How do the Muay Thai guys toughen their shins?

[Tongue_of_Colibob]

How do they toughen their shins, and how do they kick with them? Are the like modified roundhouse kicks with the shins?

[DelicateSound]

Kickboxing roundkicks are supposed to hit with the shins. They toughen them up by using them.

[DragonzRage]

How does MT toughen shins?
Simple...bagwork, bagwork, and more bagwork!

How does MT kick?
Mostly with the shin. Ideally, a low kick connects with the lower part of the shin closer to the foot. Kicks to the head/neck use the instep more. the body mechanics of the thai kick are different from a karate/tkd roundhouse. Its more of a full swing with the whole body behind it than a flick/snap like the karate/tkd kick.

[yenhoi]

Hit your shins with things, for best results use your partners shins.

Much fun training muy thai.


The ones that go "crack" are the better ones.

[straight blast]

With a Thai Roundkick you're almost always trying to strike with the shin. The reason being (so I understand it) is that the foot is full of small bones that break considerably easier than a big thick shinbone. Some of the way you toughen said shins are:

(1) Kicking heavy bags with them over and over and over

(2) Kicking shin toughening devices i.e. we had a device made of bands of PVC pipe bound together and cemented into the ground. Thicker at the bottom, thinner at the top. Try to add more kicks every day until it doesn't hurt anymore.

(3) Sparring at first with shinpads. Not the hard shinpads that take all sensation away but soft shinpads that lessen the bone to bone feeling without lessening the shock to the bone. After a while progressing to sparring without shinpads.

These are some examples....I've heard other methods like rubbing or rolling glass bottles up and down the shins, etc. It's more a matter of knowing your body and not trying to get iron shins in the first week of training. Persistence and smarts are what get you there without the risk of injury.