MMA-Forum.com

Greetings,
I am now obsessed with improving my (round) kicking technique. It's not too bad, but I want it to be great. I would greatly appreciate links to tutorials you longer term practitioners feel are correct and helpful with regard to kicking high and low. I could also use a tutorial more about the physiology behind the motions and exactly what muscles are engaged and need to be strong and flexible.

PS: I notice that I can kick high fairly well with momentum and full follow through but I lack the strength and control to get my leg up there with that soft, polite, sparring "tap" roundhouse to the head I see more experienced guys do to each other when sparring. How does one develop this control? Is that hip flexor lifting the leg in a round kick?

Thanks in advance!

the best way to get better is practice, and the two kicks your describing are different, a muay thai roundhouse is pretty much throwing your entire body into a kick like swinging a baseball bat, a "snapping" kick is more like a kickboxing or karate kick where you lift your knee, extend, then retract, all while keeping hands up and a good defense, these are the fastest kicks and not very predictable, but a muay thai kick is extremely powerful if you connect. a good way to practice muay thai kicks is with a partner holding thai pads, for snapping kicks work on your technique in a mirror, and for remember to stretch too

Fubar,
Thanks for your reply.
Actually both kicks I refer to are Muay Thai "Round" kicks. The latter just being thrown somehow gently using lots of control. My teacher can throw a "lite" version of the round kick to show my vulnerability without removing my head. I go to class 4 times per week and I practice with Thai Pads and the heavy bag but I would like links to great tutorials on the subject in addition to my training.

If you're going for more softer kick, Muay Thai kicks are hard to do light because they are all about momentum and should take your opponents head off. If you want to tap try more of a karate style kick, - lift the leg up bent and use the knee to kick the leg out at the end of extension and bring back.

(Thanks for the reply Asa87. I will give it a try)

As for the video requests.........

Here are examples of what I am looking for (just ones you guys think are great):









(And there Fairtex-Alex Gong videos below)

http://www.dailymotion.com/relevance/se ... ee_extreme

http://www.dailymotion.com/relevance/se ... ck_extreme



Thank You in advance

Shadow wrote:I assume you don't have a teacher.

Shadow,
Thank you much for your reply. I actually do have a wonderful Kru (same striking coach as George St. Pierre). I'm just in a beginner class that is quite crowded right now, and my desire to improve is great. I don't want to take up loads of time in this class as there are other people in the class that need WAY more attention than I do. I hope to improve on my own a bit and make it into a harder (less crowded) class without making an issue of myself.
And also......
I am a bit obsessive when I love something. I train hard, than come home and watch/read on the subject until I train again. In other words, I want to improve in the gym AND! at home in between classes (mentally).

PS: Shadow, I have videos from a guy named "Donny B" that practices Muay Boran and instructs one how to "LEAN 4WARD" as you mention.... That is the approach that intrigues me most of all.

Thanks for the tips.

as long as you have a good teacher that should be all you need, just bust your ass to impress the teacher(and obviously get better) and ask him after class if theres anything more he thinks you can do, who knows you might get an invite to a more advanced class or sumthing

All good advise.
Thank You All!