what kicks are allowed

[bluenosekenpo]

i'll apologize first if this has been asked before. the roundhouse and the teep are the main mt kicks. in competition can you use a side kick? or a back kick? what few classes i've been to in mt have only concentrated on the rh and teep. are other kicks illegal, not practical or just under appreciated? regards. train like a tiger.

 

[PeachMonkey]

I've seen everything from axe kicks to spinning back kicks in muay thai bouts in the United States. I've also seen lots of foot-kicks-to-the-head in Thai fights.

 

[sokklab]

i'll apologize first if this has been asked before. the roundhouse and the teep are the main mt kicks. in competition can you use a side kick? or a back kick? what few classes i've been to in mt have only concentrated on the rh and teep. are other kicks illegal, not practical or just under appreciated? regards. train like a tiger.

It's not a question of 'What kicks are allowed', it's a question of what kicks are functional and give you the most bang for your buck within a Ring Rules Muay Thai environment.

The reason that Push Front Kicks and the different variations of Roundhouse Kicks are the weapons of choice over, say the Side Kick is purely a matter of Function and Structure of the most common Muay Thai stance(s)-ie feet facing roughly forward, making it harder to throw a Side Kick quickly from that position.

As for Ax kicks, best left to the late Andy Hug, in my opinion.....

 

[PeachMonkey]

As for Ax kicks, best left to the late Andy Hug, in my opinion.....

Not much of an ax kick fan, myself.

I witnessed a muay thai fight in northern Indiana recently where the winner was falling backward into the corner, and somehow managed to throw a spinning back kick which caught his opponent in the jaw, resulting in a TKO. It didn't look much like muay thai, but it was still an amazing move.

 

[OC Kid]

I think the reason that your instructor doesnt teach you the hook, side spin back ect is because first you have to learn the Thai kicks
and
second you have to be pretty darn good and have pretty good timing in order to use those type of kicks against a thai opponent. Mainly because of the leg kicks and knees and the ability to sweep and take down those added techniques in thai matches pretty much null the other techniques.

 

[bluenosekenpo]

It's not a question of 'What kicks are allowed', it's a question of what kicks are functional and give you the most bang for your buck within a Ring Rules Muay Thai environment.

The reason that Push Front Kicks and the different variations of Roundhouse Kicks are the weapons of choice over, say the Side Kick is purely a matter of Function and Structure of the most common Muay Thai stance(s)-ie feet facing roughly forward, making it harder to throw a Side Kick quickly from that position.

As for Ax kicks, best left to the late Andy Hug, in my opinion.....

granted, props for kyokushin folks by the way, i guess i'm wondering if you could attack the the roundhouse by using a sidekick to the thigh or hip, in effect, a stop hit then follow through with a counter? just curious, thanks everyone for the input. train like a tiger.

 

[muaythaifreak]

granted, props for kyokushin folks by the way, i guess i'm wondering if you could attack the the roundhouse by using a sidekick to the thigh or hip, in effect, a stop hit then follow through with a counter? just curious, thanks everyone for the input. train like a tiger.

Absolutely, you can do either of the two if your fast enough. Foot jabs to the thigh are very effective and are one of my favorite techniques. You can also "catch" a round kick with a straight leg, catching the ankle of your opponent with the bottom of your foot and following with a round kick from the opposite leg. I use axe kicks, side kicks, and spinning back kicks all the time when the opprotunity presents itself, as well as spinning hook kicks to the head, body or legs. I knocked one guy out with a hook kick. You can implement any kick you like if you do quickly and aggresively. The more weapons you bring to the ring, the more your opponent has to worry about. I will say though, that you had better be sure you know what you are doing before you use these flashier techniques on MT fighters. You have to be fast and you have to be able to hurt them with it. If your not sure you can do it fast enough and hard enough, don't. Stick to the basics. I only use these techniques when I'm sure they are going to land the way I want them to. Most of them leave you very open to counters and can be your downfall.