What we’ll do in this article is compare two incredibly effective martial arts. One of them originates in China and the other one in Thailand. Indeed, we’re about to face Wing Chun and Muay Thai to see who will be victorious. Let’s first examine which of them will win in a real fight.
Muay Thai is more effective than Wing Chun because it includes more spars and conditions its trainees for real-life fighting. This is contrary to Wing Chun, which doesn’t emphasize sparring but instead embraces the discipline aspect rather than the fighting. In a real fight, then, Muay Thai will be victorious.
For the answer above, I took the average Muay Thai trainee and faced him against the average Wing Chun trainee. I’m aware that this outcome depends on how much fighting experience each fighter has coupled with many other factors, such as dedication, consistency, and the willingness to learn.
Let’s go ahead and define the two martial arts to see how they’re different.
Table of Contents
- What Is Muay Thai?
- What Is Wing Chun?
- Wing Chun vs. Muay Thai – Who Will Win?
- Should I Learn Muay Thai or Wing Chun?
- Is Wing Chun Effective?
- Final Words
What Is Muay Thai?
Let’s see what is Muay Thai and how it came to be what it is today.
Let me begin with a story. It’s the 13th century and times in Thailand are times of war. The soldiers needed to begin learning to fight to defend their kingdom. They couldn’t face their enemy without knowing bare-handed combat, as this was a real threat in these times.
Today, special forces operators also learn bare-handed combat, such as in the Israeli military, where they learn Krav Maga.
Anyways, back to the story.
Thailand has developed a new fighting style that was geared toward soldiers. It was aggressive and it did the job. However, it wasn’t nearly as effective as it was today. As the years went by, the art was curated to eventually end up where it is today, which is one of the most widely practiced and effective martial arts worldwide.
So what does it teach?
Muay Thai is also called the art of eight limbs, as it has eight contact points with the opponent. The contact points are:
- two fists
- two shins
- two knees
- two elbows
Basically, you’ll learn to kick, punch, knee, and elbow. You’ll also learn to clinch and throw your opponent, which is a superb addition to your fighting skills.
What Is Wing Chun?
Let’s now talk about Wing Chun. While its origins are unknown, it’s commonly thought to originate with the rise of Chinese martial arts. It can be traced back to the early 1700s, about 300 years later than when Muay Thai was first constructed.
The story of Wing Chun is mesmerizing. In a Shaolin temple, in China, a nun curated this effective fighting style by observing a fight between a rodent and a stork. The stork used the rodent’s momentum to repel it and eventually come out victorious.
She later named this fighting style Wing Chun, called after one of her top students (Yim Wing Chun.)
What does Wing Chun teach?
Basically, it teaches self-defense primarily from close-range. It doesn’t have any modern fighting rules, so it also includes various brutal attacks, such as throat strikes. It’s one of the youngest Kung fu styles, which got more and more popular thanks to the wide support it had received from its many supporters.
Wing Chun vs. Muay Thai – Who Will Win?
When facing two martial artists from different styles, we can only assume what the result will be. Truth is, the winner will be decided not by what martial art he does but by his individual work ethic and dedication toward continuous learning.
So, in our case, let’s assume two fighters who have been training for five years, one in Muay Thai and the other in Wing Chun. Also, let’s assume similar levels of dedication, consistency, and overall discipline. In that case, who’s going to win?
The Muay Thai fighter is more likely to win against the Wing Chun fighter because he has more sparring experience. Likewise, he learns specific techniques that are specifically geared toward fighting. For instance, he learns to knee strike powerfully, which can make a non-fighter “fold in two.”
But again, if the Wing Chun fighter has sparring experience that he had gained by sparring more often than not, he might come out on top in an all-out fight. That said, that’s unlikely to happen because Muay Thai emphasizes sparring and fighting, which Wing Chun doesn’t.
Should I Learn Muay Thai or Wing Chun?
Answering this question will depend on your goals. Let’s take two people as an example. Bob wants to learn traditional martial art and doesn’t necessarily care about self-defense or sparring. He wants to better himself in all realms of life and improve his discipline in whatever he does.
Dan, on the other hand, wants to become a fighter. Now, Bob and Dan have two choices to choose from. The first is Muay Thai and the second is Wing Chun. Who, in your opinion, should choose what?
You should learn Muay Thai if you’re interested in learning fighting that works, mostly striking but some grappling as well. On the other hand, Wing Chun is more suitable if you’re interested in learning a traditional fighting style, less for the fighting aspect and more for self-improvement.
This is the best factor I can give you to make your choice. Remember, real fighting isn’t necessarily speed and flashy techniques, but real sparring experience combined with effective fighting techniques.
If you want to learn which equipment will be required for you to bring to your first Muay Thai class, follow this link.
Is Wing Chun Effective?
This is one of the most controversial questions regarding Wing Chun online. So, I want to show all the sides involves while giving my personal opinion on the matter. It’s important to understand before I give the answer that I’m not striving to sound like a Wing Chun trainee, because I am not. I’ve encountered and talked to many martial arts trainees in my life, and some of them started off with Wing Chun.
So without further backstory and disclaimers, here’s whether it’s effective.
Wing Chun is considered an effective martial art, focusing on close-range combat more than long-range. For instance, many masters advocate for not using high kicks because they make you vulnerable to throat attacks. However, it lacks real fighting and sparring experience, making other martial arts more effective.
Indeed, it lacks sparring, which is a critical component in martial arts and fighting as a whole.
If you agree or disagree with me, I would love for you to comment at the end of this article—sharing your personal opinion. If you will, I will be sure to read it.
Final Words
Both Wing Chun and Muay Thai are two incredibly effective martial arts that you should learn. What I want you to take from this article is, first of all, all the knowledge you’ve gained.
But also, I want you to take the hardest step and start your training. This will be the most difficult step you’ll need to take to begin seeing results. However, once you’ve taken the step and started your training, you’ll begin experiencing the many results martial arts will help you reap.
So start your training and I wish you all the luck in the world!
If you want to continue your learning, here are other articles you’ll benefit from reading:
Boxing vs. Muay Thai – The Ultimate Showdown (Knockout)
Silat vs. Muay Thai – Differences (Which Is Better)
Krav Maga vs. Muay Thai (Who Really Wins) – Showdown!
Muay Thai vs. Kung Fu – Who Wins? (Differences & Advantages)
Judo vs. Muay Thai – The Ultimate Showdown (Who Wins?)