Classical blocks, eh what? Its going to get into another choi debate, i can feel it Taking the strike to the leg doesn't mean it will do as much damage to yours, you have more choice where to take the impact. If you step in and hit high up on their leg with your upper shin you'll do a lot more damage to them! You may very well struggle to redirect a fast powerfull kick. You might find half of your anatomy redirected at the same time! You would leave youself more open double blocking, although I wouldn't use my arms to block a low kick anyway. Just that its less risky to double a kick and leave yourself open than try and take the impact on one arm.
I meant classical as in the literal definition of the action. Stopping an object by superior force in a collision with another object. You'll also have stepped in and occupied yourself. You'll still be risking damage. If they shorten the range of the kick while its in the air (as in pull the leg in, not just cut short the trajectory) you'll have a knee against shin contest. If they cut the kick short, or see what you're doing, then they can find any of a hundred ways round it. Sorry, just too many risks for my liking. I've seen it work. I've also seen it fail. Not really. To prevent a kick from hurting you really don't need to do much to its trajectory. For example with swing kick there's a great trick, sink your weight back to get out of the way, and block the leg past you. They'll either overbalance or spin around. Its even less risky to not take the impact at all.
What height are you thinking as a low kick? Maybe we should have defined the kick a bit more first. To me it would be anything thigh height or lower. Either a roundhouse type kick or a straight kick to any part of you’re leg. Maybe you’re thinking of the kick as being higher, because I can’t imagine using an arm at this height as being effective. When you use the shin to strike a kick, you’re moving the point of impact forward maybe two feet, they’d really struggle to shorten their kick in an effective way once they’ve thrown it.
Low kick would be what I'd think of as knee height or lower, hence sinking back to avoid it. The problem is with this low you have to reach to block the leg, so its better to get out of the way. Generally above knee height you can do a block with relative ease.
I thought you said redirecting it with your arm was the best thing to do!? Yoda classed it as thigh height, the low thai boxing kick.
Nope, I said redirecting it with your arm was the best block you could do. The best thing you can do is not be in the way. At least I think that's what I said. I'm kinda out of it at the moment.
Download Hi MAPers If you have a fast connection go here & download the video at the bottom. Some good footage of the low Thai kick in action. Ernesto Hoost Greatest Hits
Shhhheeeeeee- IT! Gulp... Taking my earlier statements into consideration I only have one defence against a low leg kick... run like bloody hell!
In all fairness that is one helluva kick - and as I said elsewhere, just 'cos you can't slip a pro's jab doesn't mean slipping the jab is a poor technique. Still - Yeeouch
Slightly OT (there are a few nice leg kicks though) --- if you want to see how the Thai head kick works check out this one! Peter Aerts Greatest Hits * Of course, this is "just sport". These guys can't fight "In the street" LOL! Bwahahaaaaaaa........
i've got it....an easy way to avoid getting kicked...... simply apologise to the muay thai exponent for whatever it is you've done/haven't done/or for any reason he wants you to....and walk away praying that your flashy smile and charm won his cold heart.
Nah - I do have an answer to the low kick - it's made of rattan though As larry Hartsell told me back in '88 - "Sometimes you get the bear - sometimes the bear gets you"
Re: Video footage... He's pretty good eh! But... if you want to see very intense Muay Thai fights you should see the lighter weights, especially the amatures. "You've got 3 minutes to destroy your opponent!". I stick by my guns... The only defence I can see against this is moving forward, perhaps with a knee but you would need to be VERY fast. Or... see how he does it, just be faster, they go for the kick, you kick them. Another interesting question would be, how do you fight a Thai Boxer full stop? What approach would you take? When I learnt Muay Thai it became quite obvious that no set style is better, it's down to who is the best fighter. I saw boxers beat thai boxers, judo guys beat thai boxers and vice verca.
My technique would be to beat them on the ground! A good technique considering I'd be on the ground pretty soon anyway! A drinking partner told me a similar thing Yoda, "Sometimes you devour the bar, sometimes the bar devours you!"