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

vjvj said:
Yes, and I agree, but this thread has evolved into how to properly throw a Thai kick (with lots of fun insults being tossed into the mix). For a better understanding of why we are responding this way, see BrooklynBJJ's posts in this thread.
Click to expand...

yeah well i see a ban in his near future
 
Why does this thread keep going and going and going...?

All the people who train or fight know the proper way of kicking. That is to swing ur hand and keep another one next to ur face.

Now some people can say but i was thought the other way...then screw ur way. lol...
 
mvisit1 said:
The power you get from throwing the arm back outweighs the extra protection IF the kick is thrown properly. That means that you stepped off on a 45 degree angle OFF THE LINE and to the outside of your opponents other arm AND you are in KICKING DISTANCE. If you stand right in front of your opponent while throwing your kick and are in his arm's reach, of course you're gonna get punched in the face.
Click to expand...

My thoughts are that if you're stupid enough to throw a bad kick in your opponent's punching range, you deserve getting punched in the face.
 
Not putting momentum into a kick is the same as throwing an arm punch. It will have only as much power as you muscles can generate. Putting your hips into punch makes it harder just like putting your arms into a kick make it harder. And faster.
 
Do the following:

Hold thai pads.
Have partner kick at full power with no arm-swing.

Next, Hold thai pads.
Have partner kick at full power with arm-swing.

Take notice of which method impacts with more force.
 
Hold the mitts and have a partner throw a punch while keeping his hands up and defending himself properly.

Next, have a partner throw a punch while completely ignoring defense.

Take notice of which method impacts more.

I don't think anyone doubts a kick while swinging the arm is harder. I think some people just question whether or not the additional power is worth leaving yourself open. I train with guys who are anal about keeping their hands up while kicking. They still kick hard enough to end a fight with a single kick.
 
JoshGrrrr said:
I don't think anyone doubts a kick while swinging the arm is harder. I think some people just question whether or not the additional power is worth leaving yourself open. I train with guys who are anal about keeping their hands up while kicking. They still kick hard enough to end a fight with a single kick.
Click to expand...

Is this MT?

If so, what are their opinions on the value of setting up a kick before throwing it?

What is their defense for OTHER counters? Like return kicks? Or takedowns (if this is MMA)? A punch to the head isn't the only counter...

I don't doubt that there are people out there who can kick hard with their hands up. It's just that the tradeoff doesn't make sense to me. You're sacrificing power just to defend against ONE OUT OF MANY possible counters. It just seems so unnecessary when you can minimize pretty much all counters by just setting your kicks up properly, without sacrificing any power.
 
JoshGrrrr said:
Hold the mitts and have a partner throw a punch while keeping his hands up and defending himself properly.

Next, have a partner throw a punch while completely ignoring defense.

Take notice of which method impacts more.

I don't think anyone doubts a kick while swinging the arm is harder. I think some people just question whether or not the additional power is worth leaving yourself open. I train with guys who are anal about keeping their hands up while kicking. They still kick hard enough to end a fight with a single kick.
Click to expand...

Imagine 2 fighters standing orthodox.

Situation 1 - Fighter 1 throws a hard cross. AT THE SAME TIME, Fighter 2 steps off on a 45 degree angle with his lead leg (off the cross line!) and whips his right arm back and delivers a punishing blow that Fighter 1 can't defend because he needs his lead leg for balance and must change his angle to fire back. Fighter 1 quickly changes his angle to face Fighter 2 and throw a lead hook but misses because Fighter 2 quickly shuffled backwards after landing his kick.

Situation 2 - Fighter 1 wants to throw a counter left hook and he's just waiting for Fighter 2 to make a move. Fighter 2, standing in punching distance, NOT kicking distance out of Fighter 1's arms reach like he should be, throws a right low kick. He whips his right arm back for extra power, heck he even connects with his target BUT he gets knocked out by Fighter 1's counter left hook as his chin was uncovered.

We can go back and forth for days proving nothing. It really all depends on the situation. You're pretty much OK if you kick from kicking distance (at the end of your leg NOT in your partner's arms reach) and move after you kicking instead of stopping and standing right in front of your opponent like an idiot just waiting to get hit.

Something I like doing is throwing a fake cross (it's fast and I extend it all of the way but I don't hit hard) with my main objective being to get my opponent's attention up high, it's even better if he covers up. I leave my hand out there in front of his eyes and throw a right leg kick. Sure there's not as much power as when I whip my arm back but it's a higher percentage technique.
 
JoshGrrrr said:
I think some people just question whether or not the additional power is worth leaving yourself open. I train with guys who are anal about keeping their hands up while kicking. They still kick hard enough to end a fight with a single kick.
Click to expand...

The thing is, if you're doing a MT kick with proper technique, you're not leaving yourself open. At least not the way that's been shown to me by the trainers at the gym. This has already been discussed earlier in the thread. The hand opposite the kicking leg comes up and goes across the lower part of the face, and the shoulder comes up at the same time. The combination of both hand and shoulder along with the kick being thrown, is enough to prevent someone from easily countering.
 
Don't forget the destructive force and off-balancing power of a hard kick. Punch counter? Pfft. Maybe if it's a half ass kick, or if it is caught which is a different story all together.
 
Bad Company said:
Not putting momentum into a kick is the same as throwing an arm punch. It will have only as much power as you muscles can generate. Putting your hips into punch makes it harder just like putting your arms into a kick make it harder. And faster.
Click to expand...

of course you have to put your hips into a kick or else how do you throw it.. we are arguing the arm going back to generate extra power..

agree to disagree everyone.. IMO niether way is wrong.. but i just dont see how throwing a 5 lb arm backwards is going make such a big difference int the power of your kick.. I'd just rather take that small inkling of a difference and keep solid and protected just in case someone has a great defense game, or takedowns..

*you know i just realized there's spell check for posts. dammit
 
MiaWallace718 said:
IMO niether way is wrong.. but i just dont see how throwing a 5 lb arm backwards is going make such a big difference int the power of your kick..
*you know i just realized there's spell check for posts. dammit
Click to expand...

What he said! above (Kellogg's) ^

Throw a right cross standing on your left foot (right one up), same basic principle. The swinging arm creates balance and allows to use more of your core strength to swing through the kick.

Im not saying that throwing a kick with your arms up is wrong, it's not! Throwing a "thai kick" with proper techninque and not swinging the arm is not the correct technique.
 
MiaWallace718 said:
.. but i just dont see how throwing a 5 lb arm backwards is going make such a big difference int the power of your kick..
Click to expand...

It's phyisics: when an object is given an acceleration, it's weight (weight, not mass) thus the energy put out by the object increases. So in essence, the "5lb arm" can become a 20lb counterbalance.
Which brings me to my other point: the reason why thai kicks are so powerful is not only because the practitioner uses his muscles, to move his hips-shoulders, which moves the leg into the opponent.
The bigger picture is that the fighter is using his body as a, lets say, a catapult to leverage the leg (which in this case basically becomes an airborne bludgeon) making it accelerate faster which ultimately makes for a stronger kick.

Get it?
 
kyokushin_Nero said:
well, we train to keep them up.

There's some nasty counter-kickers/punchers.
Click to expand...

whoever is training you is wrong. Ive been taught to swing it out and back and Ive seen duke ruffus teach it throwing the sholder through and out to protect his face but Ive never seen any top MT guy throw it with both hands is a guard. Ony beginners think or do it that way. go ahead and step into my leg kick to throw a left. If my left hand doesn't pick it up my leg kicks gona hurt you a hell of alot more than that jabs gona hurt me. yer left hand should still be in guard to protect for the straight right and, any experienced guy that counters with a punch is more than likely gona counter with the right. if set up right the best defence to the leg kick is to check it and then work from there
 
there is also the whole balance thing. Stand there and just bring your leg straight out with your hands up by your face. Now do it and put an arm out for balance. Much easier. That is why most people will get alot more power when they throw an arm down. It helps their balance.
 
I guess the power is hard to imagine if you have never sparred with a Muay Thai stylist that kicks well...

Understandable IMO.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

Trabaho
Coaching Don't keep your hands up
Replies
11
Views
389
SandisLL
S

Latest posts

Forum statistics

Threads
1,280,978
Messages
58,333,098
Members
176,002
Latest member
Shock7

Share this page

Back
Top