@Leigh tnx for your serious replyHere's my non_Muay Thai experience take on Muay Thai versus karate. Only the serious, well studied TMArtists buy what I'm saying. The vast majority MMA-boxing wise are with you.You are correct, at least with me. I don't buy thatI have a TKD black belt, for what it's worth, and practising patterns was nowhere near as effective as learning correct Mauy Thai. My Thai Boxing coach showed me far more effective ways to strike.
The former head instructor @ my dojo had a 3rd degree black-belt and knew the technical knowledge in the complete curriculum cold. At first he doubted my ability... challenged me to spar on Day 1. Half-heatedly of course. Did the ole superman punch on me... to show off. Following my complete destruction of one of the Brown-Belt Kickboxer types in my first rank test (I switched orgs.), I challenged him to spar in return for his opening day challenge. He refused.
It's not performing and knowing physical technique that makes good karate... it's understanding & training the curriculum to tap into the martial principles behind the physical form. My complete destruction of that Brown-Belt, feared by nearly all but a handfull in the dojo... took 1, 2-second exchange.
Muay Thai I will agree maximizes the bio-mechanical physical power in technique compared to traditional karate. Karate tradition is about maximizing both external (like Muay Thai) and internal power (like yoga), and then projecting that into the opponent. Karate proper produces a more sophisticated and different kind of power than Muay Thai... use a leg like a club power.
With karate, I don't depend on picking up the opponent and throwing him across the dojo like the Rock with greater physical strength. I damage the opponent's body outside & in. So comparing what good Muay Thai power does verus what strong karate power does is apples & oranges.
Well there advantage & disadvantages to heavy reliance on a coach. Once you understand the core principles of traditional martial arts... the black-belt level curriculum is largely self-teaching... IMO, with instruction & assistance about the curriculum from instructors.
I agree that Muay is very well designed for practical applications for set ups and usage just as you believe. Karate is after a different skill set... a mental one and as I have described... that's why the physical form is different. Again, apples & oranges. I whole-heartedly agree that Muay Thai is an excellent if not the best choice of striking styles for most all MMA competitors. Karate tradition requires commitment & has demands that are beyond the popular MMA mindset. Those Muay Thai guests on Joe Rogan are strong proof of what we are saying....
Coupe of points most in agreement here. About the skills, exactly why Hendricks flubbed against Wonderboy. Massive training regimen fail. All that typical MMA prep-stuff Hendricks did amounted to less than zero by what,,, 3 min= of Round 1.
Serious karateka are well conditioned. Causal karateka are lacking in conditioning. How well depends on the level of intensity one is willing & able to accept. Professional competition
placing the greatest demands.
I chopped this up to summarize.
Traditional karate view: Good kata practice, achievement can afford you the physical & MENTAL skills to out-think and out-move your opponent faster than he can react. Actually the whole practice of karate is about Mental Discipline, not maximizing body strength in technique.
Muay Thai view: Throwing the strongest physical technique with good set ups, etc. will break the opponent. Works very well. Easier to understand in principle. It's (Muay Thai) athletically centered versus karate mentally first, physical second, two in unison.
Wonderboy is blend of karate's mental dominance & the physicality of kickboxing, Muay Thai, etc. So we will see how Woodley does with his large advantage in physicality against that. Wonderboy argues for you view & mine as a mix. So there's how effective the middle of the road perspective can be against MMA-convention. That's not far away.
Traditional Karate View: It's development of the mental skills, not re-actively learning from experience. That's not to say the reality-testing of sparring, etc. resisting opponents isn't useful or valuable. The reason kata or TKD patterns doesn't work (for so many) is because of your mindset of reciting & drilling physical technicals. Karate does that too, of course... but it's the mental discipline and whole body involvement internally as well that is paramount. Doing kata as an extension of learning basic physical moves is nearly a complete & utter waste of KARATE TIME. Unfortunately for most 'karateka,' that's their limited understanding.
Good discourse on how to approach MMA.
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