Muay Thai or MMA

[jellen]

Hi

Been doing Muay thai for around 7 months now and really enjoying it. I found a MMA gym close to me (Wolf Slaier) and this got me thinking, Would i be better changing to MMA? What advantages/disadvantages am i likley to experiance?

At the moment i do MT to keep fit and also for self defence reasons (should the need ever arise).

Any comments welcome

Thanks

James

 

[Dark Gift Concepts]

it all depends on your goals and what you are looking for in the Martial Sciences

 

[jarrod]

try the mma school & see which you like better. personally, i would stick with muay thai for at least 2 years before i switched to mma. the best mma guys tend to have a base style, imho. the jack-of-all-trades approach to mma training just gets you bad or mediocre at all ranges of fighting, unless you are training almost full time.

 

[shihansmurf]

Do you want to get wrestled around and punched/kneed/elbowed/kicked while standing or are you okay with getting punched/kneed/elbowed/kicked on the ground as well?:lol:

In all seriousness, I have to concur with the advice given by jarrod. Develop a strong base in your current art, and branch out when your foundational skills are sound. You gotta build the house before you can discover which holes to plug.

Mark

 

[Tez3]

try the mma school & see which you like better. personally, i would stick with muay thai for at least 2 years before i switched to mma. the best mma guys tend to have a base style, imho. the jack-of-all-trades approach to mma training just gets you bad or mediocre at all ranges of fighting, unless you are training almost full time.

You may have the jack of all trades attitude to MMA but few who practice it do. MMA training is geared towards competition not self defence, MMA fighters are very much masters of their style. We have people who can fight MT,K1, all rules of KB as well as MMA and grappling comps It isn't just chucking a few moves together from different styles and calling yourself an MMA fighter. Even the amateur fighters are better than that.
If you want self defence specifically you'd be better with something other then MT and MMA, they are both geared towards formal competitions. However if you want mostly fitness either will help though you must understand that the atmosphere especially in a MMA gym ( but in a MT gym too) is likely to be geared for fighting in comps.

 

[jarrod]

You may have the jack of all trades attitude to MMA but few who practice it do. MMA training is geared towards competition not self defence, MMA fighters are very much masters of their style. We have people who can fight MT,K1, all rules of KB as well as MMA and grappling comps It isn't just chucking a few moves together from different styles and calling yourself an MMA fighter. Even the amateur fighters are better than that.
If you want self defence specifically you'd be better with something other then MT and MMA, they are both geared towards formal competitions. However if you want mostly fitness either will help though you must understand that the atmosphere especially in a MMA gym ( but in a MT gym too) is likely to be geared for fighting in comps.

i actually don't have a jack-of-all trades approach to mma, but it is a trend i have recognized in some schools. i use the same approach you just outlined: i tell my students to cut their teeth in some kickboxing & grappling competitions before they try to throw it all together in a cage. unfortunately though, i have seen far too many schools with amateurs who train "mma" three nights a week or so, then step in a cage after 6 months of training. they usually have a bad night.

jf

 

[bowser666]

I would stick with Muay Thai. MMA cuts out alot of the self defense aspects of MA and focuses strictly on the sport fighting part of it. Which is what they should do as MMA is sport fighting.

 

[Twin Fist]

for self defense, standing up is always where you WANT to be.

This would make me lean toward MT

plus, it is a pretty well rounded system for SD. kicking, punching, kneeing, clinching, grappling (some at least)

MT has it all.

 

[BLACK LION]

ask yourself this.....

do you wish to abide by and be governed by rules of conduct in a socialistic sportsman dance class environment. if so then mma ..... or muay thai.... depending on the context in which the muay thai is being used most of which is now a sport....mma is not a "combative" it is a social duel and was created thru sport... muay thai is a combative due to it being forged thru war.....
if you are more focused on using your entire body as a secondary weapon (brain is first)...then utilize what is only necessary for that purpose and discard everything else....most muay thai instructos will teach you the sporting version.... but there are infact some very usefull combatives contained in muay thai in which all the body weight is behind the tool of choice.... you do not need years or decades of training to injure somone....you only need to know the human bodys limits .... if you get into a duel with the other guy then it all becomes a mater of strength and size and that is a sportmans misconception.... its not about size or strength or speed.... its about injuring the guy.... 350lb men have eyes and throats and scrotums and ears.... and no matter how big or fast these can always be damaged....