Thanks for joining us for part two in our series on the differences between Western boxing and Muay Thai. If you’re new to the series, part one gave our readers a short overview and discussed the differences in the stances between the two combat sports. Click here if you’d like to go back and read how a Muay Thai stance is different from a boxing stance.
Part two aims to continue by talking about the hands! In today’s post we are going to discuss the differences in how each practitioner holds their hands during combat training or in competition.
Boxing vs. Muay Thai Hand Positions
Muay Thai Hand Position – Believe it or not, Muay Thai actually uses a number of different hand positions. However, most often you will see a very square, high guard style hand position. The hands will either be close to the face, or extended out slightly. This is accomplished by keeping both hands up over your face with the outer parts of the forearms pointing towards your opponent.
In Muay Thai, there are many reasons to keep your hands in this position, but the most important are for safety and protection. This will help you defend against kicks and elbows to the face and head. Head kicks and elbows, if landed correctly, can end the fight very quickly, so much emphasis is given to keeping the hands up very high in Muay Thai.
The correct stance will have your arms up high and out with the tops of the hands just below, or above the forehead. There should be about two fists worth of distance between each hand. This allows for some extra leeway in protecting your head from kicks since your hands are not touching your face. This will also allow you to offensively engage by throwing elbows quickly since they are already raised and close to your opponent.
Boxing Hand Position – Surprisingly, there are a number of different hand positions for Western boxing as well. Some boxers will prefer to keep a high guard when in a defensive position or when in close. This is where you keep your hands very high so they cover the front of your face. Some boxers try to use different and alternative hand positions such as one with the lead arm lowered to the waist and the opposite hand held high to protect their chin.
The most common, and traditional boxing stance however is when you keep your head down and the right hand is touching the lower part of the right chin, the left arm is kept high with the chin being tucked towards the left arm’s shoulder. The boxer’s hips are pointed outward so that only the side of the body is exposed keeping the stomach area protected and less vulnerable.
Be sure to join us for part three of this series where we discuss in detail the differences in footwork between the two sports.
Searching for Raleigh Boxing Classes? Try Muay Thai Instead!
At Gracie Raleigh we do not teach traditional Raleigh boxing classes! However, our Muay Thai program will teach you the most effective ways to utilize punches, kicks, knees and elbows. Be prepared to get a great workout! Most classes will focus on bag work, pad work and partner drills. We even offer free classes so you can try before you buy.
Click here to go ahead and get started with our free martial arts classes in Raleigh!
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