What does Taekwondo have that Muay Thai does not?

[Marnetmar]

Not trying to be "that guy," and no disrespect intended.

 

[Martial D]

A completely different system.

 

[Flying Crane]

Does Muay Thai have something to quivalent to kata?

 

[Monkey Turned Wolf]

In what sense? Techniques, sparring, competition system, belts/progression system, culture, or something else? I believe basically all of those are different between the two.

 

[Headhunter]

Gis, belts, stances, punches, kicks pretty much everything is different. Maybe same type of kicks but complete different emphasis

 

[skribs]

If you look at what every Taekwondo school should teach and what every Muay Thai school should teach, you're going to have a completely different curriculum. If you look at what is possible to learn from a traditional Taekwondo master or from a more versatile Muay Thai class, then there will be a lot more overlap.

The biggest thing for me is that sport Taekwondo, what most people train for, is about points, and I believe Muay Thai is about KOs. Taekwondo training is largely built around how to get the most points by kicking your opponent in the head. So, you have a lot of high kicks and spinning kicks that I don't think Muay Thai specializes in. Now, you might get someone like Tony Jaa who can do all sorts of flying techniques, but I think that's a bit of a rarity.

Similarly, Muay Thai fighters can use their hands to hit the head of their opponent, so Muay Thai is going to focus more on hand techniques. In Taekwondo, your hand strikes are generally used for forms and for self defense training (if your school teaches self defense). The same goes for knees and elbows, which are completely barred from Taekwondo tournaments, but are a primary weapon in Muay Thai.

I can't speak for what Muay Thai brings outside of the ring, because I have no experience with Muay Thai except what I've seen. I don't know much about the training methods or classes, or what you learn that's more applicable to a street fight or self defense. I can say my experience with Taekwondo is you will probably kick better after doing Taekwondo than after any other art, if for no other reason than you will spend more time refining your kicks in Taekwondo than you will in any other art. Assuming everything else is equal (equally knowledgable masters with similar teaching styles, same amount of time spent training, etc) the reason I'd choose Muay Thai over any other art, including Taekwondo, is the knee and elbow strikes.

 

[drop bear]

Kicks are more deceptive. Which is a boon for MMA where a kick can be caught and the other guy taken down.

 

[TrueJim]

As others have said, lots of differences. If I had to boil it down to one sentence though, I'd pick: taekwondo's emphasis on head-high kicks, spinning kicks, and rapid kicking combinations.

 

[DaveB]

Personally I disagree that TKD places an emphasis on head kicks, in that the suggestion seems to be that you do so for the sake of it.

The tkd I learned (wtf/chundokwan) spent much more time on body kicking and taught me to throw head kicks only if I was certain to hit.

In my experience tkd has a MUCH greater emphasis on evasion and the use of distance to control the fight.

Much less use of the hands, including guard and clinch.

Muay Thai is like two tanks squaring off. TKD is like 2 snipers.

 

[drop bear]

Does Muay Thai have something to quivalent to kata?

 

[TrueJim]

Personally I disagree that TKD places an emphasis on head kicks...

I don't disagree with your point. I think when people (myself included) say "emphasis on head-height kicks" they mean the emphasis on the ability to kick equally well at any height, including up to the head.

 

[skribs]

I don't disagree with your point. I think when people (myself included) say "emphasis on head-height kicks" they mean the emphasis on the ability to kick equally well at any height, including up to the head.

I will disagree. Most of the tournaments I go to, people don't even bother going for body kicks anymore, because a body kick requires the way-overtuned sensors in the chestguard to activate, and it's easier to score point on headshots. Most anyone who trains seriously for competition trains almost exclusively for head kicks.

 

[TrueJim]

I will disagree. Most of the tournaments I go to, people don't even bother going for body kicks anymore, because a body kick requires the way-overtuned sensors in the chestguard to activate, and it's easier to score point on headshots. Most anyone who trains seriously for competition trains almost exclusively for head kicks.

I don't disagree with this point either. I was referring to taekwondo training in general, not just WT-style sparring training. My personal opinion is that it's fair to characterize taekwondo as a martial art that generally emphasizes being able to kick well at any height.

Also, our chief weapon is surprise. Surprise and fear.

 

[Kung Fu Wang]

May be the question should be asked as:

If you have cross trained both TKD and MT, how will you integrate both systems together? You will not fight as a TKD guy on Monday and fight as a MT guy on Tuesday. How will you fight be looked like?

- 75% TKD, 25% MT?
- 50% TKD, 50% MT?
- 25% TKD, 75% MT?

 

[drop bear]

I don't disagree with this point either. I was referring to taekwondo training in general, not just WT-style sparring training. My personal opinion is that it's fair to characterize taekwondo as a martial art that generally emphasizes being able to kick well at any height.

Also, our chief weapon is surprise. Surprise and fear.

How precisely are you training surprise and fear?

 

[DaveB]

May be the question should be asked as:

If you have cross trained both TKD and MT, how will you integrate both systems together? You will not fight as a TKD guy on Monday and fight as a MT guy on Tuesday. How will you fight be looked like?

- 75% TKD, 25% MT?
- 50% TKD, 50% MT?
- 25% TKD, 75% MT?

I have an aversion to getting hit that is not shared by most Thai fighters I've encountered, so I would be on the TKD 75% side.

I would take the body conditioning, the hands and the set ups/ follow ups for knees and elbows (yes they are present in TKD, but Thai fighters use them more) and add that onto the mobility, evasiveness, speed, precision and deception of TKD.

Or just do karate.

 

[Tony Dismukes]

Also, our chief weapon is surprise. Surprise and fear.

Don't forget about ruthless efficiency and an almost fanatical devotion to the Pope.

 

[DaveB]

Don't forget about ruthless efficiency and an almost fanatical devotion to the Pope.

Nobody expects the Spanish inquisition!!!

 

[hoshin1600]

the human species only has two arms and two legs. what is different about any style compared to another?

 

[DaveB]

the human species only has two arms and two legs. what is different about any style compared to another?

Technique
Strategy
Tactics.