Does anyone here box?
I want to start training but I'm in doubt between boxing, kickboxing and muay thai. I know the main differences between them in terms of strikes, but would boxing be more suitable for a beginner because it doesn't involve kicks and knees?
in my late teens and early 20s but just normal boxing, never tried karate or any of that stuff so I cant give a balanced view
Its good exercise and its a great way to work your aggression out. I had a few pro fights but wasnt much good (lost more than I won - just)
>lost more than I won - just
don't feel bad. Just the fact you got into that ring shows you have more balls than the average person.
Buy a gun, your fancy karate is not going to stop a rapist.
How old are you? Its sufficiently harder to really become a good boxer if you start later then your early teens, im sure the same goes for kickboxing and muay thai
23
Kick boxing. It involves more coordination.If you start early it gets more effective.
do you train it?
no :D
I've been boxing since 2007, before that did muay thai and before that TKD.
It's never too late to start boxing, just don't expect to be going for any state titles any time soon.
Also, find a gym that isn't full of douchebags or rip-off artists.
Also, are you a pactard?
>been boxing since 2007
damn that's a long time
you compete too?
That's pretty old to be starting bro, its one of those thing you have to start young while your body and mind is still developing. Boxing is 90% muscle memory, trained instincts and honed reflexes. Not impossible but very hard to become proficient in it starting that late. If your looking for basic self defense I would try BJJ or Wrestling their much easier to learn in your 20's+
Also I should add that boxing is hands down the best martial art of all time. If you can learn to fight with only your hands, it gives you a really solid base in terms of footwork, movement, ring control, rythm. Then if you want to learn some legwork you can do muay thai a few years down the track. And believe me its so much easier to fight in muay thai with a solid boxing background, most muay thai fighters sperg out when you start throwing even simple jabs.
tbh I never competed because I started pretty late and never had any aspirations to have a career in boxing. I competed in TKD and muay thai but in boxing I only sparred. Though I did frequently spar with pros so its not as if I was only there hitting a bag lol.
But it depends what you are there for... if you want to become a pro boxer then yeah 23 is too late, but if OP simply wants to learn some new skills and a new hobby then I say go for it.
Boxing is great stress relief and teaches you rythm, balance and is great for all around body strength.
Doesn't muay thai have different "levels" of fights depending on how much padding competitors have? Have you ever competed with no padding?
Really want to learn boxing but I am too damn scared about the head injuries. I genuinely like boxing but the concept of punch drunk also exists. What are your thoughts?
No I have never competed with no padding because I never went pro.
In boxing there is some debate about how safe it is wearing padding. For example if somebody hits you without headgear you can get knocked out or get a cut and stop the fight - on the other hand if you're wearing heaad gear, you can maybe go a few extra rounds fighting somebody who is way better than you, all the while your brain is getting bounced around in your skull.
Boxing is an easy one to get good at. Really usable in self defense situations.
I used to play rugby when I was younger, and Im telling you I got way more head injuries playing that shit then what I got in boxing.
Also, punch drunk is something that happens to professional fighters, its not as if you will be fighting often if you just start boxing. If you go to to a good gym with decent trainers, they won't even get you sparring until you have been around for a while. And even then, sparring in a gym is way different to competing, you are basically there with you trainers watching you and its about learning the basics, not trying to knock the other guy out.
It depends what your definition of 'good' is. A true boxing enthusiast who understands the subtleties of boxing can find faults in even some of the most famous fighters.
I don't view boxing as self defense, to me its more akin to a cross between ballet and chess.
Boxing is the way to go. I started boxing as a teenager because I was tired of getting the shit kicked out of me by assholes in my school.
Boxing, and especially, getting hit while boxing is a great confidence builder. Not only do you know how to throw a punch, but how to take one too. I'm sure the MMA guys learn all the other tricks, but most fights don't last more than 10 punches anyway, so boxing would get my vote.
Bruv haha how does it feel to be knocked out ? And even with the headgear does one still feel the brain rattle on the inside ?
Checked. Ballet and Chess with Blood and Spit is how I'd describe it.
I've done all 3 and they were equally awesome, so I would recommend taking part in a few sessions at each, then decide based upon which one you liked the most, and which is most convenient/affordable for you :) I also highly recommend BJJ! Cheers user
Hurts like a bitch, tbh.
I haven't ever been knocked out. Have had plenty of bloodied noses and lips.
Been training BJJ for 6 years, got into boxing a year ago and had my first fight this month. Do it OP, it's a great sport. Learning curve can be steep but if you dedicate to it properly you won't regret it.
You sound like a humble dude. I like you
Sheesh
He's just gonna fuck you with your own gun faggot
start off with boxing. should give you a handle on everything.
A disgusting "sport" OP, you should be ashamed. There's no need for such brutality - simply sing this song whenever you feel in danger "Ohhh I'm a little roughty toughty so don't you mess with me no no (I like to wag my finger at this point), cos I'll biff you in the chops and bop you on the nose and kick you up the bum skibbbedddy bidddebby booo! And repeat till you're out of danger
Boxing is all arms. Kickboxing is balanced arms and legs. Muay Thai is a specific kind of kickboxing.
If you want to punch and duck a bunch, boxing is for you. If you want to kick and have it setup to be gentle, kickboxing is good. If you want brutal kickboxing do MT. If you want gentle kickboxing do TKD, which is more legs heavy than the other two.
All 4 options I listed are good for beginners. Things with legs are good since punching is IMO more intuitive than kicking, but boxing is no harder to pick up and easily as effective as the other three when it comes to striking someone.
I like TKD personally, because it gets you some beautiful kicks that the other options don't have. But mind you, if you like giving knee and elbow strikes, then MT is definitely a better bet.
Otherwise it's a matter of style. All 4 are good to get started with.
TKD gets you in awesome shape, most gyms are a bit pricey tho
I'm at a uni club, so it's $8/month. But that's the exception I know.
do you get to compete against other unis?
This, it's never to late, started kickboxing last year at age 38, no regrets , i'm gonna keep doing it as long as i can
If you want to learn how to fight you can get by with mediocre boxing/stand up and a solid ground game.
If you want to just box, there's nothing wrong with that, but boxing is just that...boxing. It isn't fighting.
Any dumbass can land a lucky punch even against the best boxers. If you stand up with a guy in the street who isn't trained, even if you are a pretty good boxer, he can still land that lucky punch and fuck you up.
However, if you are great on the ground there is very little an untrained asshole can do to stop you from getting him on the ground. Once you are there it's like choking out or throwing an armbar on a child.
It's that easy.
My recommendation if you don't want to devote your life to fighting but still be able to handle yourself dependably?
Join a good MMA gym. Spend some of your time learning boxing and Muy Thai. You need it. This goes triple of you end up fighting someone who is actually trained.
Devote most of your time to wrestling and BJJ. You will learn the basics of Judo in any good wrestling program.
When you first start you will be everyone's bitch. Even guys smaller than you. Even guys younger than you. Anyone with six months of real training, you are their bitch and there is nothing you can do about it.
After a year however you won't have to worry about anyone in the street unless you run into someone else who has trained.
Interestingly enough, you won't feel like a badass. You will have been forced to tap and hit in the head so much by better boxer/kickboxers that you will understand your limits and how fragile you are.
You will assume other guys on the street are trained and might be better than you.
You have been taken to the point of death and only saved by tapping so many times by now the idea of fighting unless you truly have to is pretty fucking scary.
I've got eight years of training at a gym in Houston. Take my advice or don't.
either choose between muay thai or boxing.
the muay thai kicks are much more simple than KB kicks, and very effective! and with boxing you'll learn great foot work and defensive ability.
but if you have a good Kru, he'll teach you boxing defense at your muay thai gym anyways, because its good for defense and counter striking.
Despite the fact that i LOVE hand strikes, i have only ever trained muay thai and feel that it's really all i need for now.
the main difference is the stance, if you're turning your lead foot around like a boxer vs a muay thai fighter, your lead leg is gonna get beat the fuck up. and if you can't block those kicks, you're gonna have a hard time getting anywhere near a muay thai fighter.
just my two cents
OP here.
Adding in that the REASON it goes triple if you end up fighting someone who is trained, is IF they are trained, you might get stuck on the feet against them.
Someone trained in wrestling/Judo and BJJ can take down pretty much anyone untrained with zero effort.
But if you end up against someone who is also trained, they can stuff your takedowns.
If you end up being forced to stand with someone who is trained, you better know how to fight standing up.
That's the math of fighting. If you can't dictate where the fight takes place you better be able to handle yourself where it is taking place.
as a hobby, either muay thai or boxing.
if you want self defense then i'd probably take boxing.
i trained muay thai for quite a while and a good kru will teach you a lot of standard boxing, and muay thai kicks are really fucking brutal, but in a bar fight or whatever, you might not be able to kick. if anything, the elbows and knees would be your best weapons besides your hands.
the footwork and movement of boxing is second to none; muay thai needs a lot less and the general stance isn't as mobile simply because you have to block kicks and whatnot.
we had a very good boxer at my MT gym (who then trained MT, he was good at both), and we could spar/trade hits with anybody even though he was like 5'4" and had tiny arms because his footwork was immaculate from boxing when he was younger.
my vote is boxing. you can always start MT later for knees and elbows and kicks.