some guys when we spar start to do a lot of head movement against my punches... after throwing and missing few punches i usually give up and just low kick then or something. What would you recommend doing in this situation ? cheers
Combinations, and clinch entries. My 2 pence worth - As they move their moving their head/body, one of their legs will get heavier, and one lighter, In judo I use this to work footsweeps, in MMA I use this to set up single leg takedown positions, as this is the Thai boxing section maybe that would relate to leg kicks and MT upper body clinch entries? But there not my personal forte.
Head movement and forward pressure is kinda my thing. (Altho i also tend to brawl a bit) Low/mid level kicks because he cant bob from that. Only block or evade via footwork which also keeps the hands busy. Combos to "force" the his head to a direction you want it to go and then kick it. IE if he likes to bob and slip, feint a cross to which he may/most likely move his head to your right (assuming youre an orthy) then throw a head kick.
I throw fakes and double/triple jab/hook. If they move their head then their weight will be on one or both legs..... So I smash their legs.
Fakes and set ups, that's the key. You aren't setting your opponents up. This thread was written with just this question in mind. http://www.martialartsplanet.com/forums/showthread.php?t=112598
Don't just head hunt. Mix it up and work the body. They'll get tired and start making mistakes. I don't know what your reach is but I like to let them come to me and either hit them as they advance or counter.
Personally I work the body and legs more if they have crazy head movement. Closing down range seems to work for me in this instance also.
Punch to the body. It's a lost art. Make sure you're lowering your level as you do, instead of "punching down hill". "Freeze" him with a lower kick (body, legs) before engaging with punches. In particular, a kick to the inner thigh/knee, if hard enough, can disrupt his base for him to work to regain it before he can respond to punches to the head. For similar reasons, a hard thrust kick (teep) to the body can cause him to have to regain his base, but it's generally thrown at a longer distance than I, personally, am comfortable punching from. If you can stay in range, or cover distance quickly, though, this might work for you. If you're at a distance and he's slipping your straight punches, see if you can time his slips with head kicks, if you can. I speak from experience on the other side of this. The only time I ever get kicked in the head is when I try to get all fancy with my head movement against punches. From a boxing stand point, fakes and combinations, especially to the body, can make the head more hittable. Most guys just cover against body shots, which will also "freeze" him. Get him used to the idea that you're attacking the body, then fake to it and go up top. I prefer the overhand for this, as it requires me to lower my level, as if for a body shot. Or just do what you've mentioned you've been doing, and attack the body and legs in general. If he guy's moving his head, he's going to have a hard time moving his legs/body. Punish those for a while. Attack the head when you think he's forgotten that you can do that.
Throw punches in bunches. You should never expect to hit with your first few strikes against a guy with good head movement (any experienced striker). Feints can also play a huge role. You need to control the fight and think ahead, if your opponent is slipping your jabs then you should be throwing the punch behind the jab to where he is going to slip, also use your footwork to make him chase you so you know where he is going to go before even he does.
Your instructor should be teaching you what to do If a opponent moves the head etc,the main thing is to observe and set him up
Ive found a lot of people counter head movement with lot of feints, this helps see how they move naturally so once you figure out how they react to a certain punch example: you throw a jab he slips it you throw another jab he slips it and again same result next time throw the jab to move his head into your next punch. IF you dont like that one when you miss in that time you decide to give up Clinch whether it is a body clinch or Thai clinch depends on how you enter and how you wanna proceed with the fight and use your kicks to set up punches and punches to set up kicks and lastly if you wanna land your hands use head movement also and keep firing or use a double end bag and work the accuracy of your hands
Feint and throw the appropriate shot at the opening. It could be you feint a jab to the head and your opponent reacts leaving an opening for a right hand to the body or a low kick or a long knee etc etc When you feint don't always think too much about what you'll throw next unless your opponent has a bad habit,just hit them where the opening presents itself with the appropriate weapon.
Punching is low on the point scale in MT. Use your Jab to range find and use low leg kicks and learn how to bridge and clinch. You cant bob a weave a knee in a clinch.
Dont forget to use feints. I have grown to like this particular one: Faking to throw a right straight but instead I go in with a left hook. Sometimes opponent my get confused and expect the straight, trying to dodge it and run straight in to left hook. Doesn't work always, but all sorts of feints and fakes might help you
