Kicking with shin

[Zair]

i recently started muay thai , and kicking with the skin is not something i am used to. When i am training say 100 right roundhouses on a bag 15 of them will be with the foot and the rest with the shin. I need to know how to kick with the shin all the time. Does anyone have any drills or advice?

 

[j123]

Adjust your distance. I'm guessing you come from a Karate/TKD background (instep kicking)?

Think of the kick distance not much longer from arms distance (When you're kicking with the shin).

One simply way I use, is hold your arm straight out to the bag (horizontally), from there, kick distance should be there.

 

[aries]

No easy way around it you just have to pick up the distance/range over time. Make sure you really focus on contacting with your shin all the time. Pad work can help as they are smaller targets than a bag. Slow down your kicking, have a little pause in between kicks and think 'shin', really emphasise accurate contact all the time. It's just going to take time and discipline.

 

[fluffball]

Here's the easy solution: Kick a really heavy bag. Think about your bad habit as you limp around for a few days.

 

[ssullivan80]

i recently started muay thai , and kicking with the skin is not something i am used to. When i am training say 100 right roundhouses on a bag 15 of them will be with the foot and the rest with the shin. I need to know how to kick with the shin all the time. Does anyone have any drills or advice?

When you aim your kick at the bag, throw the kick at the opposite side of the bag (from the side your kicking)..........

 

[Paradigm]

No easy way around it you just have to pick up the distance/range over time. Make sure you really focus on contacting with your shin all the time. Pad work can help as they are smaller targets than a bag. Slow down your kicking, have a little pause in between kicks and think 'shin', really emphasise accurate contact all the time. It's just going to take time and discipline.

I feel like it's easier to keep it all shin on the heavybag versus on Thai pads...my reasoning being that the heavybag is curved (like a human body) and you can land with your foot hooked around the back of the bag without much contact but it's pretty hard to not contact with your foot on pads, due to the width of the target/landing area.

Even the pros hit with their foot when kicking Thai pads...I don't think it's avoidable unless you aim with your upper shin or something:

 

[T-Bone]

Been training MT for several months.

I do on occasion misjudge my distance on the bag. I do notice that if I am training with a partner who's holding a pad, then I can kick the pad whether or not they're holding it on their thigh or body. And I rarely Ever misjudge distance that way.

I cannot explain it other than I am inexperienced and just need to get better. At judging distance. On the bag.

-T

 

[HighestHand]

I feel like it's easier to keep it all shin on the heavybag versus on Thai pads...my reasoning being that the heavybag is curved (like a human body) and you can land with your foot hooked around the back of the bag without much contact but it's pretty hard to not contact with your foot on pads, due to the width of the target/landing area.

Even the pros hit with their foot when kicking Thai pads...I don't think it's avoidable unless you aim with your upper shin or something:

I've told so many people this and they told me to GTFO.... Watch yourself there...

Also, if you use your upper shins and no foot at all, you won't make that bad ass smack sound that you hear when pros hit it.

 

[aries]

I feel like it's easier to keep it all shin on the heavybag versus on Thai pads...my reasoning being that the heavybag is curved (like a human body) and you can land with your foot hooked around the back of the bag without much contact but it's pretty hard to not contact with your foot on pads, due to the width of the target/landing area.

Even the pros hit with their foot when kicking Thai pads...I don't think it's avoidable unless you aim with your upper shin or something:

I agree with your point, there inevitably will be some 'foot' contact however, the emphasis i.e. primary point of impact should be concentrated on the shin. That's where most of the impact should land, the foot is just a secondary point of contact. So yes your foot will touch the pad but it really shouldn't be the focal point of impact.

 

[Paradigm]

I've told so many people this and they told me to GTFO.... Watch yourself there...

Also, if you use your upper shins and no foot at all, you won't make that bad ass smack sound that you hear when pros hit it.

Lol...those people would be wrong. Sure...maybe they can criticize Yod's technique but if you slow down vids of other Thais, you can see where they land with as well and the foot gets involved sometimes. I think it's almost unavoidable unless damn near have the edge of the pad landing on your kneecap

I agree with your point, there inevitably will be some 'foot' contact however, the emphasis i.e. primary point of impact should be concentrated on the shin. That's where most of the impact should land, the foot is just a secondary point of contact. So yes your foot will touch the pad but it really shouldn't be the focal point of impact.

Of course...I usually land with the lower half of my shin but I need to really focus on using the upper half when in closer (and just in general). I know some guys can land with the upper half like that but I've never really gotten comfortable with it.

I just tried laying my Top Kings across my shins right now and I'd have to land perfectly every time to not involve the foot at all. The opposite edge of the other pad fits right along the bottom of my kneecap. Ideally, I'd just have my padholder hold with one pad but I don't know how feasible that is. Or maybe the way some Thais do it with one pad and one focus mitt...hell, even in this vid, freeze it at 0:32 and see where his foot is: