muay thai awkward?

[stabmasterarson]

I have trained in what I thought was a muay thai/kickboxing style gym for a few years, and figured I knew something about muay thai. I just trained yesterday with some guys (not thai guys)who did pure muay thai they learned in thailand over a couple of years. I thought it was really wierd and akward, there was almost no foot movement aside from small steps forward and backward and when you step you move your rear leg first. They said that foot movement was a waste of time...but I'm not so sure myself

I guess my old gym was more of a boxing style standup with thai kicks and clinching, like K1 with clinching...these guys were pure muay thai. It just seems totally based on kicking and not much hand skill/ring movement...moving straight forward/backward, no evasion etc..
I'm thinking about training with these guys some more, but it seems that everything I have learned from before would have to go out the window...

Any opinions on this?

 

[myrtle]

what are you talking about? moving your rear leg first? it depends on with directtion your moving in, if youre giong backwards you use your rear leg if you move foreward you use your front leg, ef you move left you use your left leg and so on... However there are no rules on howto fight, just do as you find best but try out diffrent things (and py try i mean like at least 2 months or somthing)...in thaiboxing there is a alot of footmovment however the they dont move for nothing if a boxer move it is to aviod or attack when there not attacking they usualy just move there hands head and front foot around to confuse the opponent

 

[stabmasterarson]

Yeah, if you are in your fighting stance, you step your rear leg first, (going forward) so your legs are closer together so you can more easily throw a kick or knee than if you move your front leg first when stepping, because you are then moving your legs farther apart so you can't kick without telegraphing, that's what I was told. Seemed wierd to me too, that's why I think it's awkward. They did say that if you are a puncher (me) you would step normally but most thai fighters aren't punchers. These guys are real purists it seems.

 

[Gregster]

Bear in mind that there's no martial art I'm aware of that is widely taught and exported worldwide where everyone trains the exact same way. Muay Thai is, as far as I know, the same. I've gathered the impression that many guys who teach Muay Thai in the states differ in a number of ways from guys who train "pure" Muay Thai in the old country.

 

[Evil Eye Gouger]

For what it's worth, I was told by some people who trained "pure" Muay Thai that a Muay Thai fighter doesn't back up. He absorbs the punishment and dishes out even more.

I'm not the expert, but it seems to me that the whole punching, boxing and dancing around like Mohammad Ali Muay Thai was a somewhat westernised version. The Thais also seem to kick more and prefer elbows and kicks to punches.

But nowadays, kickboxing schools add some low kicks and clinch work, and claim to teach "Muay Thai".

 

[monkey roll]

Also the Thai thinks that it's better to finish a guy off with a kick rather then a punch

 

[Soulfly]

They probably have devestating kicks - train with them on the thai bag and heavy bag. They should have some clinch work, see what it looks like in comparison to your own. And when you are sparring and they're not moving or backing up, angle off and tool them!

 

[xthrasherx]

muay thai is a little different depending on where its from. in Thailand its generally traditional where, like you said, they absorb more of the strikes from their opponent just waiting to counter them. in Holland you'll find thai boxing a bit different, focusing on being more well rounded with punches, kicks, knees, and elbows. Dekker was a perfect example of that. when he fought in Thailand, they never saw hands like his. but now the Thais are coming around a bit more.

 

[chlorox]

Like western boxing, you will find a lot of different styles within Muay Thai...it depends on the camp and on the fighter. e.g. Rambo is a Thai boxer who moves forward all the time...others like Samart or Sackmongkol move around a lot...having said that, I have seen fights of Sak where he doesn't move around much either...so, there is also strategy involved.

I have only seen one fight of Apidjet who was a thai great in the 50s or 60s and he moves around really well too.

This stereotype of the Thai boxer probably comes from movies more than anything and belittles the complexity and ingenuity within the style.

P.S. They don't kick palm trees or concrete pillars either

 

[daigoro]

I think most people fail to recognize that, as in boxing, there are different styles in MT. In boxing, you will see different fighters described as boxers, punchers, brawlers, sluggers, technicians, counter-punchers, infighters, boxer-punchers, unorthodox, southpaws and defensive fighters. Fighters styles are also shaped by their natural attributes such as left handedness, height, reach, stamina, power, physical toughness/chin, hand speed, foot speed and reflexes.

It makes little sense for everyone to fight the same way. Fighters want to win (and get paid) and will use their particular skills/talents to maximize that likelihood.

 

[Reveen]

Muay Thai fighters seem to be flat footed & like to go for power in their kicks. If you see a good kicker that moves around a lot, with plenty of footwork, chances are they have a TKD background. The Thai fighters like to block their opponents kick, usually with a leg-check, or if the kick is high, with the forearm. TKD stylists like to evade the kick altogether (inch/step back & counter), only blocking if they have to. Hence the Thai fighter generally has much more conditioned shins & forearms.

 

[Reveen]

Also in "pure" Muay Thai knees, elbows and headbutts are a big part of the game. You see a lot clinching and this is where the majority of knee are thrown, although flying knees, ala Remy Bonjasky are not uncommon. Under full Thai rules throws are also permitted. I guess one of the reasons that MT combines so well with BJJ is because of the clinching & throws.

 

[Zankou]

Under Thai rules, kicks are scored much higher than punches. So there is a much stronger emphasis on kicking than, say, K-1 style fighting. A big part of the reason Thais kick so much is that it goes to the scoring, rather than the odds of actually taking the other guy out.

 

[Marvin Covar]

let's just say some gyms added a few extra stuff in their muay thai.

 

[daigoro]

Muay Thai fighters seem to be flat footed & like to go for power in their kicks. If you see a good kicker that moves around a lot, with plenty of footwork, chances are they have a TKD background. The Thai fighters like to block their opponents kick, usually with a leg-check, or if the kick is high, with the forearm. TKD stylists like to evade the kick altogether (inch/step back & counter), only blocking if they have to. Hence the Thai fighter generally has much more conditioned shins & forearms.

Actually, Muay Thai fighters often move out of the way of kicks, especially in the early rounds when an opponent is fresh and has stronger kicks. Even with tough shins and forearms blocking is still painful and damaging. TKD fighters dont do shin blocks because they dont have low kicks in competition (Olympic style) and techniques involving the shin and/or knee are illegal..

 

[Evil Eye Gouger]

Actually, Muay Thai fighters often move out of the way of kicks, especially in the early rounds when an opponent is fresh and has stronger kicks. Even with tough shins and forearms blocking is still painful and damaging. TKD fighters dont do shin blocks because they dont have low kicks in competition (Olympic style) and techniques involving the shin and/or knee are illegal..

TKD guys sometimes block middle kicks with their shins, but this is not very popular nowadays because you're very susceptible to combos standing like that.

 

[D3thr0n3d K1ng]

I was told by some people who trained "pure" Muay Thai that a Muay Thai fighter doesn't back up. He absorbs the punishment and dishes out even more.

All the Muay Thai fihgts Ive seen in Thailand seem to corroborate this, the Thais dont backup or circle, they stand their ground and for the most part just trade shots. They also seem to favor high kicks more than Western kickboxers/MT guys.

 

[stabmasterarson]

I don't know if trading shots in muay thai is what I want to do, so I'm gonna keep training in the normal, K1 style kickboxing/watered down muay thai then. I think its better to hit without getting hit than taking a beating. Plus, if you are doing MMA, wouldn't more foot movement/upper body mobility be superior to just standing there flatfooted?

 

[Meths]

For what it's worth, I was told by some people who trained "pure" Muay Thai that a Muay Thai fighter doesn't back up. He absorbs the punishment and dishes out even more.
QUOTE]

This is basically the way I've been taught. If your opponent kicks you and you move then they score but if you absorb the kick then it doesn't count against you (as much).

Hurts like hell though but you learn to react less to hits and end up in a better position to counter.

 

[chlorox]

For what it's worth, I was told by some people who trained "pure" Muay Thai that a Muay Thai fighter doesn't back up. He absorbs the punishment and dishes out even more.
QUOTE]

This is basically the way I've been taught. If your opponent kicks you and you move then they score but if you absorb the kick then it doesn't count against you (as much).

Hurts like hell though but you learn to react less to hits and end up in a better position to counter.

I am sorry...but that is bullshit....

Top Thai fighters are exceptional at evading middle and high kicks...evading a kick allows you to escape damage and leaves your opponent vulnerable for a counter

Evasion is obviously more difficult than blocking, so, it is inevitable that as fighters find their range in a fight, you will see more blocking