Why didn’t we ever see a calf kick in K-1?

[Tayski]

I don't think that the US is necessarily bad for kickboxing. Plenty of MMA fighters would probably do well in kickboxing. Muay Thai is a different story.

Well they're still behind Europe, Russia, Asia and even Oceania when it comes to KB. And then with MT it's even more of a gap indeed.

 

[Snubnoze707]

I'd argue that kick fighters in the States are better at Muay Thai than Kickboxing (K-1 style). Most of the serious gyms are Muay Thai ones.

 

[Tayski]

I'd argue that kick fighters in the States are better at Muay Thai than Kickboxing (K-1 style). Most of the serious gyms are Muay Thai ones.

But somehow the skill gap seems even bigger in MT than in KB when comparing the US with the rest of the world.

 

[franklinstower]

I'm talking about knee and lower, not thighs. And if we're going to break down the three inches between the top of the calf and the knee, I don't know what to say.

Plenty of fights in K-1 and other promotions ended via low-kick/calf-kick (via residual damage).

TS is talking about calf kicks and not knee and lower kicks. Its a good question and you are kind of rude.

 

[Snubnoze707]

But somehow the skill gap seems even bigger in MT than in KB when comparing the US with the rest of the world.

I mean compared to Thailand, France, England, Japan. I wouldn't say other areas in the world are any better. What hurts the US in KB/MT is not enough international competition. We're on the other side of the planet.

 

[Tayski]

I mean compared to Thailand, France, England, Japan. I wouldn't say other areas in the world are any better. What hurts the US in KB/MT is not enough international competition. We're on the other side of the planet.

Well you named the best countries in MT, but there's also lots of good fighters from Eastern European countries, Benelux countries, Scandinavian countries, Russia, Ireland, Brazil, and some countries in North Africa and Middle East like Algeria, Morocco and Iran. Australia also has better fighters and they're quite isolated too.

I think what hurts the US KB/MT scene more than the location of the country is the fact that everything has been about MMA in terms of combat sports for the last 2 decades, and before that it was Boxing.

 

[Snubnoze707]

I think what hurts the US KB/MT scene more than the location of the country is the fact that everything has been about MMA in terms of combat sports for the last 2 decades, and before that it was Boxing.

Sure, their are many reasons and that's a big one. Theirs no money in KB/MT (especially within the US) and A LOT of money in MMA, which is why you see even Euro Kickboxers moving to MMA.

 

[fighthug]

in this type of kick you get very easy to receive a counter attack

 

[B0l0joe]

Because it's very, very easy to check.

You have to understand that when everyone gripes about MMA boxing being rudimentary, they somehow neglect to mention that the kick fighting is as well. I know the difference doesn't seem huge, raising your leg to check a kick vs just turning your leg slightly out to check a low-low kick - but it's actually huge.

You really don't have to shift your weight much to check that low of a kick, and because of that, you're going to be able to throw your own kick back very, very quickly. There's become this weird false narrative since like the former MMA era, that straight punches are the counter to kicks. That simply isn't true against a skilled kicker, you're going to have to kick back and get their respect. Even if you're the 'inferior' kicker, merely conceding the entire kicking game and only throwing back punches is a fool's errand.

Sure, you will see guys get caught with a punch while kicking, but I'm going to assure it is not the norm as some announcers propagate. Letting a guy kick you and only throwing back high is just an invitation sign for you to get kicked over and over.

This is a great post.

In a recent UFC event I think it was Bisping that said then straight right is a classic counter to the right low kick. Whilst sometimes it can be effective, it should definitely not be relied on, since you are sacrificing your leg In the hope you can score a punch.

Also “blocking” kicks with firearms aren’t really blocks. Is it better than smashing you in the face? Yes. However, I think body kicks should be scored more highly in mma.

 

[SHAOLINMONK420]

.It seems striking in muay thai is so diff. from mma, srtrikers andl punches do not score unless you get a k1 fight

 

[Snubnoze707]

punches do not score unless you get a k1 fight

Punches do count in Muay Thai...

 

[SHAOLINMONK420]

not really they are more for knock outs. Knees score higher, elbows score higher, kicks score higher. That is if we are talking muay thai in thailand.

 

[ninjaDre]

i finished a muay thai fight in thailand in 2010 with calf kicks

 

[ninjaDre]

But somehow the skill gap seems even bigger in MT than in KB when comparing the US with the rest of the world.

Not really any more. Plenty of US WBC champs and more than 5 people in the US ranked top 10 in Glory

 

[Khonda]

Not really any more. Plenty of US WBC champs and more than 5 people in the US ranked top 10 in Glory

Not a good indicator at all Glory is dying to have popular US fighters, they could replace most of them by europeans with a similar/better level. There is a lot of other organisations that don't care about the US, if you had guys like Ozcan, Kyshenko, Kryklia, Petrosyan, Yod etc... There would be maybe 1 American in the top 10.

And in Muay Thai those wbc titles have very little meaning to me especially at the higher weight classes where the competition is even weaker.

 

[Kanka]

not really they are more for knock outs. Knees score higher, elbows score higher, kicks score higher. That is if we are talking muay thai in thailand.

Depends on the impact of the strike.

 

[Tayski]

Not really any more. Plenty of US WBC champs and more than 5 people in the US ranked top 10 in Glory

Put that into perspective and compare that with the number of Europeans for those accomplishments. It's not like America is all of a sudden doing much better in either MT or KB.

 

[Snubnoze707]

Not really any more. Plenty of US WBC champs and more than 5 people in the US ranked top 10 in Glory

WBC Muay Thai isn't highly respected because it's rarely contested. That said not a single guy from the US holds a belt currently.

 

[shincheckin]

lmao at dude getting trolled by people over nonsense so stupid they are unable to tell the difference between a low kick (thigh) vs calf kick. But alas this is sherdog so what do you expect?!?!




Your question has already been answered by Snubnoze.

We do see it in MMA, I used to train regularly with Cub Swanson, if you watch his fights you can see he uses it a lot.

I would also add that kicking the calf is painful and is a good technique if you have caught the kick when you are sweeping the guy. It hurts even with shin pads on.

 

[SHAOLINMONK420]

i see what the other posters are saying. lebanner mark hunt k1 overeem in the olden days of k1 judges up to 2010 based on damage inflicted giving huge advantages to guys like botha who had much better boxing than k1 fighters