Shotokan vs. Muay Thai. Which martial arts?

Question

I was convinced that I was going to take Shotokan, but then I was watching TabunFire again. It got me thinking. Maybe I should take Muay Thai instead. So I would really appreciate it if any of you guys tell me the cons and pros for shotokan and muay thai and what you prefere. Thank you!

Answer 1

Ok this really depends on what your wants and needs are.

IF you are looking to fight a lot and get into kick boxing Muay Thai style then go that route, for Shotokan does not focus on fighting in the ring like Muay Thai does.

Shotokan is Karate or the way of the empty hand.

SO if you want to do a lot of fighting in a ring and against others, Muay Thai is your bet, but if you are more wanting to learn more than just that than Shotokan is your deal.

Both are great arts, its just which one will suit YOUR needs better. Try them both out I say and pick the one you feel you like the best.

Answer 2

Karate Vs Muay Thai

Answer 3

aye if you actually wanna fight take on muay thai. the shotokan style is MUCH more about discipline and respect, kinda like karate. shotokan lessons start out slow and the first couple of months are about cleansing your mind and purifying your energy. in muay thai you mostly discipline you're body rather than mind. as for the attacks of both muay thai and shotokan.
shotokan varies through a large arsenal of attacks and combos of all sorts, which can leave an opponent puzzled as to what your next attack will be. for muay thai, the attacks are much more focused upon quality rather than quantity, which brings out the 8 points of combat, (which I'm sure you've heard of before) although neither attacking with the head nor grappling or "clinching" are included in the "8 points of combat". many people don't realise the potential damage the head has to offer. if there is an opportunity to attack with the head, it could very well be a knockout. the attacks muay thai has to offer are few but with such power to each individual attack the few is all you need to pulverise an opponent. since i don't have much patience, i personally rather muay thai than shotokan.

Answer 4

Muay Thai-
Pros: Intense striking, intense training, very good in the "Aliveness" department, large emphasis on sparring, clinching is a very good technique in my opinion for street situations and for sparring.
Cons- This is a pro, and a con I would say, and honestly: It's how you interpret it.
The style has less than 100 moves. As a pro that means you'll have a roundhouse kick that hits like a baseball bat (Literally... some schools will have you cracking those things open) because you learn to hone those knees, elbows, punches, and kicks. As a con: Simplicity and practicality aren't synonymous, so some people might not like it for that reason. I personally don't think it's a con, but hey...
Clinching is good for close quarters, but I don't know if Muay Thai has ground grappling.

Shotokan
Pros- Various practical techniques, large array of moves, the sparring grows with you (You start with the simple low block-punch self defense concept, and then you rise up to "Freestyle Sparring").
Cons- I don't believe the style dabbles in grappling all that much, but I honestly don't know. The wikipedia page has a lot of controversy, so don't take what I'm about to post to the teeth:

"Training is usually divided into three sections: kihon or "basics", kumite or "sparring", and kata (forms or patterns of moves). Shotokan techniques in kihon and kata are characterised by deep, long stances which provide stability, powerful movements and also help strengthen the legs. Strength and power are often demonstrated instead of slower, more flowing motions. The kumite techniques mirror these stances and movements at a basic level, but progress to being more "free" and flexible at a higher level. Funakoshi is said to have found the traditional martial arts (such as sumo, jujutsu, and kenjutsu) to be too focused on combat, and he put more emphasis on health, breathing, releasing energy, and outstanding mind and body control. Shotokan can be regarded as a hard and 'external' martial art."

That might be another one of those "Pro and con" situations too. :p

Answer 5

It really depends on what you want to get out of it. Shotokan is a traditional martial art. If you enjoy performing punching and kicking drills and doing kata all the time, then thats for you. You do have light sparring, 5 step, 3 step, 1 step etc. If you want to get in better shape and learn how to defend yourself then take Muay Tai. You will do a lot more sparring and more "hard core" stuff. So it all depends on what you are looking for, your age, current condition etc. Why not check out the schools, they usually give a few free lessons. Try them both and then make up your mind. Good luck.

Answer 6

Muay thai in my opinion. Shotokan karate would take a much higher level of dedication to become an expert. For example Lyoto Machida in the UFC practices shotokan and dominates... however he has been training in it since the age of 4yrs old and comes from a family with a long line in the art. Watch Lyoto Machida vs Shogan Rua, shows an equal level expert of both arts used for standup and Shogun dominates despite losing by decision.

Answer 7

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These styles are polar opposites. Both are serious striking styles, but their approaches are completely different. Shotokan focuses on Kime and form to deliver the most power behind each technique, while Muay Thai relies on aggression and intensity to deliver hard techniques quickly in succession. If you want to practice the best stance and multiple techniques, my answer is Shotokan. (of course I admit I may be biased). Everything you see in Muay Thai is found in any other striking art. The differences are in the training style and intensity, which will vary from trainer to trainer anyway.

Answer 8

Shotokan is an effective martial art, and with some adjustments can be used to fight one on one, but thrives against multiple opponents. Muay Thai is a brutal one on one fighting style, that can be adusted to fit against multiple opponents.
1 on 1 combat: Muay Thai
Multiple Opponents: Shotokan
Tradition: Both are steeped in tradition
Englightenment: Both are used for higher "spiritual"purposes
Health: Both cultivate good health
Practiced into old age: I give the edge here to Shotokan, the founder of Shotokan practiced karate into his 90s.
Weapons: Neither, Shotokan dropped the weapons Funakoshi taught... Bo and Sai.

Answer 9

well i did shotokan and it was great. if you have a good teacher theyre only gonna teach you what really works. it has kicks but once you learn sweeping and stuff like that it becomes a great martial arts style. to me if you wanna take someone down and be on top of them take shotokan.

Answer 10

If you take two identical fighters of equal physical ability, teach one only shotokan and the other only muay thai, put them in a cage together and let them fight, the muay thai fighter will win 9 of 10 fights. Period