Krav Maga is considered one of the most effective combative systems in the world. I went through a 14-month KM training, and I’ll share my experience with that soon. It’s used by the Israeli military and is taught to other special forces operators all around the world. On the other hand, Muay Thai is a traditional martial art that’s also Thailand’s national sport. It’s extremely powerful.
There’s very little in common between these fighting styles. However, they do have some similar traits, which we’ll review in the following sections. When we face a Krav Maga trainee and a Muay Thai fighter, aka Nuk Muay, who will prevail?
Muay Thai is more effective than Krav Maga and is also more effective in self-defense, although Krav Maga is a “self-defense system.” Krav Maga lacks pressure testing, which is the primary advantage of Muay Thai when compared to other martial arts. It’s one of the best martial arts for conditioning and fighting.
Indeed, you will spar a ton when you do Thai Boxing. Really, there’s no better way to learn to fight than to spar often, as it’s the closest you’ll get to a real fight in training. Krav Maga simply lacks that.
What we’ll do in this article is dive deeply into both martial arts and compare the two. While Muay Thai has its advantages, Krav Maga has some as well. So let’s dive into the differences between them!
Table of Contents
- Krav Maga vs. Muay Thai – Differences
- Krav Maga vs. Muay Thai – Similarities
- Is Krav Maga Better Than Muay Thai for Self-Defense?
- Should I Learn Krav Maga or Muay Thai?
- Can I Do Krav Maga and Muay Thai?
- Final Words
Krav Maga vs. Muay Thai – Differences
The first part of this article is going to point out the differences between Krav Maga and Muay Thai. This is, in m eyes, the most important section in the entire article. If there’s only one section I could give you, it would be this one.
If you’re trying to decide which of these you’ll learn, this is the section you want to pay the most attention to. Let’s get straight into the first difference, which is also the most critical one to understand.
Difference #1 – Philosophy
The first difference we’ll review is the philosophy of these fighting styles. Muay Thai is a traditional martial art and Krav Maga is a self-defense system that was originally made for soldiers. You probably understand then, that they’ll be different.
Krav Maga
Let’s start with Krav Maga. Now, to remind you, I went through a 14-month Krav Maga training. So naturally, I know a thing or two about it. Here’s what I learned to do in real fights:
I learned that the winner in a street fight is the more aggressive one and the person with the “fire” in his eyes. You must want to beat the opponent and simply tear him apart. This is what I learned. We also did some pressure testing, but not as much or as often.
The pressure testing we did do was with tons of protective equipment and you couldn’t hit the head. So you can understand why I didn’t become a technical fighter doing Krav Maga.
On the other hand, I have to give props to the fact that you learn to be extremely aggressive, which is important. And to be frank, it’s more important to special forces operators than to someone who’s not in the military, as an operator has to know how to unleash his inner beast and tear through the enemy.
In that instance, Krav Maga is the best way to achieve that. So if you want to unleash the inner beast that’s inside of you, either enlist to be an operator or learn Krav Maga. It’s up to you.
Muay Thai
Muay Thai’s fighting approach is different, to say the least. In the first few weeks of your training, you’ll throw thousands of kicks and punches to perfect your technique. Only once you perfect your technique will you advance to more complicated training methods, primarily sparring.
Muay Thai’s conditioning is the best I experienced, by far. You’ll get hit in the head and body very often. You’ll also strengthen your fists and shins to withstand everything until the point where you won’t feel pain there anymore.
However, once you learn the basics and are considered an intermediate Muay Thai trainee, you’ll go through many spars, which might intimidate the average person. But then again, you’ll become someone who knows to fight more than the average person, so you’ll wait for your spars.
Muay Thai’s philosophy is simple; learn to fight and become a beast. Become comfortable with getting hit and use your “Eight Limbs” to cause damage. Your Eight Limbs are your fists, shins, knees, and elbows.
Difference #2 – Fighting Techniques
The second difference, which is a direct by-product of the first one—is the fighting techniques they each teach. This is one of the first differences you want to really understand when trying to decide which of them you’ll learn.
Now I did both martial arts for more than 12 months, and I know what you learn in both. In fact, I can tell you some specific techniques, which I will. Let’s begin with KM.
Krav Maga
Krav Maga teaches various self-defense techniques that allow you to deal with many situations you’ll typically stumble upon in the street, such as dealing with knives and pistols. You’ll also learn to punch, kick, knee elbow, and some grappling, which are essential fighting techniques.
So, I want to be as honest with you as possible. You won’t become a good fighter when learning KM. In fact, the only real skill you’ll learn is how to finish a fight in a few seconds. That’ll be your primary focus.
However, and pay close attention now, you’ll learn many things about dirty, self-defense fighting. I, having seen numerous street fights go down, understand that street fights don’t have any rules and are usually over after just a few seconds.
Thus, I firmly believe that Krav Maga is an effective fighting style to learn for that purpose only. If you’re not really eager to become a good martial arts fighter but just want to learn self-defense, then KM is for you.
Muay Thai
I can literally write a book about the teachings of Muay Thai, but I won’t expand too much upon the techniques. Let’s just go over the very basics.
Muay Thai is referred to as the Art of Eight Limbs, as you’ll learn to punch, kick, knee, and elbow. Likewise, you’ll master clinching and various throws and sweeps. For instance, you’ll learn to catch kicks and finish by sweeping your opponent’s foot to throw him to the floor.
Here are some of the punches you’ll learn:
- jab
- cross
- hook
- uppercut
- overhand punch
These are the basic punches you’ll learn in Thai Boxing. These can be extremely effective when used correctly.
And now for some kicks:
- low kick
- teep
- roundhouse kick
- spinning kick
- body kick
- switch kick
- head kick
here are some defensive moves you’ll learn:
And then, you’ll learn to knee and elbow, which aren’t less important to understand:
- diagonal knee
- straight knee
- jumping knee
- straight elbow
- downward elbow
- poking elbow
- spinning elbow
Contrary to Krav Maga, all Muay Thai trainees will be learning these techniques. Thai Boxing is a worldwide martial art that’s taught in the same manner throughout the globe, regardless of the fighting gym you attend.
Difference #3 – Rules
The third difference is the rules. This is very important to understand, as the rules of the combative system are what characterizes them. When you choose one to learn, you want to understand the rules to a solid degree, which you can do by paying attention to this section.
Krav Maga
Krav Maga has no rules. Likewise, no real official competitions exist, as KM trainees aren’t learning to fight under such conditions.
Muay Thai
If you’re interested in competing, you want to learn Muay Thai and not Krav Maga, as the latter doesn’t have any competitions.
Here are the rules of Muay Thai:
- The object is to win the bout by either (A) knockout or (B) points
- The maximum size of a ring will be 24ft by 24ft
- Ropes will surround the ring
- The fighters can either wear rope gloves or Muay Thai gloves, depending on the tournament
- You’re allowed to punch, kick, elbow, and knee
- You’re allowed to throw and sweep your opponent
- The objective is to hit the opponent while avoiding getting hit
- If you knock out your opponent, he has 10 seconds to recover
- You win the fight if your opponent can’t continue to fight due to knockout
- Judges decide the winner by who was the superior fighter in the fight (if no knockout)
- Each round is three minutes in length
- There are either three or five rounds in a bout
- You’re allowed to clinch
Difference #4 – Origin
The last difference we’ll review is the origin. Usually, I emphasize the origin of the martial arts I’m reviewing, as it’s key to understanding where it originates from. Where it originates from typically influences how it was developed until this day, making it valuable information.
For now, I won’t go into too much detail; still, let’s see where KM and MT originate from.
Krav Maga
Krav Maga originates in Czechoslovakia but it was primarily developed in Israel, where it was taught to its special forces. Because it was developed specifically for operators as a way to defend themselves when they find themselves weaponless and afoot, it’s not really about fighting, but about aggression.
Muay Thai
Muay Thai originates in Thailand, where they selected it as their national sport. Today, it’s one of the most practiced martial arts on the globe, as its trainees understand how powerful it can be under most circumstances. If you know Thai Boxing, you can knock out an opponent in just one solid hit.
Krav Maga vs. Muay Thai – Similarities
Let’s now review two similar traits between Krav Maga and Muay Thai. Understanding these is just as important as understanding the differences between them, especially if you’re still deciding which one you’re going to learn.
Similarity #1 – Effectiveness
The first similar trait is their effectiveness. Both Thai Boxing and Krav Maga teach effective fighting techniques. They teach different fighting techniques you would use under different circumstances; but still, they both are effective combative systems that you can learn and expand your knowledge with.
Similarity #2 – Benefits
The second similar trait is the results and benefits you’ll receive from training in both fighting styles. Here are some of the benefits you can expect to gain by training either in Krav Maga or Muay Thai:
- Knowing to fight
- Increased confidence
- Higher self-esteem
- Reduced stress
- Lower aggression and anger levels
- Becoming self-accountable
- Better physical shape
- Many more
“. . . exercisers (KM Trainees) can expect a moderateto-vigorous intensity workout that teaches self-defense techniques while simultaneously providing a full-body workout.”
SOURCE
Is Krav Maga Better Than Muay Thai for Self-Defense?
Muay Thai is more suitable than Krav Maga for self-defense even though the latter is a self-defense system. Muay Thai will teach you how to get hit in the face and move an inch while being able to cause significant amounts of damage to potentially finish fights in just one or two hits.
Should I Learn Krav Maga or Muay Thai?
If you’re interested in learning self-defense and self-defense only, Krav Maga is what you should choose. On the other hand, if you want to learn a martial art that teaches real-life skills while making you an exceptionally capable fighter, with the option to compete, then Muay Thai is what you should choose.
Can I Do Krav Maga and Muay Thai?
You can do both Krav Maga and Muay Thai. However, it won’t be worth it to learn both of them simultaneously because you’ll slow down your progression by learning two fighting styles. Instead, the best option would be to choose one and dedicate yourself to it. And if you want, you can always do both or switch.
Final Words
Both Krav Maga and Muay Thai are effective combative systems. However, they’re very, very different. One is just a self-defense system and the other is a comprehensive martial art that makes amazing fighters.
The takeaway from this article is to choose one martial art and begin your training. The last thing I want you to do is hesitate in choosing one and end up not progressing at all. This is not as good as choosing one and starting to dedicate yourself to it.
Remember, Rome wasn’t built in a day, so it’ll take time for you to learn such valuable skills like fighting. Remain patient and consistent. Good luck!
Here are other articles you’ll benefit from reading:
Muay Thai vs. Kung Fu – Who Wins? (Differences & Advantages)
Judo vs. Muay Thai – The Ultimate Showdown (Who Wins?)
Muay Thai vs. Taekwondo – Which Is Better (Differences)
11 Valuable Tips for Krav Maga Beginners | Progress Faster