r/real_martial_arts

I'm going to start doing a martial art, and I am going to really dedicate myself to practising it. I don't want to pick a martial art that is useless in a practical fight. I used to really respect Taekwondo, but then I learned that it does not allow any form of sweeping or grappling, which I found ridiculous, as it is very normal in a street fight. I saw that the moderator also uses Taekwondo, and his kicks do look very intimidating. This really makes me question exactly how good Taekwondo is at fighting compared to other martial arts like Muay Thai.

It strengthens and builds durable bones, which any skilled martial artist can do. The low kicks are scary, but they can be countered with skill and precision. It uses elbow strikes, but muscles work in such a way that someone with more powerful punches would also have more powerful elbows. So, a boxer's elbows would be more lethal, as boxing is the best punching system in the world. I’m not claiming that Muay Thai is a bad martial art, because it is clearly not. It would be unfair to claim that the advantages of Muay Thai can be adapted to other martial arts, whilst the advantages offered by other martial arts, such as the punching power developed in boxing, cannot be cultivated through Muay Thai. I am only trying to prove that it should be about the martial artist, not the art.

If a pro Muay Thai fighter fought a pro boxer who also mastered Taekwondo, who do you think wins? It is a fight to the death, so any form of striking - including grappling - is allowed. The boxer has elite head movement and footwork from boxing, as well as Taekwondo's elite kicks. However, Muay Thai incorporates clinches and elbow strikes, which are not used in either boxing or Taekwondo. This makes the result very debatable.