Muay Thai vs Karate

People who can battle or do some sort of martial arts I think are very cool. The fighting scenes in action movies made me want to learn some martial arts. With just a punch or a kick, I can bring down those people who try to forcefully take my money or personal property away. Many idolize Jackie Chan and Jet Lee because of their spectacular martial arts moves. But I like Jackie more since he is funnier. I wonder if I can make a flying kick and send the intruders flying over the other edge. That would be amazing.

Some have suggested to me to learn either Muay Thai or karate which are self-defense martial arts. But I never have the time to learn and even the funds to pay any instructors. To compensate, I just browsed through the ‘net about the differences between Muay Thai and karate.

Muay Thai is a stand-up fighting style and is considered to be one of the world’s best. This fighting style utilizes all of your body parts as your defenses and weapons. It is also good for the heart because it is a good cardio workout.

This combat sport from Thailand utilizes the hands, elbows, knees, and legs to strike your opponent. It has also several clinching techniques in which you can grab and beat your opponent. Muay Thai, or Thai boxing, is the national sport of Thailand. At the beginning of the Sukhothai period, Muay Thai had been a useful combat method in the military’s history. It is also taught to every military personnel during war. This mixed martial art is similar to some of the Indo-Chinese kickboxing systems like pradal serey, tomoi, lethwei, and Muay Lao.

Before practicing this Thai boxing, you should learn first its morals and principles. You should understand that Muay Thai is not used for taking advantage of other people. It is solely used for self-defense and competitive tournaments. After instilling these morals in your mind, you are now ready to learn the techniques for guarding against strikes and how to move yourself effectively. Guarding mainly focuses on your head and torso. To move efficiently, maintain your balance on the balls of your feet. After mastering these moves, you can now learn how to properly punch and kick.

Another wonderful martial art to learn is karate. In the Japanese language, “karate” means “empty hand.” It is a type of martial art that involves punching, kicking, evading, and blocking. Throughout the time, karate has evolved into different styles because different karate masters have developed their own disciplines. It is said that karate emerged from the land of Okinawa during the early 14th century. Since then, karate has been a mixture of different martial arts because of the influences of Shaolin and Kung Fu. When Okinawa was invaded in 1609, weapons were banned. People developed a way to defend themselves through using their “te” or “hand” for combat. They had also learned how to use improvised items such as farming equipment as weapons. Ginchin Fukanoshi, a Shotokan karate master, had introduced modern karate in other parts of Asia.

Learning the fundamental moves in karate is a good exercise for the body. You can also learn how to defend yourself as well. With karate, you can have a peaceful mind free from any disturbances. The basic moves are easy to learn. You don’t need a belt in order to learn the basics.

Summary:

1. Muay Thai is from Thailand while karate is from Japan.

2. Muay Thai is kick boxing while karate is an empty hand martial art.

3. Both martial arts can be used for self-defense.

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