Muay Thai is becoming increasingly more popular around the globe. Famously known as the ‘art of eight limbs,’ Muay Thai utilizes eight points of contact to strike an opponent. Not only does Muay Thai use punches and kicks, but it also makes use of the elbows and knees to hurt an opponent.
Muay Thai is extremely effective in MMA, where fighting comes the closest to an actual street fight. However, there are no weight classes in a street fight, and people fight dirty to hurt their opponent.
So, would Muay Thai also be effective in a street fight?
This article will answer the question above by discussing six reasons why Muay Thai is effective in a street fight.
Muay Thai Teaches You How To Clinch & Throw Opponents
Muay Thai works in a street fight because it teaches you how to clinch and throw opponents.
The clinch is a close-quarter grappling technique that is essential for Muay Thai. Clinching is a way to control your opponent from a close distance and do damage by throwing knees to the head or body, for example.
During clinching, fighters try to land as many elbows and knees as possible. If you catch your opponent off balance during the clinch, the option to throw or sweep your opponent can present itself. The act of throwing or sweeping your opponent will earn you points during a Muay Thai match and is a way of showing your skill set during the fight.
However, in a street fight, the ability to throw someone on the ground can give you a huge advantage. First of all, a street fight usually occurs in the streets, as you may guess. It will hurt if you throw someone with a bit of force on the concrete.
Clinching allows you to throw and gain a dominant position on top of your opponent. You can use this dominant position to get away from a street fight.
Looking For Some Muay Thai Gloves?
Fairtex is one of the most established Muay Thai brands in the world. Fairtex Muay Thai gloves are high-quality, durable and offer premium protection for Muay Thai fighters. We are massive fans, so check them out!
Muay Thai Helps You Stay Calm Under Pressure
Learning Muay Thai helps you stay calm under pressure in a street fight. A street fight can be a nerve-wracking situation. Humans are designed with the fight-or-flight response when a dangerous situation presents itself.
This response dates back to prehistory, where a survival instinct like this could mean life or death. An excellent example of this would be when you met a sabertooth tiger in the wild as a hunter. Your body has a stress response and will choose at that moment to either fight or flight the encounter. Nowadays, we are on the top of the food chain, and the chances of encountering a sabertooth tiger would be extremely low.
However, the same stress response is activated during a street fight. Training Muay Thai can help you get comfortable in these kinds of situations. This is because sparring in Muay Thai can be comparable to a real-life fight situation. You are used to having someone turn on the pressure on you. You know how to handle it, and it’s not new to you.
Muay Thai training can give you more confidence in your abilities to strike and hurt your opponent. Therefore, you will be able to control the stress response and focus on using the techniques you have learned. And if not, you will still have techniques from training memorized in your subconscious to help you during a street fight.
Muay Thai Fighters Use 8 Limbs To Defeat Opponents
Muay Thai fighters use eight limbs to defeat their opponents in the ring. This means that besides kicking and punching, knees and elbows are also allowed.
Muay Thai is different from most other kickboxing fighting styles, as most styles only allow kicks and punches. Only in Dutch kickboxing are knees permitted at times.
Muay Thai is derived from Muay Boran. The Thai military used Muay Boran as a form of hand-to-hand combat during war.
Muay Thai may not be as dangerous as Muay Boran, but the elbows and knees are techniques that stem from Muay Boran and can inflict a lot of damage.
Muay Thai covers a lot of ground when it comes to a real fight, unlike other combat sports.
Thai Boxing Improves Your Strength & Conditioning
Training Muay Thai teaches you a valuable skill set and improves your strength and conditioning. A standard Muay Thai training is between 1-2 hours where you are constantly practicing techniques, bag-work, pad-work, or sparring.
If you consistently train, you will be able to fight longer and harder than untrained opponents. And in a situation as tiring as a street fight, this is a huge advantage. You will be able to move forward when your opponent is tired, and punches do not affect you as much due to your level of conditioning.
Muay Thai Teaches You How To Defeat Larger Opponents
Muay Thai techniques are beneficial when it comes to defeating larger opponents. As there are no weight classes in a street fight, you may be facing a larger opponent. Bigger opponents generally hit harder than smaller ones.
You want to use long-range strikes such as teeps to create distance between you and your opponent in a street fight. If your opponent does come too close, you can use the clinch with knees to do damage and control them. This takes away your opponent’s reach, and you may be able to throw them on the ground, which takes away the size advantage for the most part.
Training Muay Thai Gives You The Confidence To Walk Away
Many people would agree that training Muay Thai gives you a confidence boost. You have a larger skill set and are more aware of the damage you can inflict on someone. There are a lot of things that can happen during a street fight. You can get in trouble with the police, or someone can get badly hurt.
You know what can happen and what the risks may be. Your training can therefore give you the confidence to walk away. There will probably also be less of a feeling to prove yourself as much as you may have before you started training.
The best way to win a fight is by avoiding it.
Is Muay Thai Effective In A Street Fight?
All things taken into consideration, is Muay Thai effective in a street fight?
We would definitely say it is. If your opponent is untrained, you will have a considerable advantage. Many techniques will be helpful during a conflict, especially the clinch. And if you can throw your opponent on the ground, you have a chance of really dictating what comes next.
Furthermore, Muay Thai teaches you how to use eight limbs to destroy your opponent. The training is tough, but they give you the strength and conditioning tools to control the fight and be dangerous.
A street fight can be scary, and people can be dirty. However, if having the technical skillset is not enough, you will also have the mental edge over your opponent by staying calm under pressure and having confidence in your fighting abilities.
If you enjoyed our article on Muay Thai in a street fight, share it by hitting the button below.
