Kick Boxing for self defense????

[rgosit]

i was juggling around wether to do Ju-jitsu, or jeet kune do, now im also thinining about kickboxing.

what r some advantages of kickboxing? r the punches and leg strikes effective in a street fight situation????

i was also thinking about boxing, tkd, and karate

oppinions??

trying to find wich would be most effective as a form a self defense.... and help my phisique also...

should i go a few monthes of one.. then another? or should i go a few years before i switch arts or styles??

im going to college i kno that at the scool..or round that rea they have atlest kickboxing, boxing and tkd.

 

[Kwai-Chang Caine]

I'm guessing you mean Muay Thai when you say kickboxing correct?

If so this art and its techniques have a lot to offer in terms of street practicality. Muay Thai is best combined with American boxing because the western style of boxing will help you develope better hands. Muay Thai Kickboxers are viscious fighters, but they don't have the hands that boxers do. If you add some western boxing in with your Muay Thai or simply do a TON of punching drills you will most likely get the desired effect. Muay Thai is effective for two reasons: its no nonsense techniques and because it demands physical fitness from its practicioners. Unlike Tae Kwon Do and Karate practicioners, Muay Thai practicioners must master not only the technique that is a part of the art, but they must master themselves physically. Since Tae Kwon Do and Karate practicioners have a rediculous "one punch/one kill" philosophy they rarely work on combinations, quick footwork, or practical defense. Muay Thai is much more fast paced than Tae Kwon Do and Karate and as such requires the practicioner to have good cardiovascular stamina and endurance. The technique is also superior to karate and Tae kwon Do in most respects as well. Muay Thai teaches hard yet quick striking. Instead of karate chops you will punch, instead of using the foot as your primary weapon you will use your shins, instead of flashy kicks you will learn DEVISTATINGLY EXPLOSIVE leg and body kicks as well as practice knee and elbow striking. You will not learn to be a hollywood stuntman with Muay Thai, but you will be a hell of a lot better fighter and you will be far better suited with it as your means of self defense versus Karate and Tae Kwon Do.

 

[Kwai-Chang Caine]

FISTS, LEGS, KNEES, ELBOWS, ETC.

I'm guessing you mean Muay Thai when you say kickboxing correct?

If so this art and its techniques have a lot to offer in terms of street practicality. Muay Thai is best combined with American boxing because the western style of boxing will help you develope better hands. Muay Thai Kickboxers are viscious fighters, but they don't have the hands that boxers do. If you add some western boxing in with your Muay Thai or simply do a TON of punching drills you will most likely get the desired effect. Muay Thai is effective for two reasons: its no nonsense techniques and because it demands physical fitness from its practicioners. Unlike Tae Kwon Do and Karate practicioners, Muay Thai practicioners must master not only the technique that is a part of the art, but they must master themselves physically. Since Tae Kwon Do and Karate practicioners have a rediculous "one punch/one kill" philosophy they rarely work on combinations, quick footwork, or practical defense. Muay Thai is much more fast paced than Tae Kwon Do and Karate and as such requires the practicioner to have good cardiovascular stamina and endurance. The technique is also superior to karate and Tae kwon Do in most respects as well. Muay Thai teaches hard yet quick striking. Instead of karate chops you will punch, instead of using the foot as your primary weapon with kicks you will use your shins, instead of flashy kicks you will learn DEVISTATINGLY EXPLOSIVE leg and body kicks as well as practice knee and elbow striking. You will not learn to be a hollywood stuntman with Muay Thai, but you will be a hell of a lot better fighter and you will be far better suited with it as your means of self defense versus Karate or Tae Kwon Do.

I still think you should combine the Muay Thai with some form of grappling. Muay Thai combined with Brazilian Juijitsu, Shootfighting, Submission Wrestling, or Sambo would make you ready for just about anything bro.


Feel free to ask me any follow up questions you might have. I will do my best to help you out.

 

[danielson]

out of curiousity why no kicking with the foot?

less area on target = more pressure i would have thought?

 

[rgosit]

i dont think it is muay thai kickboxing... It just says kickboxing.

i havent seen a class..just atthe gym there is a group of instructers that come in on certian nights.. monday thursday is juijitsu- and for i think wednisday and saturday it just says kickboxing...

 

[Kwai-Chang Caine]

Kicking with foot= broken foot, broken toes, broken ankle, sprained ankle.

I am speaking in terms of round house kicks of course. Spear or front thrust kicks require the foot and as long as your toes are curled up and away while letting the ball of your foot hit the target you shouldn't get injured. The foot is not the best weapon because of how fragile it is. You may sometimes inadvertently use it when your shin is just out of reach, but it's not a good policy to intentionally attack a target with your foot as the weapon. Muay Thai style kicking makes karate and Tae Kwon Do kicking look like hugging. The shins, foot rotation, and whipping motion make Muay Thai kicks extremely powerful and devistating.

You said: "less area on target = more pressure i would have thought?"

This isn't the case because the pressure derived from "the whip", the foot rotation, and the substantially higher amount of bodyweight being used in the kick make a simple comparison of impact area physics null and void. The key is that the shin in Muay Thai is being propelled by a tremedous amount of force to its target. So much force in fact that the foot is even less able to endure as a direct and intentional weapon. The shin being much harder and larger than the foot makes a far more effective and more durable weapon. One kickboxer who had cross trained in karate and other arts said it best "The difference beween getting hit with a foot or a shin is similar to the difference between getting hit with a baseball or a baseball bat". Which would you rather have smashing into your body?

One art that does use the feet effectively and safely, however, is Savate. They practice with shoes on and train you to use the shoe as a weapon. Other arts that make extensive use of the feet don't factor in shoes so you can't really use it as a weapon or for protection. Since the shoe isn't taken advantage of in karate and Tae kwon do you still have elevated chances of breaking your foot with or without shoes.

 

[yungsmoke]

my friend knows muay thai. he was train in thailand since he was a kid the guy is only 5"3 at 140lb an i swear he kicks everybodys ass that messes with him he ever fought two people at once the guy is fucking fear less

 

[danielson]

thanks again kwai

i must say breaking blocks with roundhouse kicks can be painful using the ball of the foot (if like me you forget to bend your toes back and rely on the shoe your wearing )....so maybe i'll stick with shins if i ever get in a real fight

i think i'll go do some research on the foot rotation and whipping you spoke of on the kicks....as im not sure whether you meant rotation of the standing foot (seems most likely as more power) or striking foot (can see why other than to kick in horizontally), and where the whip came from (assuming the waist)

more books and vids for me i guess

 

[The_Mexican]

why not regular boxing? Who kicks in a fight anyway?

 

[Kwai-Chang Caine]

I kick in a fight. And I am very glad there are still guys out there like you who don't expect that. THERE IS NOTHING QUITE LIKE THE SURPRISE ON SOMEONE'S FACE ONCE THEY EXPERIENCE THE PAIN OF A MUAY THAI ROUNDHOUSE KICK TO THEIR THIGH. I get chills just thinking about it.