If you’ve watched combat sports or looked into self-defense options in Reno, you’ve probably seen athletes throwing powerful kicks to the legs and wondered what style produces that. The answer is Muay Thai — sometimes called Thai Boxing — and it’s worth understanding what it actually teaches, how it fits alongside other martial arts, and what you should think about before signing up for classes in Nevada.
What Muay Thai Actually Is?
Muay Thai is a striking art from Thailand. Practitioners use eight weapons: fists, elbows, knees, and shins. The leg kick — specifically a hard, swinging strike to the outer or inner thigh using the shin — is one of its signature tools. A well-placed leg kick slows an opponent down fast. It damages muscle, disrupts balance, and accumulates damage over the course of a fight in a way that punches to the upper body often don’t.
The World Muay Thai Council and other governing bodies have helped standardize the sport internationally, but the roots of the style go back centuries in Southeast Asia as a military combat system.
Other striking arts use leg kicks too. Kickboxing allows them in many rulesets, and Dutch-style kickboxing has incorporated Thai leg kicks heavily. Karate styles like Kyokushin also use low kicks. But Muay Thai is the style most specifically built around them — they’re not an add-on, they’re a primary strategy.
How Muay Thai Compares to Other Striking Styles?
Taekwondo uses a lot of kicking, but almost all of it targets the upper body. High kicks and spinning kicks to the head score points under World Taekwondo Federation rules. You won’t develop the same leg-attack game there that you would in Muay Thai.
Capoeira involves acrobatic kicks and sweeps, but it’s more of a martial art-dance hybrid with Brazilian roots. The mechanics and goals are different from what you’d train in a Muay Thai gym.
The practical difference matters if your goal is self-defense or combat sports. Leg kicks are hard to see coming, they don’t require perfect setup like a head kick does, and they work against larger opponents who might absorb body punches without much effect. Research on combat sports injuries and techniques, including studies referenced by the National Institutes of Health, has consistently shown that lower-body targeting affects mobility and fight outcomes significantly.
Why Many Fighters in Reno Train Both Muay Thai and Grappling?
Here’s something you’ll notice quickly if you explore Reno martial arts seriously: striking alone leaves gaps. A skilled grappler can close the distance on a striker and take the fight to the ground before those leg kicks ever land. That’s why serious students of martial arts — especially anyone training for MMA or practical self-defense — combine striking with a grappling base.
Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu fills that gap. BJJ teaches you to control a fight on the ground, escape bad positions, and submit opponents through joint locks and chokes. The International Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Federation governs competition globally, and the art has decades of proof behind it as an effective ground fighting system.
Training both gives you answers no matter where a fight goes. If someone shoots in to tackle you, BJJ covers it. If you’re on your feet, Muay Thai tools — including those leg kicks — give you real options. This combination is the backbone of modern MMA, as the Ultimate Fighting Championship’s athlete development has demonstrated since the early days of the sport.
What to Look for in a Martial Arts School in Reno in 2026?
Not every gym that advertises Muay Thai in Nevada actually teaches solid technique. A few things to check:
Look at instructor credentials. A coach with a clear lineage — someone who trained under verified practitioners — matters more than a slick website. You can read about our teaching background and experience on our instructors page.
Ask about class structure. Beginners need a controlled environment with proper protective gear and supervised sparring progression. You shouldn’t be thrown into full contact rounds on your first week.
Check that the gym teaches ground fighting alongside striking. Standalone striking schools aren’t bad, but if you’re serious about self-defense or overall skill development, you want both covered under one roof.
At Gracie Humaita Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Martial Arts Reno, we focus on BJJ as the core curriculum — a proven grappling system that works for adults, kids, and beginners. You can see what students at our Reno location have experienced firsthand in our client reviews.
We also offer a kids program for younger students, private classes for anyone who wants focused one-on-one instruction, and an intro class for just $30 so you can try it before committing to anything.
Check our current class times to find a schedule that fits your week. We also serve students in the area through our Sparks, NV location.
Take the First Step
If leg kicks got you curious about martial arts, that’s a great starting point — but let the curiosity take you further. Understanding the full picture of what striking and grappling each offer will help you make a smarter choice about where to train and what to train for.
Gracie Humaita Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Martial Arts Reno is located at 9333 Double R Blvd #1100, Reno, NV 89521. Call us at (775) 376-6229 or get in touch through our contact page to ask questions or set up your intro class. We’d rather answer your questions and help you find the right fit than pitch you on something that doesn’t match your goals.
