Punches are the cornerstone of many martial arts. The problem is, that there are hundreds of martial arts in the world, and they aren’t all the same. So what is the best martial art for punching?
As a general rule, the best martial art for punching is Muay Thai. Muay Thai’s punch techniques are similar to Boxing. However, Muay Thai practitioners are trained in how to punch while simultaneously defending against kicks.
But as a whole, Boxing is really the best art for punching, as you learn how to generate power with your legs, hips, and shoulders. But of course, it’s not really a martial art.
It’s more of a sport. Boxing is great for self-defense, and in Boxing classes, you do sparring.
But let’s have a closer look at what other martial arts teach punching, and what makes Boxing the best martial art for punching.
I’ll also discuss what the best striking martial art for street fighting is.
Practicing our double punches. #PunchPower #ChoesMartialArtsSchool #HapKiDo #TaeKwonDo #Dedication #Commitment #Respect #SelfDefense pic.twitter.com/J214Knv2RL
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What martial arts teach punching?
Punching is taught in Boxing, Muay Thai, MMA, Wing Chun, Krav Maga, Taekwondo, Karate, and Sambo, to name a few martial arts. There are hundreds of martial arts in the world, and most of them teach striking techniques.
But there are some differences in the punching techniques used in martial arts.
You may be thinking that a punch is just a punch and that all punches are the same, right? Well, that’s not the case. In Taekwondo, you are allowed to punch, but only to the body.
You are allowed kicks to the head, but all punches must be below the shoulders, and above the hips.
If you want to learn more about the punching rules in Taekwondo, check out this recent article on my site. I talk about what you can and can’t do in Taekwondo and outline the overall ruleset.
Just click that link to read it on my site.
In Karate, you learn how to punch, but you learn how to “snap” your punches, instead of driving through your target as you do in Boxing.
For this reason, the punches in Karate are less powerful than the punches thrown in Boxing. The benefit of Karate is that you learn how to punch from a position that does not make you susceptible to leg kicks.
In Wing Chun, you learn to punch fast, and in large combinations to overwhelm your opponent, as opposed to just one or two powerful punches that knock your opponent out.
In Krav Maga, you learn how to hold your opponent whilst you punch them, to give you a huge advantage in the fight. Grabbing your opponent and punching someone is not allowed in Boxing.
In Muay Thai and MMA, you will learn some Boxing, but you will learn how to throw your punches from a high, tall stance so that you can defend leg kicks at the same time.
In Boxing, you learn how to throw hard, powerful punches, in combinations, and single, heavy punches.
In Boxing, you learn to strike the head and body. What separates Boxing from all other martial arts with punching is the fact that in Boxing the only way you learn to attack someone is with punches.
This means boxers throw their punches from a low, squatted stance, allowing them to generate huge amounts of power by driving off the ground.
Or at least 20 punches to the chest with wing chun pic.twitter.com/s9TM7RSoGI
— Maxie Slashy (@MaxieSlashy) December 31, 2021
What martial arts focus on punching?
Boxing and Wing Chun focus on punching. There are some kicks in Wing Chun. However, the focus of Wing Chun is to use long “chains” of punches to overwhelm your attacker. In Boxing, you learn how to generate power in your punches and use angles to strike with even more power.
There are some other martial arts that put a lot of emphasis on punching, such as MMA, Muay Thai, and Sambo, but kicks are heavily emphasized in these martial arts because they are more powerful than punches.
In Boxing, you use a stance where your feet are at 45 degrees.
This allows you to step to the side and pivot to create angles around your opponent and generate devastating power. Boxers, by far, have the most comprehensive range of attacks and the most powerful punches of all the martial arts.
In Wing Chun, you throw your punches facing your opponent, with your feet parallel to them.
This means your hands have a short distance to travel to your target (your opponent’s face), and you can throw lots of really fast punches. However, these punches lack power, as in Wing Chun, you learn how to use the speed and strength of your arms to punch.
Wing Chun does not focus on using your whole body to generate power as Boxing does.
Boxing photography Glasgow, May 2022. @HydroGlasgow @KynochBoxing @boxannouncer @GaryKidJacobs @AlexArthur1 @Dennis_Hobson @fightzonetv pic.twitter.com/AtvzDplm0r
— JIM DIAMOND (@JIMDIAMONDLAW) May 14, 2022
What striking martial art is the best for a street fight?
The best striking martial art for a street fight is Boxing, as punches are the easiest, most low-risk, and most effective strike you can throw on the streets. When you punch, you have a low risk of falling over, and you can reach your opponent’s head faster than a kick can.
Boxing is the best martial art for punching, as we have already discussed, but why is punching better than kicking in a street fight?
When you kick someone, you have to take one leg off the ground.
This means you have only one point of balance left on the ground, and a small nudge from an attacker could cause you to fall to the ground, where you could get beaten up by multiple attackers.
Also, when you take one foot off the ground, you could slip much easier than if you had thrown a punch and had both feet on the ground.
And finally, punching is better than kicking in a street fight because you may break your foot when kicking. If you break your leg or foot in a street fight, you can’t run away, and you can’t fight.
If you break your hand using Boxing in a street fight, you can run away easily or punch with your other hand.
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Is Boxing or Wing Chun better?
Boxing is better than Wing Chun for punching, as, in Boxing, you do more sparring than in Wing Chun. Also, the punches in Boxing are much more powerful than those in Wing Chun. In Boxing, you also learn slick defensive techniques and a wider range of attacks.
In Wing Chun, you don’t really learn how to generate power in your punches, as your only focus is speed.
The main reason I say Boxing is better than Wing Chun is that you do sparring in Boxing. Sparring is where you simulate a fight and is where you test your techniques under pressure. Sparring is the most important thing if you want to learn to punch, as, in sparring, you get a chance to punch a moving target and a target that hits you back.
If you want to master punching, learn Boxing, and if you want to have fun and not get hurt as much, then pick Wing Chun.
Wing Chun is a Chinese martial art, and for some reason, some people think Chinese martial arts are not effective.
Check out this recent article on my site where I talk about Chinese martial arts. I talk about what martial arts are from China, what they teach, and whether they are worth learning if you are a serious martial artist.
Just click that link to read it on my site.
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Is Boxing or Muay Thai better?
As a whole, Boxing is better than Muay Thai for self-defense, as punches are better than kicks in a street fight. Muay Thai is better than Boxing for MMA practitioners, and it is also good if you are training in martial arts for fitness.
There are more techniques in Muay Thai than there are in Boxing.
In Boxing, you learn to punch – and that’s it. In Muay Thai, you learn how to punch, kick, knee, elbow, clinch, trip, sweep, and defend against all these attacks.
If you want to train in a martial art where you have more to learn, Muay Thai is the way to go. In Muay Thai, you will learn how to attack people in more ways than you can with Boxing.
Also, I have noticed that the sparring in Muay Thai gyms is much more controlled than in Boxing gyms, so you are less likely to get injured.
If you want to master punching and brawl every sparring session and get really tough, then Boxing is for you.
Conclusion
In conclusion, Boxing is the best art for punching. But if we’re talking martial arts, Muay Thai has to take the top spot.
Although there are many martial arts that incorporate punching, there is no martial art that focuses on the art of punching and defending against punches as Boxing does.
Wing Chun also focuses on punches, but the objective of Wing Chun is to throw lots of fast punches to overwhelm your attacker. Wing Chun does not focus on using technique and tactics to generate punching power and outsmart your opponent.
The final reason why Boxing is the best martial art for punching is that, in Boxing, you do sparring, which allows you to test your skills under pressure.
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