taking lowkicks

[ballie]

I'm training lowkicks for a pretty long time but they haven't taught us how to condition your upperleg to take the kicks, because I see all these great fighters taking tons of lowkicks but when it happen to me I end up getting hurt. I know it helps to just take some every training but is there no good strenghtening training for the upperleg?

 

[Ian Coe]

Squat to build up the muscle and do drills where you kick each others legs but build up the power slowly.
Checkings the best bet, or get used to taking it and throwing something in return, making him pay for it.

To be honest in fights you don't feel in, but when its over and the adrenaline is gone, it does hurt, but who cares then

 

[HeyHEys]

yep, you dont need it ..adrenaline is a great thing

 

[ballie]

adrenaline is great indeed but even then there's only an amount of lowkicks you can take, even pro fighters, and I wonder how you can get better in that, but squads will probably help, thanks

 

[Spoonman7]

I recomend squating for sure, hundreds of reps with bodyweight will help a lot, the sting from the kick is still there but in terms of tissue damage it will be much less.

 

[ArmyBJJ]

Take a Muay Thai focus bag and hit the crap out of your legs with it. Over time this will help you out in being able to take the blows.

 

[Ian Coe]

adrenaline is great indeed but even then there's only an amount of lowkicks you can take, even pro fighters, and I wonder how you can get better in that, but squads will probably help, thanks

This is true. My last fight ended because the guy couldn't defend himself anymore, and the majority of the damage that was done was through low kicks on my part, so maybe a bit of conditioning is good. But then again he was a pure boxer in a thai fight, so every shot to the legs that was thrown landed.
Baring previous advice (ie as well as), I'd just suggest learning to check the kick or foot work your way back so you don't have to deal with in, then come in and punish him.

 

[zaner]

I don't think there's any way to condition your thighs. Like chin shots, i think there is little you can do (tho building up the muscle can't hurt) to make yourselve immune. There is just so many that each person can take depending on alot of things.
Remember to raise your leg, if you can't check n time, so that at least there isnt as much weight on it. That way your leg not braced with a bunch of body weight on it and it will roll with the blow

 

[Sinister]

There's traditional methods of leg-conditioning. But a lot of people are scared shitless of it nowadays and thus skoff at the idea of it. I can tell you from experience though that most of the guys who have done traditional conditioning don't feel shit. If they go down from leg-kicks it's because they're debilitated, not that it "hurts" per se. Most guys you'll ever meet who just have legs made of stone will tell you some crazy shit they did to get there, and there's no real way to halfass with it.

 

[TJS]

There's traditional methods of leg-conditioning. But a lot of people are scared shitless of it nowadays and thus skoff at the idea of it. I can tell you from experience though that most of the guys who have done traditional conditioning don't feel shit. If they go down from leg-kicks it's because they're debilitated, not that it "hurts" per se. Most guys you'll ever meet who just have legs made of stone will tell you some crazy shit they did to get there, and there's no real way to halfass with it.

details please?

 

[OldVet61]

There's traditional methods of leg-conditioning. But a lot of people are scared shitless of it nowadays and thus skoff at the idea of it. I can tell you from experience though that most of the guys who have done traditional conditioning don't feel shit. If they go down from leg-kicks it's because they're debilitated, not that it "hurts" per se. Most guys you'll ever meet who just have legs made of stone will tell you some crazy shit they did to get there, and there's no real way to halfass with it.

Sounds like it would have some negative effects on your body.

 

[Ian Coe]

what, like knuckles conditioning can lead to arthritus, that kinda thing

 

[Sinister]

Yeah, what I'm talking about is the conditioning using bamboo and striking of the legs. It gets you used to taking the pain pretty quick, and it's not like a lot of guys think where you just take a stick and wail on your legs. You do it in moderation, and are conscious of injury. In truth it's no more dangerous than kicking a really solid heavybag. Only when you use this method you can condotion parts of your legs kicking a bag doesn't cover, like your hamstrings. Once you're used to the sharp pain of a strike there, after a while you don't feel it in sparring or fights. I've used this method and it works fine with no long-term damage if done properly. It just hurts like shit when you first start doing it.

 

[Ian Coe]

mental note made, never hear of using bamboo before....shini yes (which isn't a big leap really)

 

[Sinister]

Shinai are made of bamboo usually.

 

[Matt]

For sure you can do squats to strengthen your legs and you can spar to get used to the sensation and build your tolerance. You should of course try to block as much as possible but if you can't block you can at least:

* Make sure you don't have all your weight on the leg that's being kicked. The impact of leg kick is way more severe when your weight is shifted onto the leg being kicked.

* Roll with the blow - hard to demonstrate it here but if you're the guy being kicked, you can lift your leg and move it in the direction of the kick, with the kick to lessen the blow. This works for inside and outside leg kicks.

 

[Ian Coe]

Shinai are made of bamboo usually.

so thats how you spell it :redface:

I know, hence I said its not a big leap (I was thinking you meant bits of bamboo just cut and you go to work with that, rather then the bound ones that have give as in a shinai)

 

[Sinister]

Well some Kali fighters actually condition with burned rattan and whatnot, THAT'S insane. But yeah, I always used a Shinai for the give. Best results that way.

 

[TapDammit]

Yeah, what I'm talking about is the conditioning using bamboo and striking of the legs. It gets you used to taking the pain pretty quick, and it's not like a lot of guys think where you just take a stick and wail on your legs. You do it in moderation, and are conscious of injury. In truth it's no more dangerous than kicking a really solid heavybag. Only when you use this method you can condotion parts of your legs kicking a bag doesn't cover, like your hamstrings. Once you're used to the sharp pain of a strike there, after a while you don't feel it in sparring or fights. I've used this method and it works fine with no long-term damage if done properly. It just hurts like shit when you first start doing it.

They use to do soemthing like that in the army. But only to your shins, to hopefully kill those nerves leaving little chance of annoying little pain in battle.

 

[Caddock]

We don't do any specific drills for conditioning the legs to take kicks. Meaning we don't whack hard on each others thighs with a stick or anything. Usually when someone is practicing their leg kick we use the suitcase pad so they can let loose, it absorbs most of the impact, though I have felt kicks through it before.

We do practice combos sometimes back and forth where leg kicks are involved but we only go as hard as we are comfortable with, never has been full out.

A drill we do that inolves hard leg kicks. Pad holder gets suited up. Shin pads, belly pad and Thai pads. You basically spar with him and he gets to leg kick you and beat you however. I have taken some hard ones in that drill.

Of course in sparring we use leg kicks and people get swept/knocked down a bit. Again we adjust the tempo and power based on people's experience.

We also: Run, squat, jumpsquat, duckwalk, skip to make the legs stronger.

As mentioned during a fight the adrenaline is up and you probably won't feel a few, even real hard ones. Now you still don't want to take too many as it will quickly catch up to you. I have had some doozey of morning after leg kick hangovers basically where I was sore from my hip to my knee and only took 3-4 in a fight the day beofre.