what is better and more reliable martial arts or boxing?

Answer 1

I would say martial arts but it would also depend on the skill. A experienced boxer could beat a novice martial artist. Comparing just the 2 styles though would be martial arts.

Answer 2

Well, since this is the Martial Arts forum and not the boxing forum, I'd say that most of the answers will be Martial Arts.
Boxing is a martial art also and very reliable. A good boxer can hold his own against a Karate guy and probably beat some other arts. There are arts that are so different from boxing that he wouldn't have a chance, like Aikido, ju-jistu, judo, Hapkido.
I'll say martial arts is better but boxing is very good.

Answer 3

Martial Arts

Answer 4

Martial Arts (Ju Jitsu, Karate, etc) WAY more effective than boxing alone. A classical boxer will not know what to do if he is ever taken to the ground or falls down. Granted a good boxer can hold his own with most styles of martial arts, but once it's on the ground boxing's effectiveness is gone. The best??? A good combination of boxing and a martial art.

Answer 5

What determines the "Better" and "More Reliable" is the Student and not the Art.

An exponent can be a Better person and have Better fighting spirit irrespective of the path he chooses.

Although martial arts tend to have deeper roots in spiritual content and other stuff from the Warrior's Way, there's nothing stopping a boxing enthusiast from applying the same discipline and spirit in his chosen sport.

Also martial arts is a huge category covering Western and Eastern fighting arts that range from the soft, dancing styles to the hard, knock-down ones.

If you are asking so that you can make a choice, then I'd say its entirely up to you. Research and visit the training centres for each art and make your own choice.

Some martial arts masters say that at the higher levels the skill of the exponents level out - that it, they become equal in knowledge, spirit and skill. I suppose that could apply to boxing too.

Answer 6

Boxing is more reliable than Martial Arts in my opinion, Bruce Lee once said "The foundation of any Martial Art is boxing, you have stance (balance) fist (striking) head movement and blocking, it is up to the individual to be like water and hold no specific form and flow from one move onto the next" That being said learn the basics of boxing and then incorporate Muay Thai, BJJ, Tae Kwon Do or any other discipline and become a well rounded fighter not so one dimensional.

Answer 7

what the hell do you think martial arts is? I guess you're with the majority of population who think martial arts is about jumping around and dancing around and throw some worthless flurry fancy kicks.

The truth is martial arts is anything that can be use to win physical hands to hands fight. That's why I don't consider Kung Fu, majority of TKD, and many many other styles a martial arts any more. They have been watered down so much that it's only good for show but not for saving your skin in bad situtation.

So to me martial arts is mainly but not limited to: boxing, muay thai, kick boxing, kyokushin karate, few karate that break off from kyokushin, wrestling, jiu jitsu, judo, and more.

So if you're thinking of my version, then it doesn't matter if you are working on defending yourself against some goober because almost any style will do well.

If you're thinking of "exhibition" style then boxing will definitely be far more reliable because you can use it for real.

Answer 8

Boxing _is_ a martial art. It's a highly specialized one, just like jiujitsu focuses on ground fighting, taekwondo focuses mostly on kicks, and karate is more punching than kicking. It's like comparing a swimmer to a guy who runs triathlons. The swimmer might win a water-only race, but the tri-guy is going to dominate a more rounded course.

For reliability in a street fight, I'd say other more rounded martial arts are best. While he might be a killer striker, a boxer doesn't know how to protect his legs, how to fight a take-down, or how to fight on the ground. I'm trained in all of those through Muay Thai and BJJ.

For workout, boxing is the toughest thing I've ever done. Two minutes in a boxing ring is a harder workout for me than 10-20 minutes grappling.

Answer 9

Deffinately Martial Arts...though it depends on which Martial arts you take.

Some, like TKD and Karate are very ineffective in an actual confrontation, whereas Muay Thai and Catch Wrestling/Pankretion are amazingly effective.

Some people will argue, and say "Well, I've done TKD or Karate for x number of years and I'm really good. "

Maybe they are. But, usually a person trained in any of the following for a shorter ammount of time will wipe the floor with the TKD or Karate student.

Also, it is important to mention Kung-Fu. Kung-Fu (KF) is extremely diverse and depending on the forms you decide on, it can be extremely effective after some time.

My friend has been in KF for about 10 years and is amazingly fast, and strong for his size/weight. He also is very accurate and can attack just the right spots to make you feel like crap.

That said, I have never lost to him, and I attribute it to just knowing how to clinch fight and standing or grounded grapple.

That also said, he is the toughest kid I know, and could beat the **** out of anyone else I know.

My point is, no matter what you want, always learn something about grappling and clinch fighting

Grappling (Jiu-Jitsu, Sambo, Judo, Thai-Jitsu, Catch Wrestling, Pankretion)
Clinch Fighting (Muay Thai, Thai Boran, Dirty Boxing, Catch Wrestling, Pankretion)

And combine them with whatever striking art you want.
From my personal experience, as well as being experienced in sparring people of different backgrounds, almost all of whom have more experience than me, and not being challenged unless put up with a Muay-Thai, Savate, Systema/Combat Sambo, or Combat Jiu-Jitsu practitioner, I have a very biased oppinion on what is good and what works. (Mainly because I have been there to see stuff that doesn't and I have experienced stuff that does, and only use things that do). The way of Jeet Kun Do. Take what works, cast off what does not.

I hope this helps.



--JOHN out.

PS, If you want my oppinion on what works the best, try Muay Thai/Thai Boran mixed with Catch Wrestling and Pankretion, Combat Sambo or Combat Jiu-Jitsu.

Answer 10

By reliable, do you mean as a form of self-defense? If so, it's hard to compete with mar...well, actually, boxing is a form of martial arts, in my opinion; but, I understand where you're coming from. So, as a form of total self-defense, I'd be hard to compare boxing to, say, karate. The former emphasizes only hands, while the latter uses arms and legs. Now, as just a means to work up a good sweat or just in terms of aesthetics, boxing is better, I think.