Throwing a proper muay thai kick

[SAAMAG]

well no I'm not saying don't do it. but it is a fact that it's more telegraphed then just pivoting on the foot. Some people don't like it. I personally step with the kick when i do leg kicks or body kicks. I was only pointing out for TS that it's a more telegraphed shot but you trade for better balance and I find a little more power.

Gotcha. I agree that when I'm power kicking the step comes more often. There's a little less pivot on the step kick versus the standing kick .

One thing to consider though is that the step isn't done out of nowhere. It's done typically in conjunction with a defense, whereby the other guy is still in the process of attacking and not defending. Or it can be part of an offense combination whereby the other guy may not see the step or weight shift because you're already attacking.

When it comes to mechanical speed or telegraphing, often times the contingent success factor is timing.

 

[Non]

Gotcha. I agree that when I'm power kicking the step comes more often. There's a little less pivot on the step kick versus the standing kick .

One thing to consider though is that the step isn't done out of nowhere. It's done typically in conjunction with a defense, whereby the other guy is still in the process of attacking and not defending. Or it can be part of an offense combination whereby the other guy may not see the step or weight shift because you're already attacking.

When it comes to mechanical speed or telegraphing, often times the contingent success factor is timing.

I personally prefer using it to close out combos. I'll throw a few jabs, a cross, faint the lead hook and use that go with a leg kick and keep them from circling. Plus it cuts down their mobility in the long run.

 

[SAAMAG]

I personally prefer using it to close out combos. I'll throw a few jabs, a cross, faint the lead hook and use that go with a leg kick and keep them from circling. Plus it cuts down their mobility in the long run.

That's a good feint. Are you doing the traditional thai arm across leg sweep or just throwing a low kick?

 

[Non]

That's a good feint. Are you doing the traditional thai arm across leg sweep or just throwing a low kick?

arm across to make sure it's harder to counter.

 

[Beach Head]

Both have to be used depending on the situation. If you watch Shogun's fights vs. Machida and Chuck he uses the step out then pivot technique. You watch Jose Aldo he doesn't step out at all. Just pivots the foot from where he is without stepping out.

 

[Shadowbox]

A thought:
say I'm throwing a right kick so I'm pivoting on my left foot. I can't pivot if that legs heavy so I need to take weight off that side of my body for a moment. So where's that weight going?

 

[dat1978]

A thought:
say I'm throwing a right kick so I'm pivoting on my left foot. I can't pivot if that legs heavy so I need to take weight off that side of my body for a moment. So where's that weight going?

huh? if you're right leg is in the air kicking then, of course, your left leg is bearing the weight. you can pivot it by coming up on your toes and having a smaller surface area of your foot touching the ground.

 

[Shadowbox]

huh? if you're right leg is in the air kicking then, of course, your left leg is bearing the weight. you can pivot it by coming up on your toes and having a smaller surface area of your foot touching the ground.

you don't think you're pushing off that foot at all when you're pivoting?

 

[dat1978]

you don't think you're pushing off that foot at all when you're pivoting?

i think maybe i'm not understanding your question, the original or the follow up one. can you clarify. also, are we talking from a muay thai stance or more a boxing/kickboxing stance?

 

[Shadowbox]

i think maybe i'm not understanding your question, the original or the follow up one. can you clarify. also, are we talking from a muay thai stance or more a boxing/kickboxing stance?

fair enough, I was being intentionally vague since it's a difficult idea to put into words. I'm thinking of when I first learned to pivot on my kicks. My first Muay Thai teacher taught my the 45 degree method where you'd step out with the left, bend your left leg, and throw the kick with your weight low and heavy on your left leg. When trying to learn how to pivot, it just wasn't working at first. But what made me able to pivot with the kick is to as you say push up onto the ball and almost the toes. I'm suggesting that the kick and the pivot happen during or instantly following the upward push, so rather than your weight resting on that left leg it's actually somewhat suspended. Not suggesting that the foot leaves the ground or even comes close to it, but in that instant of pivot, the leg is not carrying your weight due to the push up with the ball of the foot. My implication was that this suspended weight could be more easily transferred into the momentum of the kick. Not sure if any of that made sense... but I tried

 

[Gregolian]

Just started learning how to properly throw kicks yesterday and was going to ask about them. Glad I looked before clicking the New Msg button.

 

[SAAMAG]

fair enough, I was being intentionally vague since it's a difficult idea to put into words. I'm thinking of when I first learned to pivot on my kicks. My first Muay Thai teacher taught my the 45 degree method where you'd step out with the left, bend your left leg, and throw the kick with your weight low and heavy on your left leg. When trying to learn how to pivot, it just wasn't working at first. But what made me able to pivot with the kick is to as you say push up onto the ball and almost the toes. I'm suggesting that the kick and the pivot happen during or instantly following the upward push, so rather than your weight resting on that left leg it's actually somewhat suspended. Not suggesting that the foot leaves the ground or even comes close to it, but in that instant of pivot, the leg is not carrying your weight due to the push up with the ball of the foot. My implication was that this suspended weight could be more easily transferred into the momentum of the kick. Not sure if any of that made sense... but I tried

What you described first reminded me a lot of the way Saekson teaches the low round kicks. Low kicks are done differently than the standard diagonal kick; the step and low bend on the standing leg is what separates it. You also should be stepping back out at a 45 degree angle from where you kicked (so that the stepping lines make "V" with the bottom of the "V" being the kick).

As far as the rest goes...just kick man! Lol.

Your weight is going to transfer to your standing leg and your pivot happens as your hips and leg come up and around. I tend to launch off the kicking leg as well to help "spring" the leg off the ground. Sorta like when you practice a right leg check and immediately throw the right kick when the foot touches down--but minus the leg check.