Karate, Muay Thai or Boxing?

**Shuma-Gorath** · Posted On: 4/14/2004 3:33pm

After some time off from my Karate school, I’ve been visiting a number of schools and considering my options for starting training again this summer. During this time, it has suddenly dawned on me that I had been excluding other potential arts. Now that I’ve done some research and found that I have more options, I need some help from anyone at Bullshido who’s willing to listen.

Karate
Pros:
-Shah Franco’s Dojo, as I already stated in my review, is a fantastic school. Shah is a former point fighting champion and a BJJ brown belt and clearly understands fighting.
-I would be able to get K-1 kickboxing training in the same place.
-Already have my Shodan, so picking it up after six months off wouldn’t be a problem.
-The school trains professional fighters (though not in the karate classes from what I can tell), and the conditioning in a one-hour sparring class is the same as my two-hour Judo class.

Cons:
-I have to re-learn a few kata, since my last school was a spinoff from Northern Karate, who made quite a few changes to the Shotokan kata, and is a hybrid with Shito-ryu.
-The kickboxing classes overlap with my Judo classes. That means I have to pick between them every week, but can use the off days for weights.
-The big one: I figured that if the kickboxing was such a big plus, than why not go all the way with it and eliminate some of the problems with Karate (i.e. the sparring rules, the lack of bag work, etc). That brings me to the next two options.
-Haven’t actually seen the kickboxing class.

Muay Thai
Pros:
-Fighting, conditioning, and nothing but.
-If I take nothing else away from the training, I get a killer roundhouse and elbows of death.
-On that note, it would improve my kicking power, which has really dropped off in these last six months.
-I’d have to get over the whole Karate vs. Muay Thai dichotomy started in me by Street Fighter 2.
-Combined with Judo, I’d be unstoppable in the clinch range.

Cons:
-Cons. Well, ex-cons. There is only one school nearby, and from what I’ve heard from a guy at my Judo club, it’s full of scary people who like to break you in training. Then again, he sure doesn’t look like he went through six years of training with axe murders.
-On that note, I haven’t visited the school yet.
-Muay Thai is notorious for being tough on your body and giving you problems in old age. I’m unsure of the effect on my brain, but it won’t be positive.
-Muay Thai’s kicks aren’t as diverse as Karate (side kick, back kick, few if any snapping kicks).

Boxing

Pros:
-My punching is even worse than my kicking. I don’t think this is entirely the fault of my time off either. Boxing would be the best solution to that glaring flaw.
-karatefighter has told me of his excellent gym and the benefits he has taken on after switching from Shotokan. My footwork has always been pretty bad and I tend to freeze up in close, which are two things he said boxing has fixed.
-I have one gym really close to my house and another within walking distance of my college residence.
-Boxing has two things I never got enough of at my last school: hitting bags and jumping rope. In fact, I can’t jump rope for ****.

Cons:
-Brain damage. I’m trying to become a decent computer scientist at an expensive university. Losing brain function from the constant taps to the head isn’t something I look forward to.
-The parental units perceive boxing as barbaric, and I somewhat agree with stupid things like the standing eight-count. I’ll probably have to fund my training entirely on my own, but I’ve made a deal with them not to abuse my head if they quit smoking. I might end up listing that as a “pro” if I can get them to quit by getting my head pounded in.
-Only punching. I’m worried that my kicking game will completely die, and when I start sparring people with kicks I’m going to get my legs and ribs hammered.

I’m faced with too many good decisions here; what do I do?

**Shuma-Gorath** · Posted On: 4/14/2004 3:40pm

I voted Karate since I've already checked out the school, but mainly to view the results without an extra click :o

***TaeBo_Master*** · Posted On: 4/14/2004 3:43pm

I'd say go with Karate. From what you've said, the Muay Thai and Boxing you're only able to generalize about the art in general. Whereas with the karate, you know what you're getting. The instructor is a BJJ brown belt, so you'll be able to get more than just standup skills, and some good groundwork to compliment your Judo. Plus you say he trains professional fighters. Find out if these fighters do well in competition, if they do, you know what he teaches works.

***WhiteShark*** · Posted On: 4/14/2004 3:46pm

I voted Karate but I meant Kickboxing at the Karate school.

**Shuma-Gorath** · Posted On: 4/14/2004 4:00pm

I will of course check out the schools first. But from what I know, the MT gym will have a tough time beating the dojo or boxing gym. Let's assume it turns out to be an average school for the purposes of polling.

All of you who voted Muay Thai, get your asses in here and JUSTIFY! You will be assumed nutriders until then.

**hapki_18** · Posted On: 4/14/2004 4:23pm

i voted for muay thai(i'm maybe biased though).
you said that you've done karate for a while, so why not try something different. yeah, the bjj and kickboxing class might be nice to go along with the karate, but you're already taking judo right?

Haven’t actually seen the kickboxing class.

heh, it could be cardio-kickboxing or tae-bo:p

**Shuma-Gorath** · Posted On: 4/14/2004 4:27pm

Originally posted by hapki_18
heh, it could be cardio-kickboxing or tae-bo:p

I called in and asked. K-1 rules, as stated in the first post.

**hapki_18** · Posted On: 4/14/2004 4:42pm

oh, i was just joking dude. seriously though, my school does a cardio-kickboxing.
anyway, it sounds like you've already made up your mind by voting on karate.

**Shuma-Gorath** · Posted On: 4/14/2004 4:50pm

Originally posted by hapki_18
anyway, it sounds like you've already made up your mind by voting on karate.

No no no, I really haven't. I wouldn't be posting this thread if I had.

The vote for Karate is because I thought it would be the underdog, and to save myself a click. Muay Thai already has enough people voting for it without posting too.

**hapki_18** · Posted On: 4/14/2004 5:11pm

i guess my advice is to take your time before picking one of them.
see which pros of each one will better suit your personal style.
again i still say muay thai