the muay thai back kick

What you Muay Thai guys describe sounds like what I was taught was a backswing kick (often called a "wheel kick" by the Okinawan Karate dudes). Decidedly different in application and effect.

In TKD the spinning back kick is more versatile-- it's great offensively at the apex of a 3 or 4-kick combo driving your opponent back, and defensively (especially jumping back kick) straight or as T2KF described at a 45-degree angle as a counter. It's a wicked way to take some wind out of a guy's sails while creating distance at very close range.

The backswing kick isn't a body shot (which is not to say it wouldn't hurt) but a KO shot to the head. Connect with one of those, and your opponent is almost surely going to be taking a nap.

I've seen Ramon Dekkers throw that sort of kick...though I don't watch MT much at all, so I have no idea how common that is (I've gathered he was a fairly unorthodox fighter).
 
From what i've seen of Thai fighters, the back kick isn't used offensively. The main thing i've seen and what I have done drills for is if you miss with a shin kick, the opponent might move to get your back. The back kick is just to keep him away long enough to turn around and face him again. Not sure what the experience of other MT guys using this has been.
 
In Virtua Fighter the MT fighter is just like that, only throws teep and round kicks but if the opponent gets behind him can throw a weak defensive style back kick.
 
Here's a funny story about the MT back kick.

Do you guys know who Seth Petruzelli is? He's one of the heavyweights on this season of TUF. He trained here at the gym I go to for many years. He was around 250 pounds at the time of this story. His sparring partner, Brewster, was about 5'8" and only 150 pounds at the time.

So coach is trying to get Brewster to practice using his back kicks in the situation I described a few posts earlier. And Brewster is dragging his feet (figuratively) because he doesn't think the back kick has any use. At this point in time, his attitude was, "show me my right hand and my leg kick and i'm fine".

So he's in the ring with Seth later that night, who is being extra careful due to the 100 pound weight difference. Brewster misses on a leg kick, and goes for the back kick like I described but because he's been half-assing it the whole day he misses Seth's stomach (the intended target) and catches Seth right in the nuts with this fucking mule kick. Seth just took a step back and slumped down in the corner. He was cool about it but obviously wasn't too happy.

So, Brewster thinks a little differently about the MT back kicks now.
 
TKD back kick > MT back kick
 
If your facing your back to a Thaifighter, chances are he is not standing straight behind you,
he is circling to set up his strikes on you, therefore he is already at an angle making the kick
very difficult to land solid.

Maybe back when they allowed striking your opponent's back, this kick was more utilized.
 
thanks for the replies, one and all! very much appreciated! :D
 
back kick is a good kick. maybe better for self defense than sport.

hey chthon, I use to train at Marcio Simas's BJJ academy is that where you train?
 
VampireMonk said:
hey chthon, I use to train at Marcio Simas's BJJ academy is that where you train?
Click to expand...
No, though I know that Seth used to train there for a while. I train out of Kokopelli's Gym. Are you in O-Town?
 
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