Why don't thais set up their kicks?

[jtwarwagon4life]

One of the first things any muay thai coach will tell you when you start training is to set up your kicks! This is just muay thai 101. The correct way to throw a kick is first to set it up by making a combination with the hands and then making the kick, preferably a low kick as these are the most difficult to catch. This is the foundation of the 'dutch style' of kickboxing. First you make a combination to occupy their mind upstairs and then you make a low kick. If you don't set up your kicks, then the opponent will see the kick coming and counter you with a punch or catch the kick, for sure. This is especially dangerous in MMA and on the street where someone will catch your leg and take you down, unlike muay thai where wrestling and judo throws aren't allowed.

And yet every time I see a thai fighter fight, they throw their kicks without any set up, they only throw single kicks. Why don't the thais know any better? And is this why the 'dutch style' dominates muay thai and mma, while the traditional 'thai style' is never used? Connor Ruebusch said that you should never throw "naked kicks", but that because the 'thai style' of kicks is so fast and hard that they don't always need to set it up. Is this true? This just sounds like using athleticism to compensate for bad technique? What do you think?

P.S. It also doesn't seem like anyone in MMA uses the 'thai style' kick. They mostly use more of a tkd or karate style which is less telegraphed and so its more like a whip, so it's harder to counter.

 

[ildottore]

Thais do set up their kicks though and in more varied and thoughtful ways than Dutch kickboxers. It's just more subtle, so I can see why you might have trouble seeing it. Also, boxers have had success pot-shotting. Why not kickers?

 

[anorak]

The correct way to throw a kick is first to set it up by making a combination with the hands and then making the kick, preferably a low kick as these are the most difficult to catch. This is the foundation of the 'dutch style' of kickboxing. First you make a combination to occupy their mind upstairs and then you make a low kick. ]

Throw in some random jumping switch knees and you have the 'ultimate' stand up game!

 

[OngBakBoy]

thais are tiny, they cant reach other fighters with their hands. they need kicks

 

[KBE6EKCTAH_CCP]

That s because they have crazy hips and most often than not remain standing when their kicks are catched.

 

[jtwarwagon4life]

That s because they have crazy hips and most often than not remain standing when their kicks are catched.

I suspect that it's because the thais haven't been exposed to western wrestling. If they were, then we'd probably see a lot more sweeps in muay thai. Just wait till a good wrestler competes in the stadiums and those midgets try throwing naked kicks, they won't know what hit them.

 

[AbeRudder]

Truth. There is a reason why Robin Van Roosmalen blocked every single one of Sittichai's kicks, Sittichai just didn't set them up with his hands.

 

[TonyK]

What the hell do you want?

 

[jtwarwagon4life]

What the hell do you want?

When I say this , I'm a troll and a loser with too much time on their hands. When Brian Stann, Joe Rogan, Connor Ruebusch and Bas Rutten say it, they're a respected analyst and expert.

That and I'm an attention whore.

 

[muaydan667]

But you're pretty much preaching to the choir here though.

 

[Kanka]

I

When I say this , I'm a troll and a loser with too much time on their hands. When Brian Stann, Joe Rogan, Connor Ruebusch and Bas Rutten say it, they're a respected analyst and expert.

That and I'm an attention whore.

If Joe Rogan was an active poster on this forum he would get blasted for his lack of muay thai knowledge

 

[jono83]

Thais do setup their kicks. They use "you" for the setup meaning your movement. There's a reason why you see them often cracking someone with kicks who is unable to return fast enough because they're usually kicked while their body is off balance or tensed up so your not fast enough to return. Their setups are nearly perfect as to when and where to send it out so it isn't always necessary to use punches to try and sneek them in. RVR didn't purposely block the middle kicks. He just isn't fast enough to do anything besides just stand there and take it then throw out a looping punch hoping it connects somewhere.

 

[jtwarwagon4life]

But you're pretty much preaching to the choir here though.

I

If Joe Rogan was an active poster on this forum he would get blasted for his lack of muay thai knowledge

I'm not really convinced of that. All of the stuff I'm satirising you can find on the subforum and in making some of these threads I've basically just repeated stuff verbatim that I've seen on the forum. You guys are giving yourselves too much credit, there are a lot more Joe Rogan types on this forum than there are Cocakillbanas.

 

[AndyMaBobs]

You don't need to set up if you have good timing. Which is what they're really good at. Thais are great at finding the opportune moment to kick, so if the elbow is ever so slightly away from the body, they kick it, if they arm is pressed against the body, they kick the arm itself. If you kick the arm for long enough eventually the body kick comes and the kick has been set up by the arm kick.

Essentially, they use your positioning against you.

There's also the added benefit of them being so fast that they usually can just land it. Keep in mind that these are fighters, some of whom can throw 100 kicks in 50 seconds. This coupled with them wanting to avoid getting dumped on their head, means they develop some pretty great timing for each kick.

The reason most western gyms teach you to set up the kick is that you usually don't have anywhere near the speed to just throw single kicks and do well. MMA fighters like Edson Barboza and Anthony Pettis on the other hand do. So its far more common to see one of those two bang out some speed kicky kicks from nowhere.

 

[Snubnoze707]

I'm not really convinced of that. All of the stuff I'm satirising you can find on the subforum and in making some of these threads I've basically just repeated stuff verbatim that I've seen on the forum. You guys are giving yourselves too much credit, there are a lot more Joe Rogan types on this forum than there are Cocakillbanas.

By random posters that make one thread and are never seen again. Give the regulars on here, outside of trolls like brock, some damn credit. Your satire is becoming a gimmick at this point and its played out.

 

[AbeRudder]

By random posters that make one thread and are never seen again. Give the regulars on here, outside of trolls like brock, some damn credit. Your satire is becoming a gimmick at this point and its played out.

I thought this one was ok actually given the 'set your kicks up' phrase is parroted endlessly by mma analysts/commentators, can't watch a UFC event without that being brought up.

 

[Julius_Caesar]

What the hell do you want?

Attention

 

[ctrlaltdelete]

Because blocked kicks still score points.

 

[Thycidides]

I thought this one was ok actually given the 'set your kicks up' phrase is parroted endlessly by mma analysts/commentators, can't watch a UFC event without that being brought up.

I like how this troll thread was set up with a question someone that saw a stadium fight for the first time would ask. It was very convincing. More trolls should set up their threads with plausible introductions. Too many trolls rely on one outlandish statement and don't take time to cover their trolling with subtlety

9/10


"Why don't the thais know any better?" Is the only part that gave it away. Most posters on here are unfamiliar with how connected Mauy Thai is to Thailand. They associate Mauy Tha with Brazilian MMA fighters. Even in striking technique discussion forum.

But to be honest throwing a punch combination before a kick is good advice for a MMA fighter or a western kick boxer that hasn't been kicking people in pro fights since they were a kid. I think that a punch combination and a low kick would impress MMA audience and judges more than a single mid kick.

 

[jtwarwagon4life]

By random posters that make one thread and are never seen again. Give the regulars on here, outside of trolls like brock, some damn credit.

KBE6EKCTAH_CCP, SuperLuigi, Tayski ask JayMuaythai and Enriko davidson
RichardN7 FokaiMuayThai would all qualify as regulars on here. Why should I give them any credit?