Which Martial Arts Fighting Stance is Best?

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This was a requested video, all the way back from when we did the comparison between roundhouse kicks in Taekwondo, Muay Thai and Kyokushin.
This time, we are comparing the pros and cons of the fighting stances. Keep in mind, there are a variety of stances in all of these martial arts, not just a single one. However, these are the most common, textbook fighting stances.
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Music:
Audacious Cues: Dance of the Demons
Commercially licensed.

[@SaikouKarate]

Disclaimer! Every style has multiple different stances and approaches, these are just (in my experience) the most common, textbook stances! I don’t claim to be an expert in all of these styles, these are observations from a few years of cross-training. Let me know if you approach the stance differently! Thanks for watching 🙏🏻

[@AndreiGonzalesIturri]

Check the American Kenpo stances of Ed Parker it will blow your mind!

[@TheRasengan300]

I'd say this is pretty good. In Muay thai the hunch/crouch forward isn't a neccesary part of the stance for it to be traditional. Also the weight can be more balanced or back but I'd say the things that define it is that the front leg should never be pointed in and should be forwards or out. The stance should always be decently short and relatively square (sometimes competely square). Guard should be semi or totally flared. Once it loses these features it starts to wander out of being traditional.

[@crisalcantara7671]

True

[@prvtthd401]

Very nice analysis.

[@SaikouKarate]

Glad you enjoyed it, thanks for watching!

[@yongjiean9980]

Untucked elbows is not optimal for delivering punches with power unlike a kickboxing/boxing stance with tucked elbows to the torso to deliver powerful punches besides protecting the body as well as the head. A good modification could be a kickboxing/boxing hand position to the square stance

[@hotpopcorncake]

I'm familiar with all these styles. in muay Thai, they good of use timing and distance to perform techniques. Con for Muay Thai they aren't good at handling constant attacks in mid-ranger like in lethwei .

[@SaikouKarate]

What would you say is the difference between mid-range in Muay Thai and Lethwei? I would think the difference would be at a close range as well as in clinching, due to headbutts.

[@hotpopcorncake]

@@SaikouKarate yes. Well lethwei has the advantage with good overhand punches and putting to practice the headbutt. For some reason, Muay Thai gets overwhelmed with lethwei attacks and combos.

[@SaikouKarate]

@@hotpopcorncake I think this has to do with the Muay Thai guard being generally designed to work best with large gloves.

[@hotpopcorncake]

@@SaikouKarate That's true also the fact muay Thai has evolved taking kicks from karate and fighting stance has changed thru the years just like kyukishin. Because there is a traditional Muay Thai stance and modern muay Thai stance.

[@AjaychinuShah]

Problem is bounce reflect Defense kix tappz are still absorbed and hurting. Like Answer? Technique weak or la k of resilient strength?

[@terrelltownsend8016]

After watching this video, I think the fighting stance I use in Kickboxing is a mixture of Kyokushin & Muay Thai. I usually stand with a more bladed stance with my hands up to my chin with my elbows tucked in and I'll have my fists facing towards my target for quicker punches and parries.

[@crisalcantara7671]

I heard that kickboxing comes from kyokushin , a guy from holland (forgot his name ) went to train with a kyokushin master in japan who lost against a muay thai fighter and created the now known kyokushin style 😁 , so it kyokushin came from goju ryu karate and then changed again and after the kyokushin sensei lost against a muay thai fighter he added kicks etc. and then the Dutch guy created kick boxing cause he added boxing to it , cause remember, back the muay thai didn't have good boxing incorporated in it like we see now , anyway i trained all tree styles and it's fun anyway I'll shut up now and feel free to add or correct me cause we're all here to learn 😁

[@terrelltownsend8016]

@@crisalcantara7671 The sport & term "Kickboxing" was founded by Osamu Noguchi & Tatsu Yamada. Kenji Kurosaki is the name of the guy who fought and lost in Thailand. The Dutch guy he trained was Jan Plas: The founder of "Dutch" Kickboxing. Kyokushin and any other Full Contact Karate styles fall under the Kickboxing category such as Muay Thai, Sanda, Savate, and Lethwei.

[@crisalcantara7671]

@@terrelltownsend8016 😎😎😎 i see 😊

[@hornetnezt]

You see the cross-pollination between Muay Thai and Kyokushin within Dutch Kickboxing. High guard but not back foot heavy with a march to keep offense up.

[@Kzany42]

Conor mcgregor manages to use the base of Taekwondo very well Also to other fighters like Thanh le and Yair Rodríguez

[@SaikouKarate]

I would argue Conor uses a boxing stance generally. Earlier in his career he used a point karate-type stance (learned from Gunnar Nelson, who is a karateka). He definitely used Taekwondo kicks and such though, no doubt about that. Those other two are great.

[@Kzany42]

@@SaikouKarate kzbin.info/www/bejne/apnVf3RsqaafqdE I got information from this video 👍🏼

[@chrisofmelbourne87]

Nice video man! I am a Taekwondo man myself and have always loved Kyokoshin and Muay Thai. I would love to train them: them serm to be a good workout and love the padwork part of them too. All 3 make tough fighters, especially old school Taekwondo (1970s-2000s). After 2010 the art had changed...

[@SaikouKarate]

Thank you 💪 Indeed, they all have their strong points!

[@chrisofmelbourne87]

@@SaikouKarate For sure. They also seem more savage than other styles and with an agressive and energetic tendency. All use pads and bags too, which help which power, focus and technique development.

[@SaikouKarate]

@@chrisofmelbourne87 It is very raw, a lot of bone on bone contact due to no protective gear. It's quite unique in that aspect.

[@AjaychinuShah]

Seems this o Sensei is advocating and using The Vedik Learning Way, less so Method(?)

[@mizutxko]

Kyokushin is like boxing, but without what Boxing does best, head punches, head punches KO real quick. So Dutch Kickboxing with elbows and clinching is complete enough, Kyokushin mixes well with Boxing and Muay Thai

[@tadeasstavek2927]

Ok so If I ever fight a Muay Thai fighter techniques like Yoko geri, Mae geri and punches like Tate tsuki and knife hand strikes to solar plexus are my best friends.

[@ayenay5544]

kyokushin and Muay Thai mixed is powerfull

[@tito.senpai_]

Kyokushin's main weakness is the low hands and dealing with punches to the head since that's not allowed in sparring or competitons. Although, there are dojo that train for head punches

[@Abluemoon9112]

Your kicks are very good. The ability for you to switch range like in the video is awesome.

[@SaikouKarate]

Thanks for the complement, I appreciate that! 🥋

[@uglystupidloser]

i agree, his kicks look really sharp and purposeful. i was a littpe surprised thst his tkd spin kicks and muay thai teep looked as natural as his karate kicks

[@SaikouKarate]

@@uglystupidloser Osu🙏

[@lamxung5000]

MT stance is actually more of a 60-40 weight distribution with weight more loaded into the lead leg But you're constantly "bouncing" in a way to get ready for checks. I think it's also worth noting that we're not really flat footed, and slightly on our toes similar to boxing.

[@mamamia7757]

There are different stances but the traditional MT stance is definitely back-foot heavy

[@lamxung5000]

@@mamamia7757 Balance is worse when too much weight are on back foot, a lot easier for your opponent to teep you off balance and have an easier time following up but fighting is dynamic i guess

[@TheRasengan300]

I wouldn't say bouncing. I think you mean the thai march where you slowly shift the weight from one foot to another whilst moving.

[@nicolascastillo252]

any posture you recommend for a beginner in kyokushin karate?

[@SaikouKarate]

Standard Kyokushin kamae dachi always, you can later experiment with adjustments down the line 🙂

[@simonrcarson]

Very interesting analysis. I was aware of the use of the side stance in taekwondo for the sidekick (Stephen Wonderboy Thompson makes great use of this - check out his channel if you haven't already - great stuff!), but hadn't appreciated (because I hadn't thought about it) that it cuts down the rotation for turning kicks.

[@SaikouKarate]

Yeah he has a unique style! Glad you enjoyed 🙏🏻

[@crisalcantara7671]

Thompson is a karate black belt lol

[@Skaxarrat]

Really interesting, specially listing the pros and cons!

[@SaikouKarate]

Glad you enjoyed 🥋😊

[@supervisorone5960]

Interesting and I agree

[@wolflike24124]

How would you say the feet placement and distance is like for the kyokushin stance?

[@SaikouKarate]

I would say stance width should be shoulder width. For the length, tip of the toes of the rear foot should end right where the rear shoulder begins, and heel of the lead foot should begin right where the lead shoulder ends. Lead foot pointing towards opponent’s centre. Rear foot angles around 45 degrees.

[@wolflike24124]

@@SaikouKarate thank you!!

[@wolflike24124]

@@SaikouKarate hi would like to ask another question- when you say the lead foot points to the opponents center, that would mean it is angled slightly inward, or pointing forwards?

[@SaikouKarate]

@@wolflike24124 It's angled slightly inwards, enough to make it point towards the centre part of the opponent (think their belly button), but not more than that!

[@mizutxko]

I guess like a very squared Boxing stance, just like kickboxing

[@barbershopboy05]

Very helpful analysis. Very fair too

[@SaikouKarate]

Glad it was helpful!🙏 Thanks for watching!

[@m96920]

So, gloveless or street fights can cause serious problems to Thai fighters due to the naked punches. And very vulnerable stance to take downs but you forgot to notice that Kyokushin stance is very vulnerable to take downs too. Btw i feel that TDK fighters are extremely fast and dangerous if he surprise you. One shoot KO most of the time. From the other hand, MME seems to be the lion on the joungle at 1vs1 fights due to the ground techniques.

[@AjaychinuShah]

Your. Sheet to advanced and isn't absorbing.

[@rashidmartialarts9513]

good job !

[@SaikouKarate]

Thank you! Cheers! :)

[@MajorHattery]

Awesome video. Concise and factual, with awesome visual examples of what you're explaining. Very fair to all three styles as well.

[@SaikouKarate]

Very happy you enjoyed, thanks for your comment 🙏

[@zachparade2791]

Good analysis! It seems pretty even handed. ✌️

[@RaggedyCatProductions]

Firstly, I want to say this is a very good video and I don't know if you have experience in Muay Thai but I thought it was a very good impression of thai boxer for the time you did it. I do have to politely disagree with some of the cons though from the perspective of someone with a decades experience in the style The first is that while on paper, you are at more risk of linear kicks and body punches, in practise in a Muay Thai fight it is not typically safe to do these techniques, spin kicks don't work in stadium muay thai because they require you to turn your back which will just result in a teep - and while body punches are more effective they usually leave you quite open in ways they simply don't in other styles. The second one, and this is the one that I think is actually incorrect as opposed to just a philosophical disagreement, is that the high guard doesn't leave you open for body kicks, partly because a competent thai boxer will be checking body kicks and leaving the arms to guard the head - the second is that the openness of the body is there by design, in order to bait the round kick in order to catch and sweep But as I say, great video and great channel it has helped me a lot learning how to improve my style and physicality!

[@SaikouKarate]

Thank you for your kind words! You are definitely correct that in a Muay Thai fight the typical Muay Thai stance is the optimal approach! All of these different stances are just the result of people continuously searching for whatever works best in their given context / ruleset. It is of course the same for something like Taekwondo, where listing sweeps or low kicks as weaknesses doesn't matter within that context as those techniques are not allowed. These weaknesses / strengths listed are more from a neutral perspective that doesn't take any specific competitive ruleset into consideration. Indeed, Nak Muays don't not keep a high guard because they're stupid and don't understand that it makes their body more vulnerable to strikes, but because the pros of doing so outweigh the cons in that context, and as you say, they try to counteract those openings using techniques such as kick catches and sweeps. Even still we can see that sometimes people with other styles have taken advantage of those habits at times. Tenshin Nasukawa, who has a Kyokushin background for example is known to focus on these specific techniques when facing Muay Thai-based kickboxers: kzbin.info/www/bejne/rZOaZnmCjbyMgLc It doesn't in anyway mean that I think the approach is faulty, just that every approach opens up some sort of counter strategy :) Thanks for your comment and I'm glad you enjoyed the video!

[@RaggedyCatProductions]

@@SaikouKarate Absolutely! Please do make more!

[@giovelazquez8872]

Kyokushin is the same one we use in kung fu!

[@Ignacio_MH_2]

Good video. 👏🏼 Osu. 🙇🏻‍♂️🇯🇵🥋

[@SaikouKarate]

Osu🙏🏻

[@theursidaepugilist]

Would of neat to have karate (shotokan) maybe savate and sanda to round it out maybe next video?

[@SaikouKarate]

Unfortunately I have not trained enough in those to give it a fair representation but hopefully I can meet some practitioner willing to help out making these in the future 👊🏼

[@LunaticReason]

Loved the breakdown I practice Kung fu, there are many styles and stances wish someone did a breakdown of our arts to see the str and weaknesses.