or her left foot forward.

In this sport, One can get 4 points in a single round. As this sport does not restrict the individual to use only kicks and punches, he or she is free to use various head and leg movements such as circling, weaving, etc. It can be dangerous at times if the striker becomes determined to use powerful moves. Thus, one needs to choose his or her strikes very carefully.

Patience is the key to success in this sport. The individual needs to wait for the other person to strike first. Then he or she should make powerful moves using both of his or her hands and legs accordingly to fight back. So it can become fatal at times.

What is Kickboxing?

Kickboxing can be seen used all over the world as any sport involving kicks and punches can be termed as Kickboxing. It is a 4-point game. In this sport, the individual uses various moves of hands and legs. But this sport does not side with aggressiveness. It focuses more on defense.

Unlike Muay Thai, Kickboxing requires neither music nor rhythm. It does not have any unique style or feature. As long as it uses kicks and punches, any sport can be designated as Kickboxing. Since this sport calculates fighters’ scores on point, it can be called a point-based sport.

Though in Kickboxing, as the name itself suggests, one might get bruises or injures, it is slightly less dangerous than Muay Thai. Counterattacking is not a crucial part of any style of Kickboxing. Thus, forward attacks are not used. It focuses on the striker moving backward and taking a defensive stance.

In Kickboxing, there is no restriction on using various body parts. The individual can use hands, legs, lower and upper shins to execute his or her strikes. Footwork also plays an important role in taking any stance. However, Kickboxing hurts less than Muay Thai.

Main Differences Between Muay Thai and Kickboxing

Conclusion

Muay Thai and Kickboxing are two major combat sports that are practiced all over the world. Though they both have many things in common, they also share a lot of differences with each other. On the one hand, Muay Thai makes the fighter more aggressive and powerful, Kickboxing emphasizes defense.

Muay Thai can get very fatal if proper precautions are not taken. But in Kickboxing, one cannot be killed or severely injured. There is also a difference in the distribution of points in each of the games. Thus, it ultimately falls on the person who is striking to act cautiously and play his or her sport.

References

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