On one hand you have Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, the most dominant grappling martial art. On the other hand you have Muay Thai Kickboxing, the most dominant stand up martial art on Earth. These 2 arts make up the majority of MMA (Mixed Martial Arts), so we are going to explore this and see which one is right for you.
You have Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu which is traced all the way back to the Samurai, now that alone is pretty cool. Muay Thai or Thai boxing is the cultural martial art of Thailand. The origin of Muay Thai Kickboxing dates back several hundred years and was developed as a form of close-combat that used the entire body as a weapon.
I always describe Jiu-Jitsu to people as the art of human chess. You have to think so many moves ahead to defeat a skilled opponent, but for self defense you will be so far ahead of an attacker. The health benefits of Jiu-Jitsu training include: weight loss, muscle gain, increased flexibility, stronger mental focus, stress relief and so much more.
To me Muay Thai is the most dominant stand up martial art, the science of 8 limbs. Using kicks, punches, knees and elbows in combinations is a fun way to workout and also develop real self defense skills. Each workout you develop more skill and start to put together complex combinations and burning off the excess fat.
Conclusion: I always recommend that you try them both and find the one that you enjoy the most. If your interested in self defense, then I believe you need to be skilled in both. At Peak Performance MMA in Keller we offer World Class instruction in both arts!
The most important thing is to get started training. You will get in the best shape of your life and make life long friends. Don't wait to get in shape to start training, this is a common mistake I see all the time. Get started in a beginner program so you can get in shape and start learning in a safe environment.
Coach Paul
Peak Performance MMA
Great place to start learning BJJ.
Peak has excellent coaches and great training partners. Give it a try if you are in the area
Peak has a great atmosphere full of wonderful teammates. No matter what your current fitness level and goals are, you will have support for your work and progress. I've been going to Peak, on and off, for 7 years. The on times make all of life night-and-day better than the off times. I've taken BJJ, Muay Thai, and fitness classes; you can't go wrong. Highly recommended - come see for yourself.