Muay Thai kicks

[lotus kick]

Originally posted by Matrix
To fast to respond? This comment blows my mind. Please tell me what a pathetic person such as myself should do in the face of this blinding speed????

I humbly await your words of wisdom.

Matrix

You tell me, you are the matrix after all, who i'm i to teach the teacher.

[Matrix]

So, I guess you don't know either.
Not only am I not the teacher, I'm a pretty average student.

Matrix (it's just a movie)

[Sabu]

Lotus Kick

[lotus kick]

Originally posted by Matrix
So, I guess you don't know either.
Not only am I not the teacher, I'm a pretty average student.

Matrix (it's just a movie)

I know the answer, but its my answer. Anything i TELL you about my answer will be useless for you.

you must love the movie if you name yourself after it.
I was a good movie.

[Matrix]

I needed a name when I joined the forum, it was just one of the first things that came to mind. And yes, I do like the movie.

As for your answer, being for you only. Fair enough.
I know that my answers were not well received, so I guess I see where you're coming from.

Matrix

[Akuma]

Originally posted by MutantWarrior
These guys have already covered this with great answers, but I'll try to add my $.02.

You definately don't want to get caught in the power band of these kinds of kicks, they can be devestating. Obviously, footwork is important here. Get inside or outside if you have to, inside is better cause thats where you can put your own tools to best work instead of just being chased around...but if you have to, just shuffle back and out and then shoot in after. If you do get caught in the firing range, I've had some success with turning kwan sao (bon sao/tan sao) in a quick spring-like motion that throws the energy back, and then either grabs leg (can't against leg kicks, only upper) to turn and throw by leg or turn and spring in up the leg. If your arms arent conditioned this could hurt bad (even if they are it can hurt) and again, its a last ditch technique if you got caught, better to have moved in and out of the brunt of the power. Bottom line; you will get hit sometimes, it hurts.

You can counter kick too; Another approach (as opposed to countering with the shin block, which I'm not so familiar with applying) is to counter kick simultaniously, while moving inside.

As far as conditioning your own legs, the heavy bag is a good & safe way to start. Once you get used to kicking full power through the bag, you can kick harder things, but build up slowly. I like to practice kicks (including round type kicks with instep and shin) against a log. A wide log with bark, freestanding against wall with a rope holding the top. Its good for conditioning arms, too. After a while it doesnt hurt so much and you can kick it similar to the heavy bag. Also against a freestanding (on base) steel rod. Its really not as bad as it sounds. You can put dit jow on legs afterwards. Also, two man kicking drills, you kick legs together, and practice leg kicks/blocks; have your teacher show you if he or she hasnt already.

Will kicking logs and stuff like that be bad for your bones in old age?

I made a thread about this sort of thing some time ago and I got a mixed response from, people saying that if you don't condition yourself properly you can have disfigured arms and legs etc...Some even said that it's good for your bones in old age..I just don't know what to do with conditioning...so far I'm just doing the routine stuff at the place i learn...like the sand bag and this weird arm thing where you partner up with a person and you sorta bang into your partners arms(hard to describe)...btw i'm still a newbie to MA and wing chun...but I just wanted to know everyones theory on conditioning and it's effects on the body later on in life

Also I guess another way of asking the question is, what is the state of muai thai fighters bones later on in life? Do they become crippled?

[vingtsunstudent]

look at the thai's. all that conditioning & for the most part they're retired at an ealy age.
just to add to the arguement.
to deal with any kick just take half a step foward & you get past the piont of maximum force, it may still hurt a little but should not stop you from pummeling there head, especially seeing as though most thai/kickboxers have a tendency to drop their hands whilst kicking.
there are lots of other things i could say that they do wrong for street encounters but if i tell ya everything you won't learn for yourselves.
vts

[Merryprankster]

Hmmm

I've never had a thai boxer recommend kicking logs to me, but to each their own.

I will respectfully disagree with vts on the following--the reason that thaiboxers retire so "early" is not because the methods of shin conditioning, etc break down the body, but because the RINGFIGHTS breakdown the body. Training for fighting, day in and day out, and then actually doing it every few weeks is what makes you retire... if WC/VT/WT had a sportfighting circuit as competative as MT in thailand, they would all have similar problems in later life.

[vingtsunstudent]

duely noted Merryprankster.
i have an uncle who retired in thailand & has friends some of which do have problems later in life with their legs & they say it comes from training when young.
however you make a very valid point.
vts

[Akuma]

So would you say the moral of the story is don't over train and do let your body recover then train again and your body should be just fine in old age?

[Merryprankster]

vts--good point. I will agree that heavy training at too young an age probably causes detrimental effects on developing tissues.

Akuma--listening to your body is always a good idea.

[Sabu]

Your body is your temple. And must be respected.

[Roy D. Anthony]

A swift kick to the groin does the trick. Hope this helps!!!