when kicking do you keep your hands up or throw your one down?

[Corey Roberts]

This is what we're taught:

• Same-side hand goes down for power (i.e. if you are kicking with your right foot, right hand goes down).
• Opposite hand goes across the face to help block counters.
• Head should slip while kicking to guard against counter.
• Stepping off angle is another optional way of guarding against counters.
• And most important: you need to set up your kicks. If you just lead with a kick without doing anything to set it up, of course there's a good chance you've got a right hand or counter kick coming your way. Get his hands up with punches, or back him up/get him off-balance somehow before kicking.

I'm not so great at all of this, yet, but this is what we are taught.

Great post

Watch how thiago alves sets his kick up with the jab


he doesn't cover his face like he should with the left hand, but the dude in this vid pretty much shows how it's done to protect yourself while you throw.

YouTube - Muay Thai MMA Technique #1

see how his left hand comes up and covers his face as he throws it.

 

[Corey Roberts]

check out this dudes technique

YouTube - Muay Thai MMA Technique #1

he swings his left hand up to protect his face while throwing.

Also want to see how to set up a good leg kick off the jab, watch thiago alves vs josh koscheck

 

[Pinoy Badboy**]

So i suppose that to sherdog, the whole K-1 organization and all the fighters in Thailand are doing it wrong. Not surprised.

 

[ssullivan80]

so if your in orthodox stance your left hand comes across to protect the right side of your face (side your throwing your hand back).. i've fought people that block this way and most of the time i drive in with a jab or a hook, and that hand does very little to protect (it just hits the face).. i think for a beginner this is just a dangerous way to kick... if i can tell that your going to wind up that kick, my defense is going to be to drive in.. with nothing but the back of a hand (with no arm or elbow to help protect) your still going to get rocked with a counter...

antyime i take a jab to deliver a powerful leg kick, I gladly accept that! if your coming in with a jab or hook all your weight is going to be on that front leg i am kicking at (if there is any power in the punch), making the kick even more damaging.

Further, if your kicking correctly you should be able to sit down on your stabilizing leg and get your head back out of range as the kick swings through. Also why when kicking you step out to a 45 angle and throw your shoulders down towards the ground. If done correctly it keeps you out of range during the kick.

P.S: just saw that video below of Alves, that is an exellent example

 

[Pinoy Badboy**]

Perhaps one of the greatest American Nak Muay (RIP) can explain this better.

Dailymotion - Fairtex Muay Thai - 02 - Body Kick, a video from Hater_Huntin. muay, thai, fairtex, instructional, kick

This instructional is more for a raw kick with very little setup.

and also, if the kick comes after a punch combination, there is even less need to step out 45 degrees.

 

[MiaWallace718]

antyime i take a jab to deliver a powerful leg kick, I gladly accept that! if your coming in with a jab or hook all your weight is going to be on that front leg i am kicking at (if there is any power in the punch), making the kick even more damaging.

I absolutly agree with this set up... I was speaking of using strikes if i see a kick coming, my defense is to move in on the body before the kick gets there.. I'm also under the assumption that TS isn't training Muy Thai and for this reason only i didn't agree with swinging the arm.. I see how this is effective and works in Thai fighting or advanced fighters with fast leg speed, but for kickboxing and mma, expecially for a beginner level, i just see it as detrimental and countereffects a persons ability to stay solid.

 

[ssullivan80]

I absolutly agree with this set up... I was speaking of using strikes if i see a kick coming, my defense is to move in on the body before the kick gets there.. I'm also under the assumption that TS isn't training Muy Thai and for this reason only i didn't agree with swinging the arm.. I see how this is effective and works in Thai fighting or advanced fighters with fast leg speed, but for kickboxing and mma, expecially for a beginner level, i just see it as detrimental and countereffects a persons ability to stay solid.

moving in when you see a kick coming is exactly what you should be doing. This is why "as mentioned by someone below" it is so important to set up your kick, instead of just throwing it out there. Speed is important, but less important than setting the kick up properly. The nice thing about MT or Kickboxing is the amount of striking surfaces you can use, vs boxing is just the hands. This helps a guy who lacks speed, by being able to hide or shadow kicks behind punches. So yes, if your just throwing the kick without setting it up, you better be real fast or time it perfectly, otherwise you getting countered all day!

Also, what is more detrimental to a beginner is not learning proper technique. Which includes setting up the kicks and as far as I am concerned, swing the arm and covering the face with the opposite hand is proper technique for a thai kick. Obviously, there are variations to that. But it is more important to learn the technique correctly before adding any vairations to it. I.E: not swinging the arm.

 

[LGP1*]

Great post

Watch how thiago alves sets his kick up with the jab


he doesn't cover his face like he should with the left hand, but the dude in this vid pretty much shows how it's done to protect yourself while you throw.

YouTube - Muay Thai MMA Technique #1

see how his left hand comes up and covers his face as he throws it.

check the gif of anderson vs irvin of what happens when someone catches your kick and your hand is down like that.

 

[Glass6060]

check the gif of anderson vs irvin of what happens when someone catches your kick and your hand is down like that.

I think that's more of an indication that you should throw every strike like you mean it, not just throwing it out there for the hell of it.

 

[James Fuller]

it may work as a counter-balance but if you practice just a little with your hands up you will be able to keep your balance that is if your toned if you have a big pot belly thats setting you off balance your gonna have to throw your arms around like a turkey trying to fly or some shit just to mantain it i just dont understand why people do it when it opens up such an opening

Don't ask questions if you are just going to argue with everyones response to it. especially when you are so dead wrong. fact is with both hands in front of your face your kick will be off balance leading to an easy takedown, a weak kick with no power or you just missing due to your kick being slow. You can think whatever you want from your garage but one hand is more than enough to protect yourself when you maintain the proper rotation. Remember: to an extent if you see almost EVERY SINGLE PRO do a move one way chances are there is a reason for that and chances are your not smarter or a better fighter than they are.

 

[Payak]

im tired of arguing with little boys who's only experience comes from television,armchair critics.
every thai fighter swings the arm, every single one.
its like arguing if every golf player keeps both hands on his club.
you cannot do it with both hands up, i dont give a rats ass what you say, try to kick with power and your hand will drop a little. leaving you exposed.
do as i suggested in my earlier post and you wont have a problem

 

[James Fuller]

^^^I could not agree more. Little boys on Sherdog are always trying to reinvent the wheel

 

[Kellogg's]

Actually in muay thai, they teach that you should always be in front of the opponent and facing him while kicking.

You missunderstood me. I meant leaning your head away from your opponent. Thus creating more distance between your head and his reach.

Like this young upstart.

But towards what you said, so if a fighter has the option of attacking an opponent from the side (if he is off-balance, has just been thrown, whatever) he shouldn't take it?
-in a competition fight-

 

[ssullivan80]

Like this young upstart.
QUOTE]

"young upstart", now i may be wrong but I am pretty sure that is Buakaw........ maybe im mistaken. But I would hardly call him a "young upstart"! below are just a few of his accomplishments.

Omnoi Stadium Featherweight Champion
Muay Thai Authority of Thailand Featherweight Champion
Omnoi Stadium Lightweight Champion
Lumpinee Stadium Lightweight 2nd place
Toyota Muay Thai marathon tournament 140 lb. class winner
KOMA GP Lightweight Champion
K-1 WORLD MAX 2004 Champion
K-1 WORLD MAX 2005 Finalist
S1 Superwelterweight World Champion
WMC Midlleweight World Champion

 

[deluxeMT]

Buuut, that's a teep.

Thai's will never advocate leaning back in a kick, as it robs you of a lot of power. When you kick, you should be tall.

 

[James Fuller]

Buuut, that's a teep.

Thai's will never advocate leaning back in a kick, as it robs you of a lot of power. When you kick, you should be tall.

actually that isnt right. Both on my roundhouse and straight kicks my coach advocates the exact opposite. to move your hips and upper body back on the front kick, similar to what ahppens when you recline in a chair to unleash your hips and to turn your body markedly on the roundhouse to avoid the James Irvin

 

[vjvj]

check the gif of anderson vs irvin of what happens when someone catches your kick and your hand is down like that.

You're missing the point that madrobbo (and myself) is trying to make. Look at what happens BEFORE he kicks. He throws a jab followed up by a feinted right hand. Koscheck puts his hands up and leans back in response. THAT is why the kick lands, and why Koscheck can't counter; it's not because Alves has his hands up or down or whatever effing theories, it's because Koscheck is in SHITTY POSITION after the punches. If Alves had thrown the kick without the setup punches, then there's a very good chance Koscheck would have countered. Likewise, if Koscheck hadn't fallen for the bait, he might have countered. But... Alves probably knew Koscheck would fall for it, as he'd probably been testing Kos out earlier in the fight and knew how Kos would respond. That's how fights go.

Seriously, you don't have to be a good fighter to know this. I'm a shitty fighter and I know this. How? Because I know that whenever *I* try to throw a kick without setting it up, I get my fucking ass whooped. Regardless of where my hands are when I kick.

Not to mention that another good counter to a kick is a return kick. Does having your hands up help you there?

 

[ssullivan80]

actually that isnt right. Both on my roundhouse and straight kicks my coach advocates the exact opposite. to move your hips and upper body back on the front kick, similar to what ahppens when you recline in a chair to unleash your hips and to turn your body markedly on the roundhouse to avoid the James Irvin

exactly, same advice several of the MT coaches I have trained with gave!

here ya go, how to use kicks to stop a fight: YouTube - Samkor Kiepmontiep vs. Satoshi Kobayashi

 

[millasur]

exactly, same advice several of the MT coaches I have trained with gave!

Yeap, how i was taught also. well not how i was taught, but as soon as i got bk into it and go ta new coach he was going on about it, leaning and also head off to the side, so you dont catch the straight right (or at least make it more difficult.) I need to drill it more.

Oh, in Thailand I was being taught to throw my hand down more for TEEPs, throwing the arm with a roundhouse is not even a discussion over there.

 

[Pinoy Badboy**]

The thing is, you don't want to lean back excessively. Other than that, you do what comes natural and keeps you in balance. If you lean back too much, yes you lose power, and control, but there is a degree to lean back depending on your body type.

Watch some online vids and you'll notice that even Thais throw their roundhouses different from one another. There are no absolutes.