The guys I spar with usually back away a lot, so much so that all you usually can hit with your ancle, and not your shin. So how do you get in close enough so you can throw a proper kick with your shin? Do you have to counter their front kicks or jabs and then move in for a kick?
I'm no expert, but I would imagine either step in closer and counter if they attack, OR just simply wait for the opening Maybe its your speed that needs training?
Osu, You need to work on combinations that will get you into range. Of course you will ear a few jabs in the process, but once you have kicked them a few times in the thighs with your shins, they'll move a lot slower. You can also grab and hold the runaway types. Osu!
Hitting someone with your ankle or instep is better than not hitting them at all (for the most part). Man...most days I'm happy if I can hit anyone with anything let alone my shin.
If you are having problems getting in range for a Muay Thai kick to land... it could mean you are telegraphing your attacks or otherwise being too predictable. There are a couple of things that may help... one is developing better footwork and use of broken timing... another is getting a coach to help make sure you aren't telegraphing your attacks, etc. You can also watch your opponent for signs of being gassed. Once their mouth opens for breathing and they are flat footed, they will more vulnerable to kicks do to lack of footwork. These are just general comments and may or may not apply to you. A more specific tactic is to aim your leg kicks for the opponent's back leg. This is particularly useful against opponents that like to lift their front knee up to block or move their front leg back (switch step) as they retreat. By aiming for the back leg, you should be in close enough to kick them with the shin.This tactic is based on the thought that the rear foot is the last part of the opponent's body to move. Basically, you can modify this tactic by aiming for the last part of the opponent's body that they move. However, one counter to kicking to their back leg is they simply reverse punch you in the chest or face... so even though you might get a kick off, you might be nailed in return in the face or chest with a power punch. Head movement and covering would be advised. Just some thoughts.
throw the kicks after hand combinations and only if they are not moving back, for me it works well of body hooks or straight punches to the head, get them covering up high and hit low for example, make sure you step across them so you are hitting at an angle (ie of center line), that makes counter punches less likely to land and you can use the step be it a switch step or slide step to further close the distance as it takes you off line
Set your distance by touching your partners(opponents) hands with your hand or use the lead teep(jik) to your partners front leg to set up the shin kick to the body
Everyones advice is good- padwork will also help you work on your range/distance and technique which will carry over. Make time for padwork More sparring will help... Make time for sparring I agree with the above post about aiming for the back of the opponent as well.
You must be telegraphing the kicks too much. Hide the kicks behind a punch combination and they will be less likely to see the kicks coming. Also don't look where you are going to kick or do look where you aren't going to kick.
tbh, fire cobra said the most likely thing to help. It *could* be any number of reasons, but the most common is that your distance is simply off and you don't know how to find it.
You got loads of great advice in this thread. Pay special attention to the people whose posts I thanked. They really know what's up. I personally set everything up with the jab, so if I want to throw a low kick I start with a couple jabs. What I'm really looking for is for my opponent to freeze or get caught to close. Often when you double and triple up the jab people will freeze because of the pressure. So I start throwing jabs and find out where they freeze. Then I repeat that, or mix it up to freeze them (when they stop moving), then I throw the leg kick . . . as rebel wado says, to the rear leg. Keep a hand up because you'll be close. The other thing I do off the jab. If I'm throwing with someone who moves back a lot I'll try to cover some distance and get in close, then throw the kick. They'll usually back right in to it. If you try this, make sure you mix it up. Don't come right down the middle every time or they will step back and cross. It's rough.
jabs are good for judging reach, i think when practicing on a bag take not of after a jab kick the bag see what the difference in reach is so you can judge approximately how close you need to be, if you can do shadow boxing in front of a mirror any where practice moving forward and backwards when using combos and then when sparring just try to mirror your opponents steps back and forth to keep good distance, chopping the thigh will slow them down as well but that means getting in close so will take time to get right, its been used on me a lot and is effective
