For diehard martial arts fans, the sport of Muay Thai is up there as one of the greatest. After all, it has a reputation as one of the most potent fighting styles you could learn today. At the same time, we have to acknowledge its spiritual predecessor, the fascinating Muay Boran style of fighting. But what are the differences between Muay Boran vs Muay Thai?
Since the two are as related as two combat styles can get, you can expect a fair bit of overlap. On the other hand, you can think of Muay Thai as the “modernized” version of Muay Boran. In other words, after many years of adapting the sport for contemporary competitive settings, we got the Thai boxing we know and love today.
Ready to do a deep dive on Muay Boran vs Muay Thai? Keep reading to find out all you need to know about the two!
What is Muay Thai
Unlike most other combat sports, Muay Thai stands out through its use of elbows and knees. They can serve both an offensive and defensive role, depending on the circumstances, and they make for very versatile weapons.
Although the knee can do serious damage, it’s also a tool for Nak Muays to block incoming kicks, alongside shins. Thanks to their rigorous training, their lower bodies can withstand levels of pain rarely seen in other combat sports.
Things get even more serious when you factor elbows into the equation. Throwing a punch is more of a poke-and-prod move in Muay Thai, whereas a high-powered elbow strike can cause cuts and fractures when executed properly.
It’s also a nifty protective tool for when an attacker aims a little too high for comfort. After all, attacking into a non-padded elbow can do a serious number on your knuckles. This adds another layer of strategy to Muay Thai, although it also necessitates significant pain tolerance training.
Even so, the real bread and butter of Muay Thai are its kicks. Fighters will typically only move back and forward as opposed to strafing, but in exchange, they learn dozens of ways to inflict damage with their legs. These can range from push kicks to establish distance to targeted roundhouse kicks for critical damage.
Although people practise Muay Thai competitively, it’s one of Thailand’s primary cultural exports to the West and elsewhere. Thus, many people get into the sport because they appreciate the history and the thoroughness of the training. These attitudes run so deep that there aren’t even formal belting systems in Muay Thai. Rather, the intended purpose is to foster respect and commitment to hard work.
What is Muay Boran
Understanding the difference between Muay Boran vs Muay Thai can be difficult, but the history is a good place to start. Because of the invasions of the Ayutthaya Kingdom, (encompassing modern-day Thailand), locals had to devise a method of defending themselves. This is what we now refer to as Muay Boran, or ancient boxing.
As the name suggests, this is not a ring sport like Muay Thai, but rather a self-defence technique developed in the Middle Ages. As such, it’s not limited by the typical conventions of most combat sports. Similar to something like Krav Maga, Muay Boran is a style where everything goes, from grapples to strikes that would be prohibited in any combat sport.
A good example of this would be the headbutt, one of the staples of more brutal fighting styles like Lethwei. Further, it’s not uncommon to target the groin, eyes, and other regions of the body that might be off-limits in a controlled environment.
Further, it’s not uncommon for someone trained in Muay Boran to go for the neck, especially when grappling. This is a consistent way of getting someone on the ground and not letting them respond in any meaningful way.
For all the reasons outlined above and more, Muay Boran cannot be considered a sport. Rather, it’s an important part of Thai history that has bled over into sports like Muay Thai. It’s not as popular as Thai boxing, but efforts have been made to preserve Muay Boran for its cultural significance.
FAQs
Who would win a Muay Boran vs Muay Thai fight?
When comparing two combat sports, the outcome of a faceoff is usually hard to predict. On the other hand, a “no-rules” fighting style like Muay Boran is almost guaranteed to perform better against Nak Muays.
The average Muay Thai fighter is used to operating within the framework of their sport. This means no grapples, a heavy emphasis on kicks, and a by-the-books approach to fighting. Compare that to Muay Boran, where the primary goal is to defend yourself successfully, even if it means gouging at an attacker’s eyes or repeatedly targeting the throat.
Not to mention, Muay Thai gear can get you through rigorous training, but a no-equipment fight can reveal your weaknesses as a Nak Muay. There’s a lot of force behind most Muay Thai attacks, and you may find you’re less able to perform without injuring yourself if you don’t have protection. Conversely, Muay Boran fighters will play to their strengths without relying on any kind of gear.
How dangerous is Muay Boran vs Muay Thai?
This one is very difficult to call since Muay Thai is, among other things, a competitive sport. On the other hand, Muay Boran is one of those things you hope to never have to apply, although you’ll appreciate the training if you ever use it.
Muay Thai injuries are relatively frequent in professional bouts, but this doesn’t paint the most accurate picture of the sport. By and large, many Nak Muays will never enter a ring, with some even choosing not to spar. If you train Muay Thai for a rigorous regimen, you’ll be doing a lot of body weight exercises and bag training. This means you might not have to worry about injuries besides knuckle bruises and muscle fatigue.
That’s nothing you can’t fix with proper wrapping and Namman Muay Thai oil!
As for Muay Boran, you most likely wouldn’t injure yourself if you learned it outside of Thailand. By and large, YouTube and other online resources are the primary way most people familiarise themselves with the style. At the same time, you wouldn’t want to be on the receiving end of its moves!
Which style is better for self-defence?
To be clear, there’s a reason why Muay Thai is such a popular self-defence technique today. The ability to use eight points of contact is invaluable both in terms of offence and defence. People won’t generally expect you to attack with your legs, so the psychological factor coupled with forceful kicks does wonders.
As for Muay Boran, it allows you to throw everything but the kitchen sink at an attacker. By definition, the style is more applicable than Muay Thai since your opponent won’t be following any rules in a street fight either. In situations like these, being disinhibited enough to throw “unsportsmanlike” attacks can make all the difference.
Even without using so-called dirty attacks, Muay Boran fighters have plenty of experience with sweeps and grapples. A street brawl is usually over the moment someone hits the ground, especially when submissions enter the picture. Whether you want to end the conflict or are left with no choice but to double down, knowing how to grapple can save your life.
Finally, there’s the fact that Muay Boran fighters are also trained to disarm opponents. Keep in mind that the style was devised as a last resort for when your weapon falls from your hand. Thus, it’s full of manoeuvres that stun attackers’ arms, which may or may not be holding something in a fight.
As a disclaimer, not many “practise” Muay Boran in the traditional sense. Many enthusiasts will study its techniques in a vacuum as a kind of reverence for Thai history and culture. As such, it also offers the advantage of being relatively unknown, meaning few attackers would know how to respond to it.
Conclusion
And that concludes our Muay Boran vs Muay Thai breakdown. In short, Muay Thai is the modern iteration of a military combat style that incorporates elbows, knees, and clinches. Then there’s Muay Boran, which is strictly a self-defence technique that uses locks, throws, and even anti-weapons training.
The ideal choice for you depends on what you’re looking to get out of it. Whatever you wind up picking, expect to develop lots of situational awareness and unprecedented stamina!
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