Learning the Styles of Muay Thai

Muay Thai is well known for having established fighting styles that are extremely different. Some may be extremely aggressive, favoring a bulldozer type fixation of attacking. Some may be more reserved and calculated. Rather than trying to overwhelm an opponent with raw power, they instead bide their time and only strike at the most opportune times.

In a lot of cases, people will rely on a specific style of Muay Thai because it fits within their body type and personality. For example, a person who has a long reach will have more of a natural aptitude for striking from further away, whereas a shorter person will thrive by eliminating the distance between them and their opponents. With respect to personality, people who are more patient will be able to take a methodical approach, whereas people who are naturally willing to take risks will probably favor an aggressive style.

Muay Thai for Nerds

The different styles of Muay Thai can be difficult to keep straight, especially if you’re new to the martial art. As part of Alby Tam’s Muay Thai for Nerds series, he describes six of the most common ones as if they are custom-made “builds” from a video game. Some of the attributes that go into each build are durability, strength, speed, and stamina. In all, he covers six: Muay Mat, Muay Khao, Muay,

Muay Mat

Alby starts with the Muay Mat build. Muay Mat is one of the strongest builds in Muay Thai because it involves relentless attacking paired with speed and strength. This kind of strategy can quickly overwhelm opponents and drain them of stamina. Some of the downsides of the Muay Mat build is that they take a lot of damage, lack evasive capabilities, and do not score as many points as other fighters. Additionally, this kind of fighting can only be possible if one has a tremendous amount of endurance and resilience. Without these attributes, it is impossible to be an effective Muay Mat fighter.

Muay Khao

Muay Khao fighters fight from the clinch and use a lot of knee attacks. Like Muay Mat, they tend to be relentless, which means these fighters are notorious for their endurance and durability. Muay Mat fighters are usually taller, allowing them to more effectively throw knees, but will take a lot of damage because of their tendency to fight at close distance.

Muay Bok

The Muay Bouk build is also very aggressive and tends to rush their opponents right from the beginning of the fight. “Muay Bouk fighters excel in close-quarter combat,” Alby says, “unleashing punishing bursts of damage to their opponents.” On the downside, Muay Bouk fighters sustain a lot of damage because they tend to be shorter, lack the range of some other types of fighters, and may struggle to evade attacks. Without the ability to absorb damage and continue on, it can be difficult for this kind of fighter to be successful or to stay healthy.

Muay Tae

The Muay Tae build is more versatile than some of the previous builds we’ve mentioned. They tend to be taller and are known primarily for their strength and speed. Because of their range, their kicks are especially dangerous. However, Muay Tae builds need to have excellent timing and the ability to control distance in order to be effective. This requires a higher fight IQ than some other styles.

Muay Femur

Probably the most popular and highly respected build in Muay Thai, Muay Femur takes timing and precision to new heights, meaning they need to develop a lot of technical skill to be most effective. In addition, the Muay Femur build demands a high degree of agility, evasive abilities, and spatial awareness. The biggest problem with the Muay Femur build is that it can take a long time to develop the skills to be a truly formidable fighter. Even after becoming highly proficient, Muay Femur fighters may have some difficulties going up against aggressive builds.

Muay Sok

The Muay Sok build is all about agility and evasion, which allows them to outmaneuver their opponents with quick and decisive blows that can suddenly end a fight. Muay Sok fighters thrive in the clinch and are especially dangerous because of their comfort with elbow strikes.