On the surface, Muay Thai and American Kickboxing can look very similar. Each one trains a stand up fighting style and has turned out some of the best strikers in the world.

And though both styles stem from ancient martial arts there are actually very distinct modern differences. Here we will point out some clear differences. This is not to say one style is better than the other because these are both amazing powerhouse striking arts.

Kickboxing

The term kickboxing describes both of these fighting styles. Kickboxing is an umbrella term that encompasses fighting that employs both punches and kicks. Western or American kickboxing specifies the style a bit more. 

Westerners adopted kickboxing during the height of boxing, combining the technical striking, footwork and head movement elements from traditional boxing with kicks mostly aimed above the waist. There was a flashiness to fights that drew in viewers and crisp, attractive movement to it all. Some of these kicking techniques derive from Taekwondo and Karate. The Karate influence can especially be seen in the Kickboxer’s bladed stance and snappy, knee-hinging kicks.

But the boxing foundation is what it is all built on. A fighter would create angles of attack and deliver powerful, extended striking combos while circling or bouncing around an opponent.  Kickboxers stay on the balls of their feet to bounce and circle around the ring. They move in and out of the striking zoneat lightning-fast pace, cutting angles with their footwork to set up and dodge attacks.

When watching Kickboxing you’ll see quickly how much of this American style is a barrage of strikes. Kickboxers are known as volume strikers—they strike fast and often, ending strike combos with a mix of high and low kicks. These kicks typically hinge from the knee and lift the leg up to possibly strike with the foot rather than the shin. This is due to the 4 point scoring system of the sport (2 Punches, 2 kicks) which values fast contact over knockouts. 

Muay Thai

Muay Thaiis sometimes called “the art of 8 limbs.” It employs an 8-point striking system that includes knee strikes, elbow strikes, and upper body grappling that’s referred to as the “full clinch.” This makes combat particularly violent and bloody. Much more so than a boxing or kickboxing match.

Muay Thai traces its roots back to ancient Thailand—or Siam. The martial art was born out of unarmed military combat training and has evolved over the years to become one of the most popular styles of martial arts across the globe.

Muay Thai gained popularity in America around the time of World War I and adopted several western boxing practices, such as padded boxing gloves and 3-5 timed rounds in a ring. Still, Bangkok continues to be revered as the premier city for training in traditional Muay Thai where training in the heat and humidity is commonplace. Enduring these extremely hot conditions also created a physical and mental toughness that wasn’t typically found in the US boxing or martial arts gyms.

Major Differences

This Thai fighting style differs greatly compared to kickboxing. For example, Thai fighters kick by turning their hips and landing with the lower shin. They don’t bend their knee, but rather keep the leg relaxed until the moment of impact, resulting in a powerhouse of a kick that can feel and sound like the crack of a baseball bat. It’s because of this force that Muay Thai artists are also trained to check their opponent’s kicks to prevent serious damage to their legs. 

The stance and tempo of a fight is noticeably different as well with Muay Thai competitors being more flat footed and less likely to lose balance when throwing powerful strikes. These are all to inflict as much damage as possible to an opponent over time and wear them down. 

So What Should I Train?

In the end, both styles offer valuable skills and techniques that can ramp up your conditioning game. Those who train in one of these styles (or both) are considered one of the most functionally fit athletes of all time. Whether you gravitate toward the technician’s side of kickboxing form or the powerful nature of Muay Thai you can rest assured that you will be conditioning at the highest level becoming lb for lb strong. 

MA Fitness employs elements from both of these styles for the best kickboxing conditioning experience you can find. Classes allow for introduction to the sport, movements and how to generate power which makes it ideal for beginners. But there is so much skill to perfect and get right when it comes to form which leaves almost unlimited room to grow. MA Fitness uses the high intensity of kickboxing workouts on the heavy bag, paired with strength training and Muay Thai technique application for a sure fire way to get in shape fast. Make sure to try a free class at the location nearest you!

Another year, another win. It feels good. It’s such a testament to the quality of clients that come through our doors and their belief in what we provide. If you don’t know what best of the best competition is you can find out more on The Tampa Bay Times Website. This annual competition has heated up the past 2 years with more nominations and more categories. With so many fitness centers up for the top spot we were uncertain that the votes would be enough.

Who We Are

MA Fitness has always been intense yet accessible. We start beginners everyday and still have boxing amateurs who have been with us 5+ years. It’s not easy to pull off for such a skill specific studio. MA Fitness sits apart from your ordinary weight lifting or bootcamp studio, teaching heavy bag workouts in a high energy training environment. Using martial arts for fitness is a highly technical approach. Martial arts asks anyone of any age who participates to always be refining very specific body mechanics. This makes heavy bag kickboxing workouts one of the best full body workouts you can do for your heart health, bone density and core strength.

What Winning Best of The Best Means

The latest win in the Best of the Best competition put on by the Tampa Bay Times just goes to show that MA Fitness has been consistent, outlasting other competition and engaging the St Pete community personally. We’re proud of our staff. We’re proud of our client results and we’re proud to have been on this mission for the past 10 years. We are proud to be the best!

Try a free class this week! 

IT’S OFFICIAL 🎉
MA Fitness has launched a local partnership with Balanced Foods to bring their meals to the St Pete community! Finally, a company that is reliable, quick, and healthy. They have a Registered Dietitian on staff who creates their menus – the taste and credentials are what’s up.

About Balanced Foods

“When we decided to open Balanced Foods, the idea was simple: show that healthy food didn’t have to be the stereotypical “health food” experience and taste.  Using high-quality raw ingredients, classic cooking techniques, and distinctive interior design, we brought features from the realm of fine dining and the world of quick-service restaurants to bring you a unique shopping experience.  As we grow, our dedication is to create an exceptional experience through customer service and nutritional education; as a result, cultivating a culture of rewarding opportunities for our employees.

We do this for those who refuse to settle for the so-called “healthy” fast food or casual dining experience, and people that are tired of trying the next “yo-yo diet” or “health fad.” At Balanced Foods, our mission is to create fresh, fit, and fast grab and go meals that support those who have a busy lifestyle and want to improve their health and obtain their fitness goals. Let’s be honest, we all have excuses why we don’t have the body we want or once had, why keep making those excuses?  Let Balanced Foods take the guess work out of cooking and preparing healthy food and come see for yourself what all the buzz is about!”

Integration Into The St Pete Community

This is the cool part. MA Fitness St Pete is now the local store pick up location for the St Pete community! Come get a workout and pick up your favorite meals. Ordering is simply done online and you can choose from several fresh meals weekly. Orders are due on Friday for Monday pick ups. You can order today on their website by clicking HERE

What’s better is that MA Fitness subscribers get a discount! If it doesn’t automatically generate your discount in the cart you can use the code “MAFitness” to save some $$ on those meals.

Why Partner Like This?

It’s been the desire of the MA Fitness staff and leadership to offer the complete package of healthy living and lifestyle training for the St Pete Community. This partnership with Balanced Foods allows us to join forces with an established brand and pair with the intense workouts that we pride ourselves on. We don’t just want to burn calories we want to build stronger bodies.

If you’ve been waiting to get started this year then take this as a sign. It’s time. Try a free class today or just set up a time to talk with someone at the studio. We’re waiting for you!

MA Fitness St Pete is launching its first kickboxing Form Fundamentals workshop in January 2023 to teach new clients how to punch and kick with authority. This skill building session will aim to improve overall kickboxing form and help you get more out of heavy bag conditioning sessions. The best 45 minute workout can get even better with just a few tweaks to hand position, balance and proper core rotation. Are you ready?!

Make Each Contact Mean Something

In the fast paced action of a signature MA Fitness kickboxing workout you will be tempted to move as fast as possible through every second. We’ll show you when that is absolutely appropriate and when a pause or tempo break might be just what is needed to punch through that plateau.

When we move too fast through a combo without first grounding our form we can find ourselves off balance by leaning too far forward with each punch or rolling to the side of our foot. In getting our weight centered and understanding neutral, forward weight and backward weight positions for different punches we can transition between speed punches and power punches with ease. Moving through free space is hard. It is athletic motion that requires skill. Knowing how to vary tempo and control your balance in that is key to a great workout in this environment.

What We’ll Learn 

In the Form Fundamentals we’ll focus on 3 main components

1. Understanding why your lower half is so important to your upper body strikes
2. How to move your striking base for more effective power and balance
3. Landing solid contact kicks and returning to guard

By covering these 3 areas we can guarantee that you will get more out of each session this year. Of course, these concepts may not “click” right away but the knowledge of them will help you practice each time and get that 1% better.

Join us for form fundamentals or a free trial class this week! 

Why Is Kickboxing So Good For You?

We want to clarify here that we view kickboxing with a heavy bag as the best. The contact and resistance of the heavy bag is key. Pair this with a good strength routine and you could see amazing results this year. The HIIT style round structure plays out perfectly in getting your heart rate to peak and then decrease at the right times. This teaches your heart to perform high levels of exertion and then recover quickly which leads to improved cardio, fast twitch muscle activation and high level fat burning. The scientific evidence is in the studies done by much smarter people than us but we live by the proof of it everyday in our own lives and those who have come through our doors for the past 10 years. Don’t be afraid or hesitate to try this new way of working out!

Kickboxing is well known today for its comprehensive health benefits. Yes, you get in great shape. Yes, you clear your head and stress decreases. Yes, you sweat and endorphins fly freely. Now, what about the hesitations? Why would someone be afraid to go to a kickboxing gym? Let’s see some pitfalls of kickboxing gyms and how MA Fitness delivers fitness results for all levels.

Fitness Results For All Levels

So we know the benefits. Here’s where it gets tricky. Making kickboxing accessible so we can truly see fitness results for all levels. Most kickboxing gyms we found force you to dive deep into the world of martial arts where kickboxing comes from. It’s a very interesting world and a lot of good comes from the study of fighting and controlled sparring. However, this very hard to break into. The main population of most boxing/kickboxing gyms are males, ages 12-24 years old with a specific desire to fight. The focus of classes is fighting and getting you to a level of competition. This is great for those invested in creating and receiving black eyes and bruises. But what about the rest of us who ultimately want the joy of kickboxing and the benefits of training like that without the constant push toward a real fight?

Bridging the Gap

Finding the balance is tough. In order to show their accessibility, some gyms went the total opposite direction of intensity and landed in a strange place where kickboxing seems to lose its power. The somewhat comfortable workout isn’t based in any real technique or fighting style but instead isolates strikes and attempts, removing them any semblance of realistic fighting to make them a workout. This approach may yield a benefit for some but ultimately leaves the training environment lacking when put up against its potential power.

MA Fitness seeks to find the perfect balance. Intensity and accessibility. A training experience that allows everyday people to tap into the power of kickboxing, as a workout number 1, but also as a way of life. Fighters fight and athletes compete because it’s what they do. It’s their DNA. When you deliver the techniques outside of that framework they tend to fall flat in any workout environment. MA Fitness weaves this magic ingredient into every workout.

The Workout in a Nutshell

45 Minutes of high intensity, hard hitting action that simulates that training feeling athletes face when getting ready for competition. The combos are called out in real time by living, breathing personable coaches and trainers who make you want to give your best. They lead by example. As you attack the heavy bag over the 6 rounds you learn to strike with authority while period of intensity ramp up. The punches, kicks and conditioning work each coach brings to the table makes it easy to follow but challenging to master. In fact, finding a point where it “gets easier” doesn’t really come into play unless you find a comfortable place of exertion to settle for yourself. There’s always more to find. The potential energy within you is endless. MA Fitness makes you go to that place and find the little bit extra that day to deliver the KO blow to anything standing in your way. That’s what makes this place, this workout, this environment so unique.

Fitness Results For All Levels

You have to make the decision to get started. No gimmicks, no tricks, no sales tactics. Do your research and show up. If you’re ready to take that step we hope you’ll choose MA Fitness. We guarantee we’ll welcome you in. No prior experience but an expectation of consistency. Kickboxing delivers fitness results for all levels. Any able body can do this. We want to show you how. Let’s fight for your fitness together — TRY A FREE CLASS

MA Fitness Loveland and Primrose School of Fort Collins combined forces to get their students active and learn self defense skills. The kids enjoyed getting familiar with kickboxing and self defense techniques with the certified kids MMA instructors and staff. Smiles stuck on the students faces as they punched and kicked their way through the training. MA Fitness Loveland provides kickboxing conditioning and reality self defense instruction for adults, teens and kids at 285 E 29th St, Loveland, CO 80538

School Group Demo Class

The kickboxing and self defense class syllabus includes: Warm-ups, form and shadow boxing, instructor led heavy bag/partner work, games, a kid friendly HIIT workout and reality self defense anti-abduction training. Over a 2 hour class the kids got to interact with these techniques and each other in a fun and engaging way. Training MMA and Self Defense is about empowerment. As you learn to move your body in powerful ways your self confidence and skill grow. MA Fitness Loveland desires that every student walk in the right confidence and back that up with a skill set for safety.
Check out this quick video below!

Interested in Scheduling Your School Group?

MA Fitness welcomes local schools and homeschool groups to schedule unique group training for 10+ students or join an ongoing weekly class time for a free trial.  The coaches can build a unique class for your group that will empower them to live healthy and safer. Contact us via the website form or give us a call on the main line (727) 392-3198.

You know what everyone says they hate? Running.
Which got us thinking… maybe we need to get better at it!
You know we’re all about stepping out of the comfort zone. Let’s stop complaining and start DOING.

The month of July fitness challenge is going to help us face this running beast and overcome it.
We are starting off with a 400 meter run 3 times a week. Week 2, we do 800 meters 3 times a week. Week 3, 1200 meters laps! Week 4, 1600 meters! That’s one mile. Building up each week, doing things in a manageable and sustainable way – you know how we do.

You must run the lap(s) 3 times a week, before or after class or in your neighborhood. Please allot time if you are doing it before class so that you do not walk in late!!
July 4 – 9: 1 lap 3 times a week
July 11 – 16: 2 laps 3 times a week
July 18 – 23: 3 laps 3 times a week
July 25 – 30: 4 laps 3 times a week

In the parking lot:
One lap is from billboard to billboard (1/4 mile). You can walk, run, jog, frolic – begin at the sign in front of the gym and run to the billboard, looping around to the American Freight sign by the parking lot entrance. Congratulations!! You have successfully completed one lap.

Keep track of your status on the whiteboard in the back room or DM us on one of our social channels. This is how we know who has successfully completed the challenge!

Are you still reading?! AWESOME, because now you know that 2 winners who successfully complete this challenge will win a $10 MA Fitness GIFT CARD!! This can be applied to your monthly membership payment, apparel, supplements, etc!

Connect with us on Instagram and stay accountable

Want more like the July Fitness Challenge to motivate you?

Get connected with an MA Fitness pro no matter where you are! Contact us today.