Legit Muay Thai or McDojo?

[Apothecary]

A few years ago I trained in Muay Thai at a great school. The head instructor was a former Lumpini and World MT champ and was an instructor with Fairtex for years. I have moved since then and I'm looking for a new school. I tried a class today and I think some of the teaching was suspect. I'm sure there are some differences between schools so I wanted to see what you guys think.

First, when teaching blocking he said I was blocking hooks wrong. I was using "earmuffs" brining my hand up to my ear and shrugging my shoulder up. He said I should be blocking hooks by swinging my arm out to meet his more like something from a karate class.

Second, we practiced a lot of front kicks. Not teeps but kicks going straight up and striking with the top of the foot to the pads. I didn't train these kicks once at my previous school.

Third, he had me practice side kicks. I only remember training side teeps a few times the full time at my previous school.

Fourth, he said there are two types of roundhouse kicks. Ones where you strike with your shins and ones where you strike with the ball of your inside ankle. This sound like a good way to get injured to me.

Fifth, he said I need to stop dropping my hand when I throw a roundhouse kick. He was talking about my lead hand. At my old school I was told to throw the lead hand back to help generate the spin to throw a rear roundhouse. It is the way I have always seen Bas and Buakaw do it also so I'm sure that can't be correct.

Last, although many of the students may have been new I saw a lot of bad technique like rear foots coming off the ground when throwing a cross etc.

Are these just differences in teaching between MT schools or do you think this is just a guy from Thailand who has seen some MT bought some gear and says he teaches MT?

 

[deluxeMT]

A few years ago I trained in Muay Thai at a great school. The head instructor was a former Lumpini and World MT champ and was an instructor with Fairtex for years. I have moved since then and I'm looking for a new school. I tried a class today and I think some of the teaching was suspect. I'm sure there are some differences between schools so I wanted to see what you guys think.

First, when teaching blocking he said I was blocking hooks wrong. I was using "earmuffs" brining my hand up to my ear and shrugging my shoulder up. He said I should be blocking hooks by swinging my arm out to meet his more like something from a karate class.

Sounds suspect. 'earmuff' block is considered a pretty standard MT defence to the hook.

Second, we practiced a lot of front kicks. Not teeps but kicks going straight up and striking with the top of the foot to the pads. I didn't train these kicks once at my previous school.

That's pretty much straight out of... something not MT...

Third, he had me practice side kicks. I only remember training side teeps a few times the full time at my previous school.

Pretty uncommon in traditional MT at least, but not totally worthless, widely debated on.

[/quote]Fourth, he said there are two types of roundhouse kicks. Ones where you strike with your shins and ones where you strike with the ball of your inside ankle. This sound like a good way to get injured to me.[/quote]

Standard Thai round kick is all about shin, can't see why he'd train a foot kick version. Apart from some potential weird angle head-kicks.

Fifth, he said I need to stop dropping my hand when I throw a roundhouse kick. He was talking about my lead hand. At my old school I was told to throw the lead hand back to help generate the spin to throw a rear roundhouse. It is the way I have always seen Bas and Buakaw do it also so I'm sure that can't be correct.

If you're dropping your lead hand he is indeed correct. The rear hand is swung back for power, not the lead hand. Lead hand is the guard hand, stays up at all times, rear hand is the one thrown back (ideally with chin tucked into that arms shoulder to protect)

Last, although many of the students may have been new I saw a lot of bad technique like rear foots coming off the ground when throwing a cross etc.

Are these just differences in teaching between MT schools or do you think this is just a guy from Thailand who has seen some MT bought some gear and says he teaches MT?

 

[Apothecary]

If you're dropping your lead hand he is indeed correct. The rear hand is swung back for power, not the lead hand. Lead hand is the guard hand, stays up at all times, rear hand is the one thrown back (ideally with chin tucked into that arms shoulder to protect)

Maybe I didn't explain myself well, my hands do about what these fighters hands do in this video I found.

YouTube - Muay Thai training - kicks

 

[deluxeMT]

Yeah, that's a really really bad example. No one in that video has any kind of guard while kicking...

 

[deluxeMT]

Here's what you should be seeing, heres Nathan 'Carnage' Corbett with a mostly pretty nice left kick, lead hand (right hand in the case of a left kick) up to guard, left hand thrown back to counter-balance the kick and generate power.

 

[thaiboxer92]

sounds a little odd to me but my old thai coach had us practice side kicks and karateesq kicks but very seldomly he might just be giving you a different angle id say go a time or two more to decide for yourself if it was once in a while things or if its a mcdojo and my old coach was also a black belt in i some form of shotokan karate

 

[Whitefish]

First, when teaching blocking he said I was blocking hooks wrong. I was using "earmuffs" brining my hand up to my ear and shrugging my shoulder up. He said I should be blocking hooks by swinging my arm out to meet his more like something from a karate class.

Yeah that sounds straight out of karate (Kenpo Purple-stripe speaking out of experience) but did anyone demonstrate it as being.... useful? Never seen that done in a fight but if it works it works.

But they way you defend sounds much more common. Sounds like the same way Rampage blocks.

Second, we practiced a lot of front kicks. Not teeps but kicks going straight up and striking with the top of the foot to the pads. I didn't train these kicks once at my previous school.

Sounds like this would bruise the hell out of the top of my feet. As per one of my previous threads. I personally wouldn't kick this way. I prefer using my shins.

This sounds much more karate based too...

Fourth, he said there are two types of roundhouse kicks. Ones where you strike with your shins and ones where you strike with the ball of your inside ankle. This sound like a good way to get injured to me.

Top of the feet again? Karate.

Fifth, he said I need to stop dropping my hand when I throw a roundhouse kick. He was talking about my lead hand. At my old school I was told to throw the lead hand back to help generate the spin to throw a rear roundhouse. It is the way I have always seen Bas and Buakaw do it also so I'm sure that can't be correct.

Not necessarily wrong but you're wide open for a counter punch. Taking big risks for more power. I throw my lead hand back too for more power but I'm trying to stop myself from doing this because I don't like how wide-open it leaves me.

This one is personal preference.

Overall this sounds like he might just have a past in another martial. May not be a McDojo, just a guy who has some elements of karate involved in his training.

 

[ChachiKiller]

Run like hell from that school. THrow the instructor a beating first. He is probably offering some watered-down MT based on his kenpo background. He may not know what he is doing and relying on point karate stuff.

 

[ChachiKiller]

DO not strike for power or make contact with the inside of the ankle. I threw an inside-out kick, my opponent lifted his knee and my ankle bounced off it and shattered. An inside crescent kick lacks speed, power, accuracy, puts your foot on the outside of your opponents when you land. It is a dog. There is an outside crescent kick that is fast but no power and once more you lead with an ankle.

 

[Barut]

What part of Utah are you in? If you're anywhere near SLC check this place out: Thai Box Utah - The USA's Premiere Muay Thai Training Center

 

[NinjaKilla187]

Mc-mutha-fuggin-Dojo.

 

[JackLancewell]

Mc-mutha-fuggin-Dojo.

Seconded.

 

[Soul Rebel 2]

McDojo.

This myth is busted

 

[RhythmShockZero]

as far as kicks go, i was taught to keep your hands up for torso/leg kicks, but it's ok to drop the hand behind for power on head kicks.

 

[Apothecary]

What part of Utah are you in? If you're anywhere near SLC check this place out: Thai Box Utah - The USA's Premiere Muay Thai Training Center

That is where I trained previously, it is a good school. I just don't live in the area anymore.

 

[Barut]

That is where I trained previously, it is a good school. I just don't live in the area anymore.

Bummer. Sem's a good trainer.

 

[baconCrunch]

Sounds suspect. 'earmuff' block is considered a pretty standard MT defence to the hook.



That's pretty much straight out of... something not MT...



Pretty uncommon in traditional MT at least, but not totally worthless, widely debated on.

Fourth, he said there are two types of roundhouse kicks. Ones where you strike with your shins and ones where you strike with the ball of your inside ankle. This sound like a good way to get injured to me.[/quote]

Standard Thai round kick is all about shin, can't see why he'd train a foot kick version. Apart from some potential weird angle head-kicks.



If you're dropping your lead hand he is indeed correct. The rear hand is swung back for power, not the lead hand. Lead hand is the guard hand, stays up at all times, rear hand is the one thrown back (ideally with chin tucked into that arms shoulder to protect)[/QUOTE]


the only thing suspect is your judgement

i can already tell you're insinuating this teacher is wrong
but there are so many different ways of doing techniques
that is the pt of difference between every school
some of these techniques work above for some, some don't

and if you trained long enough to know the basic dfference, you wouldn't be asking stupid questions on the internet

 

[guynamedtroy]

From what I've learned from various people over the years, his stuff is suspect. Honestly I'd look for another school, or just work out in your backyard. You don't want to risk going some place and developing bad habits because of incorrect training.

For what it's worth the hand that swings down is on the same side the leg is kicking. So if you were to be in left lead and throw the right leg, your right hand drops to facilitate the power while the left is near your face to guard. Vice-versa for Southpaws.

 

[TheVenom]

hey, I have no training in any type of martial art. I wrestled for my high school and I'm hoping to join this particular dojo soon. It teaches Muay Thai and Brazilian jiu-jitsu. I have basic wrestling skills because I wasn't able to stay on the team the whole season due to issues. Will having previous experience wrestling make my transition easier.


Academy of Mixed Martial Arts - Main Entrance ( I'm looking to train in fayetteville , NC where I reside) should I train there?

hope I do well in MT

 

[Zoti]

Sakasem thought you real MT. If the new school varies too much in style then it is not real MT.