Muay Thai... the BEST?

MJS

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Your right, I did not give enough information!

I want a martial art for self defense and possibly even competition, an art with no weapons, just hand to hand combat. I like the idea of Muay Thai, because it is very 'deadly' and 'brutal', and seems to be effective, but there are so many other styles out there (especially Chinese)! BJJ is great too, and from what I have seen from UFC and similar, it is a very important art to know. I LOVE them both!
I do both Muay Thai and BJJ, but I question which one I should do more, if any. If there is something better out there, I will drop muay thai and BJJ, and go for it!

Oh boy, where to start....

1) Am I safe to assume by reading this post, that you're looking for something that can be used in the ring? If so, your best bets are BJJ, wrestling, boxing, MT.

2) If you're looking for something that would make you more well rounded, you'll need to focus on all ranges of fighting and that will include weapons.

3) MT is "deadly and brutal"? Yup, and so is Kajukenbo, Kenpo, Silat, TKD, and so on and so on and so on. My point....dont fall into the deadly and brutal stuff. Anything has the potential to be those things.
 

K831

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That is strange! What are the limitations of Muay Thai? And are Kenpo and Karate the same thing? Thanks!
Re read this individuals post, and it will help clarify some of the limitations;
Not at all, it's a sport. It's like assuming a champion skeet shooter would be a great soldier because he can shoot well.

There is a huge gulf between practical self defense and sport. Does MT deal with multiple attackers, armed attackers, ambushes, less than adequate circumstances(darkness, icy ground, wet ground, etc), does it end in slashings, stabbings, shootings and sometimes even death? No.

MT is designed for one on one where you and your opponent know you are going to fight months in advance and prepare for it (an attacker hardly ever lets you know ahead), in a perfectly lit situation where you can see your attacker, where you both are aware of the rules and the ref will protect you if the rules are not adhered to.

Also, look into some of the differences between old style Muay Thai (Muay Boran etc) and current competition Muay Thai and you will begin to see the difference in the application of the root art for self defense vs competition.

I am a Kenpo guy. I also train FMA, western boxing and wrestling. I have dabbled in Muay Thai and like it very much. But I think Kenpo is far superior for SD if that is the focus. However, I have been into many Kenpo schools that I ran out of, and would have gladly trained MT at a good school instead, regardless of my goals. My point in bringing that up is that the quality of instruction and the atmosphere matter just as much as the style named on the door outside.
 

Tez3

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jungerkrieger

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Not at all, it's a sport. It's like assuming a champion skeet shooter would be a great soldier because he can shoot well.

There is a huge gulf between practical self defense and sport. Does MT deal with multiple attackers, armed attackers, ambushes, less than adequate circumstances(darkness, icy ground, wet ground, etc), does it end in slashings, stabbings, shootings and sometimes even death? No.

MT is designed for one on one where you and your opponent know you are going to fight months in advance and prepare for it (an attacker hardly ever lets you know ahead), in a perfectly lit situation where you can see your attacker, where you both are aware of the rules and the ref will protect you if the rules are not adhered to.
woah this is so totally inacurate!!
if i may be so bold as to say muay thai originated for the battlefield designed to kill enemies as efficently as possible as time went on they began turning it into a ring sport and ran into a major problem it was too violent for a sport and had to water it down so to answer that question is muay thai the best? i wouldnt say its the best martial arts period! well maybe i would:) but in the "street" etc i think there are alot of martial arts that are equally good i prob wouldnt do yoga in a bar!? or tai chi! lol but muay is as effective as any others!
 

xfighter88

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Your needs seem very diverse...if you are looking for Self Defense you will need to address weapons because most people who will assault you in real life have one. 70% of American adult males carry a knife regularly. (Statistic is from The Little Black Book of Voilence). So if you want self defense you should at least learn some edged weapon stuff.

Now the things that work great against a drunk brawler who sucker punches you or a mugger who sneaks up on you with a weapon are very different from what you will need to know to step into a cage fight. Add to that you say you are interested in Eastern cultures. I think you are looking at 3 different Gyms.
 

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