You're right, martial arts do have contradictions, but that is not what's getting me so worked up. What's getting me worked up is being told that I am contradicting myself when Im not by the same person who likes to post on my threads looking for trouble. He criticizes me of being contradictory and being hard to understand when, based on other people's responses on this thread, he is the only one who doesn't understand me, and then he tells me I have an attitude when he's the one with an attitude. And, he even had the nerve to respond with hostility to a PM of mine when I was trying to be nice. He should be banned from the boards.
Developing pet techniques
- Thread starter PhotonGuy
- Start date
You're right, martial arts do have contradictions, but that is not what's getting me so worked up. What's getting me worked up is being told that I am contradicting myself when Im not by the same person who likes to post on my threads looking for trouble. He criticizes me of being contradictory and being hard to understand when, based on other people's responses on this thread, he is the only one who doesn't understand me, and then he tells me I have an attitude when he's the one with an attitude. And, he even had the nerve to respond with hostility to a PM of mine when I was trying to be nice. He should be banned from the boards.
No, Muay Thai does not "mostly work on the low roundhouse." The thigh kick is indeed a significant weapon in a Thai boxers arsenal; if you take away your opponent's ability to move and step, you can end a fight. I've seen fights stopped by successful and effective thigh kicks; the "victim" simply crumples to the ground. But to say it is "mostly" what a Thai boxer works on is like saying that a BJJ student works mostly on the rear naked choke or that a boxer works "mostly" on the jab.
If your Muay Thai training has focused mostly on the low roundhouse -- maybe you need to find a new club. You need to and should be learning the various punches, elbows, knees, clinch tactics, how to move and control the ring... Lots more than just a thigh kick.
You've made reference to having trained in a number of arts, but from all appearances (i.e. your utter lack of understanding of those arts) this training has been quite superficial. Your statement above, for example.
For another, I always find it difficult to believe a person has spent any significant time studying an art, when they don't know how to spell the name of that art...
Every individual will have a group of combinations/techniques/whatever term you like that they prefer. It's debatable if they practice these more BECAUSE they're their favorites, or if they're their favorites because they PRACTICE them more.
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On the original topic...
Most fighters will develop a collection of their preferred or favorite techniques or combinations. These are their "go-to list"; things that they like, that fit their fighting style and preferred tactics. That doesn't mean that you neglect other techniques or parts of your art, or that you just lump stuff together or grab something "neat" from another style. They have to be sound techniques built on the principles of your art. Then you work it until you've perfected it... and you work it some more until it's something that you can do without thought, without "choosing"... when the opportunity is there -- it happens.
Most fighters will develop a collection of their preferred or favorite techniques or combinations. These are their "go-to list"; things that they like, that fit their fighting style and preferred tactics. That doesn't mean that you neglect other techniques or parts of your art, or that you just lump stuff together or grab something "neat" from another style. They have to be sound techniques built on the principles of your art. Then you work it until you've perfected it... and you work it some more until it's something that you can do without thought, without "choosing"... when the opportunity is there -- it happens.
In conclusion, pet techniques is a land of contracts.
Based on over a decade of training in Muay Thai (including sessions with high-level fighters), I'll have to disagree with that. You'd could make a good argument that the Thai roundhouse kick (at any height) is the single most used technique in the art, but a good gym will still spend plenty of time on other techniques as well.
muay thai certainly does not focus on the low roundhouse --- that's how to get killed --- if anything muay thai is more boxing orientated - jabs/hooks/uppercut/ knees and elbows to face and chest areas -- low roundhouse rarely gets taught cos it just doesn't work well enough against decent opposition.
oh and seeing as you state that you've learned the art maybe they forgot to tell you how to spell MUAY THAI too ?????
donald1
Senior Master
No doubting there, I was only making the point that a kick practiced more is more effective. There's all kinds of things you can do. A good kick is harder to block then a bad kick but still very possible. But if you use a variety of techniques from different directions that can be blocked but harder making it more likely to hit your intended target
Huh? The low roundhouse may not make up the majority of Muay Thai training, but it is a very important technique that is proven at the highest levels.
Rob Kaman highlights
Ernesto Hoost
Buakaw
You don't get any more high-level than these guys.
Dinkydoo
Purple Belt
What little Muay Thai I've done we worked on being powerful yet fluid moving between the use of 'all eight limbs' - using basic punches, kicks (aimed at rib/solar plexus/general torso height), knees, and elbows. I think we maybe only drilled lower leg kicking twice in the 2 months I trained there. In fact, we use lower leg kicking even more in the Mantis system I train in, but I wouldn't call it a 'pet mantis technique' either.
How much experience in MT do you have?
he says he's had something like 10years or so ????? doubtful in my book.
the kicks that i use most in fights tend to go either in the abs region or to the head - low roundhouse kicks are very easy to block / parry which is why i said that they don't get used much - the low roundhouse, i've trained at 3 different muay thai schools in warrington and all 3 train mid and high roundhouse but nothing really below that - so no taking the lead leg out from side/behind - all 3 schools train to a points system for fighting and in that system low kicks don't seem to register as the other roundhouse kicks.
i didn't say that they didn't work --- i said that they didn't work well enough -- there's always exceptions in every system and i'm willing to bet that we could each pick each others arts apart and find the things that other people say don't work actually working.
also you're confusing Muay Thai with MMA --- the two are different sports, there may be bits of muay thai in mma but then there are lots of other arts in Mixed Martial Arts too. MMA picks and chooses what the competitor wants to use whereas Mauy Thai fighting has a different set of rules and the training for it is to the points based system and cos the low roundhouse can be easily blocked - you get taught to block with your legs whilst throwing punches.
the kicks that i use most in fights tend to go either in the abs region or to the head - low roundhouse kicks are very easy to block / parry which is why i said that they don't get used much - the low roundhouse, i've trained at 3 different muay thai schools in warrington and all 3 train mid and high roundhouse but nothing really below that - so no taking the lead leg out from side/behind - all 3 schools train to a points system for fighting and in that system low kicks don't seem to register as the other roundhouse kicks.
i didn't say that they didn't work --- i said that they didn't work well enough -- there's always exceptions in every system and i'm willing to bet that we could each pick each others arts apart and find the things that other people say don't work actually working.
also you're confusing Muay Thai with MMA --- the two are different sports, there may be bits of muay thai in mma but then there are lots of other arts in Mixed Martial Arts too. MMA picks and chooses what the competitor wants to use whereas Mauy Thai fighting has a different set of rules and the training for it is to the points based system and cos the low roundhouse can be easily blocked - you get taught to block with your legs whilst throwing punches.
I don't doubt the man at all. Rock solid in my book. And as we say around here, I'd make book on that book!
Love your posts, though.
Are you confusing me with PhotonGuy? That's who Dinkydoo was asking about. I'm the one with more than a decade of Muay Thai experience.
Mind you, I'm not claiming to be any kind of Muay Thai master. I've always trained with a focus on self-defense rather than competition. I've only fought in the ring twice.
That said, I have an instructor's license in the Thai Boxing Association from Chai Sirisute. In addition to over ten years training with my primary instructors at a couple of gyms, I've spent time visiting the Fairtex Gym in San Francisco taking private lessons with Jongsanan Fairtex. I've attended seminars with Sakasem Kanthawong and visited his gym. I've trained and sparred with various amateur and professional Muay Thai fighters. I've spent time watching high level Muay Thai competition.
Based on all that, I'd have to say that the low roundhouse kick is an important part of the art and is proven at the highest level of competition.
BTW - I'm not confusing Muay Thai with MMA, although the kicks have their place in that style of competition as well.
drop bear
Sr. Grandmaster
just seen the rob kaman highlights - out of all those clips he only used his low leg kick in 2 of them !!!!!
he has got one heck of a right hand - a beautiful left uppercut and a classy high roundhouse
Jwp throws a few.
http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=WRQnLLutnPc
apologies for the confusion -- blame it on old age and too many hits to the head
Chris Parker
Grandmaster
There are contradictions between different arts, but not within a single (read: congruentÂ… I'm not talking about modern made up bits-o-this, bits-o-that "systems" here) art or methodology. Besides which, there was never a question of contradictory martial arts, it was more about contradictory messages coming through in your postsÂ… your OP here asks if people ever focus on just one technique, practicing it over and over again, then continues on to say that it's good to look at a small number of techniques, but to beware that you should work on a range of techniques. Your initial question had no context to it (there are very valid reasons to practice just one technique, over and over, and it's got nothing to do with "pet techniques", or anything similar), and was followed by two opposing arguments as to whether it was advisable or not (still ignoring any contextual basis to why such an approach would be used), without actually making an argument one way or the otherÂ… that's just one example.
ErÂ… no. It looks to me like most people are interpreting your vague statement in a way that works for themÂ… but for the majority ignores your post itself, instead simply taking part of the theme, and trying to find some meaning. And, as far as my being 'the only one', that's rather incorrectÂ… JKS recently made this comment on your "A Thought About Philosophy in the Martial Arts" thread (which, for the record, showed no understanding of what philosophy actually isÂ…):
Seems I'm not alone in not having a clue what the frozen hell you're talking about...
Yes. I seek to get clarification on some of your vague, odd posts, only to be greeted with "your reply was not needed on my thread", or (here, page 1) "So, I tried to spell it out for you but if you still don't see where I'm coming from that's not my problem".
You started a PM by telling me I should go to the US because "you can do things there that you can't do in Australia". I asked what you were talking about, and you started talking about gunsÂ… I don't give a damn about guns, there is no indication in my posts that I have any love or interest in them, I find the gun culture of the US one of the most deplorable things there, and the fact that you completely and utterly failed to take into account that I would have different values to yourself rather offensive. You acted as if I had said your daughter wasn't good enough for meÂ… but for the record, no, that wasn't you being nice. It was you trying to push your own values onto me.
And believe me, that wasn't me being hostile.
Ha, really? You might want to look at both our standings here, thenÂ… but, if you feel such, you have every right to report any posts of mine that you feel are crossing a line, including PM messages. Bear in mind, of course, that abuse of the reporting function can have it's own consequences, but if you really feel that I should be banned, then you need to be able to back that upÂ… in which case, go for it.
apologies for the confusion -- blame it on old age and too many hits to the head
No problem. I'm pretty sure you're still a young'un from my perspective, though.
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