Muay Thai vs Jiu Jitsu – Which One is More Effective
Muay Thai and Jiu Jitsu are two of the most prominent mixed martial disciplines showcased in the MMA world. Whether it is the UFC, ONE Championship, Bellator, or any other, these two combat styles support techniques, that often lead to violent knockouts and dirty submissions. But between the two, Muay Thai vs Jiu Jitsu, which discipline is more effective both inside the ring and outside of it?
If you haven’t started training in mixed martial yet, you might be puzzled about choosing between muay thai and jiu-jitsu. Well, you do not have to worry as in this article we will be reviewing the two mixed martial arts fighting styles, their techniques, pros & cons, and hopefully might put to bed the debate, surrounding which one is better, Muay Thai or Jiu Jitsu.
Understanding Muay Thai and Jiu-Jitsu
Muay Thai commonly known as Thai boxing used to be limited to just Thailand and its
surroundings. The origin of the sport dates back to the 1600s when the Thai army practiced the style to combat their opponents. Since then, Muay Thai has been treated as much more than a sport in Thailand. It’s a way of life, that gifts strength, and discipline.
Muay Thai slowly became a fighting style used by MMA fighters who prefer the art of striking over anything else. Even the Western fighters who learn and apply its techniques are advised to follow the core values of the sport.
On the other hand, the origin of Jiu-Jitsu can be traced back to ancient Japan where it was used as a defensive technique against armed warriors. Then, of course, the sport saw anunprecedented rise, when Mitsuyo Maeda and the Gracie family helped it grow around theworld.
1. Basics of Muay Thai
At its core, Muay Thai relies on striking your opponent until they get knocked down. The legal striking methods in Muay Thai include punches, kicks, elbows, knee strikes, and clinching. Each part of a fighter’s body (excluding the head) is used as a weapon to dismantle the opponent.
Muay Thai fighters are defined by their Muay Thai fighting styles as the discipline is categorized into, Muay Khao, Muay Sok, Muay Femur, Muay Bouk, Muay Mat, Muay Tae, Muay Korat, Muay Lerdrit, and Muay Chaiya. Each fighting style comes with its pros and cons. Now let’s have a brief look at the basics of jiu-jitsu.
2. Basics of Jiu-Jitsu
Jiu-Jitsu is a matchup of two submission specialists who battle it out on the ground until one of them is submitted. This unique sport, might not use violent moves to severely hurt the opponent but it uses techniques that force the opponent to submit.
Brazilian jiu-jitsu fighters use grappling techniques that help them dominate heavier fighters in the ring or on the mats. This martial arts discipline is often associated with chess, as every second, the competitors choose their next move, and one bad move can finish things off for good.
3. Ranking System in Muay Thai
Muay Thai as said before is a traditional combat style and during that era, a grading system was not introduced. However, in recent times, several Muay Thai federations including KMA have started grading fighters based on their skills.
The grading starts from Khan 1 and goes on till Khan 10, which is the most experienced skill level. At every level, students are handed a different colored Mongkal which is a headband worn by Muay Thai fighters during their match.
The colour of the Mongkol, determines a fighter’s skill (Khan) level. The modern grading system goes like this, Khan 1 (White Mongkol), Khan 2 (Yellow Mongkol), Khan 3 (Yellow-White Mongkol), Khan 4 (Green Mongkol), Khan 5 (Green-White Mongkol), Khan 6 (Blue Mongkol), Khan 7 (Blue-White Mongkol), Khan 8 (Brown Mongkol), Khan 9 (Brown White Mongkol), and Khan 10 (Red Mongkol).
4. Ranking System in Jiu-Jitsu
This is where it gets interesting as the ranking system in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu is much more organized and well-regulated. To get promoted in jiu-jitsu, each fighter has to join a BJJ dojo that is governed by notable jiu-jitsu federations.
They have to learn the sports as well as offer respect to their teacher, and after a standard performance, the student is promoted to the next rank. While the Muay Thai students are awarded Mongkol at every stage, jiu-jitsu fighters get a belt that is similar to the one given in karate.
The ranking is determined by the color of the belt that goes like this, white belt, blue belt, purple belt, brown belt, Black Belt, Black / Red belt, White / Red belt, and Red Belt, which is the
highest rank.
5 Difference Between Muay Thai vs Jiu Jitsu
1. Muay Thai vs Jiu Jitsu: Self-Defense
Both these fighting styles are beneficial to protect yourself from danger. Muay Thai fighters are masters of hand-to-hand combat. With years of experience practicing Muay Thai, fighter condition themselves for any incoming blows while also perfecting their violent punches, kick, knees, and elbow to knock the attacker.
One area they seriously lack is their ground game and remember that most fights often end up on the ground. This is where someone who knows jiu-jitsu succeeds. On the ground, BJJ fighters might not use punches or kicks, but they get the job done with their classy grappling moves.
So in a nutshell, knowing either of the fighting styles could come to your assistance when there are no rules involved.
2. Muay Thai vs Jiu Jitsu: Tournaments
Outside of the confines of MMA, both Muay Thai and jiu-jitsu host their respective tournaments annually. If you are looking to choose a fighting style because you want to compete in a tournament, then rest assured there will be plenty of opportunities headed your way.
Muay Thai tournaments are extremely common in Thailand. In every city, you can for a fact witness high-octane matches between quality athletes. World Muay Thai Angels (WMA) is a tournament that hosts the finest fighters in the sport while Muay Thai Grand Prix is a global tournament as they schedule their event in different combat sports-loving countries.
Similarly, Brazilian jiu-jitsu events are organized by the International Brazilian Jiu-jitsu
Federation. With an interconnected network between their recognized BJJ gyms, they conduct the World Jiu-Jitsu Championship, which awards the best in the sport.
3. Muay Thai vs Jiu Jitsu: MMA
In the flashy and brutal world of mixed martial arts, Muay Thai and jiu-jitsu both have a respectful place.
There is no surprise that Muay Thai is more popular in Asia where ONE Championship seems to do a fantastic job promoting the fighting style. Muay Thai fighters from around the world compete at the biggest MMA stage in ONE Championship and fight opponents of different styles and martial arts disciplines. So to be competitive in Asia, on top of your ground game, you have to be a hell of a striker.
Jiu Jitsu on the other hand is more popular in Brazil and the United States. The UFC has numerous fighters who prefer takedowns and submission. Jon Jones, Lyoto Machida, and Anderson Silva are some of the greatest mixed martial artists who practice and apply BJJ techniques in the octagon. So there is no doubt that BJJ could give you an edge against a fighter with limited knowledge of grappling and submission.
4. Muay Thai vs Jiu Jitsu: Rules
Muay Thai fights consist of three, three-minute rounds. Fighters can use their punches, kicks, elbows, and knees to knock an opponent. They are awarded points based on their striking abilities. At the end of a fight, a fighter is given the victory by either knockout or based on the judge’s scoring.
The time duration in Jiu Jitsu matches varies from tournament to tournament. Usually, they range between 5 to 10 minutes. In the match, the fighters use effective jiu-jitsu techniques to dominate their opponents. Their different moves including takedowns help the judges score the match. A competitor can either win by submission or by the judges score count.
5. Notable Muay Thai & Jiu-Jitsu Fighters
Muay Thai has some massive names in Asia. Even a casual fan of the sport knows the name Saenchai who is arguably one of the greatest names in the sport. Additionally, Buakaw Banchamek, Samart Payakaroon, Somrak Kamsing are a few big names that conquered the ring for years. When you talk about BJJ legends, one name often stands above the rest and that is Roger Gracie, a 10-time IBJJF world champion. Royce Gracie is another name from the iconic Gracie family, who helped jiu-jitsu reach a wider audience thanks to his masterclass in the early years of the ultimate fighting championship.
Gordon Ryan, Roberto “Cyborg” Abreu, Marcus “Buchecha” Almeida, Charles Oliveira, and Lyoto Machida are a few of the most popular names in jiu-jitsu worldwide.
So Which discipline is more Effective – Muay Thai or Jiu Jitsu
To be effective and successful in mixed martial arts (MMA), we would encourage you to learn a little of both. You can either choose to become an expert in jiu-jitsu while also improving your Muay Thai to a certain level or you can become a living weapon by perfecting your Muay Thai and learning a thing or two about the ground game.
Both these scenarios can work in your favor and can give you a significant advantage against a one-dimensional fighter. If you enjoy the article click on the jtwhatsapp to share the article on whatsapp. Hope this guide is helpful for you. Feel free to comment if you have any questions and if you are intrested to write for us about the combat or non combat sports don’t be hesetate to contact us.
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