Bokator is one of the oldest martial arts to ever exist. In modern times, Bokator was almost eradicated since it was illegal to teach and learn at the time. Times were times of oppression. San Kim Sean, who is considered the father of Bokaor, had to flee Cambodia, under the accusations that he was starting to form an army to resist. When he came back to Cambodia in 1992, his goal was to revive this martial art. And you guessed it, he succeeded.
Muay Thai, on the other hand, has developed and flourished to be Thailand’s national sport. Its influence on the world and specifically on Thailand is magnificent. If you ever visit Thailand, I encourage you to visit a Muay Thai gym and train to see how seriously they take their training.
In the question of whether Muay Thai or Bokator is more effective, we have to examine and dive deeply into the small details. We have to look at fighting techniques, rule sets, and many other factors.
If you’re interested in learning one of them or are just wondering which is better, let’s start comparing and dissecting them into pieces.
Before we dive in, I want to hear your story. Post your story regarding martial arts in the comments at the end of this article! I’ll make sure to read every single one.
What Does Bokator Teach?
Bokator is an entire martial arts system, which isn’t what you’d expect from a relatively unpopular fighting style. To be honest, I had never heard of it until a month ago when I had come across an extremely insightful article about its origins. Today, it’s still taught in Cambodia. From my experience, it looks like an extremely effective and effective martial art.
Bokator is a complete martial art that teaches striking, such as knee strikes, elbows, punches, and kicks, while covering grappling in various forms. As a result, its fighters are competent and can use their skillset to finish a fight quickly. Furthermore, it also teaches weapons, such as lotus sticks and the bamboo staff.
Bokator resembles the movements of animals in some instances. For instance, there are various animal-named techniques, such as “Horse” “Tiger” and many others. By the way, there are rumors to be around 8000-10000 techniques. However, you won’t need to learn more than 1000 (which is still a ton) to reach the black grade.
So when asking what techniques Bokator teaches, the answer is everything. You’ll learn striking and grappling, which are the main two forms of fighting. But you won’t just learn to punch like Boxing teaches you, you’ll learn to elbow strike, knee strike (in many forms), and kick. All in all, it’s a highly effective fighting style with one of the most beautiful stories I’ve seen.
I do want to add a note here. There aren’t many competitions where Bokator faced any other martial art, such as MMA or Kickboxing. Truly, there’s no way of knowing whether it’s effective against them. We can only assume.
What Does Muay Thai Teach?
Muay Thai is also known as “The Art of Eight Limbs” and that’s for a reason. You’ll learn to use your knees, elbows, fists, and shin to inflict as much damage on your opponent while using these body parts. You’ll also learn to grapple in two primary ways, clinch and throw your opponent.
Muay Thai teaches knee strikes, elbow strikes, kicks, and punches. It’s also the art of the clinch, and you can also use throws and sweeps to throw your opponent to the ground. However, the fight will reset once you do so.
I personally do Muay Thai and have been able to see many positive results from my training. It truly has changed the way I see myself and see the world, which I guess are the same at the end of the day.
I’ve become an aggressive, conditioned fighter, capable of getting hit in the face and not having the slightest care in the world. This is why The Art of Eight Limbs is one of the most powerful ones on the planet. It makes its trainees exceptionally conditioned and ready to tackle the world.
While I’ve never done actual Bokator under a master, I know it also conditions its trainees to do the same. And yet, Muay Thai seems to be the ruler of conditioning when it comes to martial arts.
Read an article I wrote about the best Muay Thai gloves for beginners by following this link.
Can Bokator Beat Muay Thai?
Whether Bokator can beat Muay Thai is a very interesting question. To be honest, there’s no straightforward answer to that. Since both of these martial arts are extremely powerful and effective, it can really go either way. However, there’s something that we can say for sure.
Bokator can beat Muay Thai because it teaches a wide range of techniques. For instance, some Bokator bouts end on the ground, either with a choke or a submission. Muay Thai fighters, on the other hand, don’t know ground grappling. Therefore, they’re likely to lose if the fight permits ground grappling.
I guess the answer depends on the situation and the skill level of the practitioners. If the Muay Thai fighter can avoid getting to the ground, which is not as likely, then he’ll have the advantage.
On the other hand, if the Bokator fighter doesn’t know to use the ground as much to his advantage, he won’t be able to gain the upper hand. While the ground grappling it teaches is fine, it’s not nearly at the level of BJJ, so the Muay Thai fighter can definitely get the win here.
Which Is Better, Muay Thai or Bokator?
I really dislike comparing two martial arts, as each one has its unique history and story, which I feel I disrespect. However, I have my opinions, which have been formed through years of experience and hundreds of conversations with practitioners in many different realms of martial arts.
Muay Thai is better than Bokator because it prepares its fighters for real fights, which are street fights and self-defense. That said, Bokator is a highly effective martial art that teaches everything. And still, Thai Boxing is one of the most aggressive and powerful martial arts on the planet.
Although I’m biased toward Muay Thai, this is what I truly believe. Bokator is still a mystery to the world. Although Cambodian news outlets are constantly trying to shed light on it, its true nature remains a mystery.
Final Words
This is the end of my comparison of Bokator and Muay Thai. I absolutely am an absolute fan of both martial arts, as they do more good than bad in the world, which is a rare trait.
People are starting their fighting journeys and are continuously bettering themselves, which is, again, scarce. Not many people are stepping out of their comfort zone and taking purposeful steps toward self-improvement, which is why I’ve dedicated my life to martial arts.
Start your training as soon as possible if you truly want to see positive changes in your life. I hope you found this article interesting and accurate enough to your liking.
Here are other articles you’ll benefit from reading:
Muay Thai vs. Taekwondo – Which Is Better (Differences)
The 7 Best Muay Thai Shorts for Your Money
How to Start Doing Muay Thai Without Prior Experience