THE MAIN DIFFERENCES BETWEEN TWO "SISTER SPORTS"

By Angela Chang

With both kickboxing (K1 rules) and Muay Thai growing simultaneously around the world, fans of one sport are often fans of the other.

With many Muay Thai fighters successfully making the transition over to kickboxing (such as Sitthichai, Petchpanomrung, Tiffany van Soest, and many more), it’s easy to think they are the same.

While there are many similarities between the two, there are a few things that set Muay Thai apart from kickboxing.

1. Kicks to Punches Ratio

When you watch a professional Muay Thai fight, punches are usually only used to set up kicks and knees. Less commonly, some Muay Thai fighters will have the Muay Maat style and attempt to knock out their opponents with punches instead fighting to win on points.

However, you will see much much more punches being thrown in a kickboxing fight, often in long combinations or with the “haymaker” style of...