Haha, well in terms of grabbing the foot and attempting to close the gap, normally, one would yes, be too troubled by holding your foot to notice anything. That is all fine there. Have you thought of maybe a contingency plan incase they twist your foot, causing you to go to the ground, sweeping you, or just lifting your foot upward causing you to land on your behind? (They've all happened to me, not the funnest experience, plus the opening you give yourself out of surprise when you hit the ground.) I'm just wondering not meant to put you down or anything.
You may not be privileged as far as money goes but being a foreigner in Asia does offer you more opportunities than the locals might have.
Not if your opponent does this to you. It's called "over the shoulder". [ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-GhQraRvgtA&feature=youtu.be"]YouTube[/ame]
I don't want to sound overly knowledgeable but the guy who's getting flipped in that video does not seem to have the needed training. I don't mean MA, rather the flexibility and the needed ligament length-stretching. Why attempt a move like that if you can't raise your foot to your own head level? What happens if the opponent is raising the striking foot he caught to where both of his hands (I assume it's better held with both hands) are above his shoulders? His chest, abdomen and hips get exposed to fist strikes. Imo it could become a very bad fighting stance. Obviously it all depends on the opponent, I'm just saying.
It honestly doesn't matter that much that you're exposed to punches. Once you have his leg up like that, you have complete control of your opponent's weight, he can not do anything except punch you using the muscles of his arms. It will feel like you are being punched by little girl. Once you have him on the ground there are a number of ways to repay his efforts.
I'm not trying to be a rude here, but it really seems like you have very little understanding of the realities of combat. You might be able to throw punches while someone is lifting your foot, but you will not be able to generate any power at all. Secondly you are seriously off balance and prone to sweeps and kicks. Flexibility will not protect you from takedowns, as the foot can easily be twisted instead of raised. Even a simple step backwards will force you to chase your opponent by hopping after him. Don't be too concerned about sounding overly knowledgeable, it is clear to all that your knowledge is theoretical as opposed to practical. Spend a few months getting battered, bruised and bloody in a heavy contact style, and you will very quickly be forced to reassess what you believe you know.
Maybe true maybe not. First the opponent has to catch it. If it happens, step closer then aim at pelvis, just above the hip, try to hit the protruding bone with a knuckle. Btw, what to do if the opponent catches and then releases the striking foot? I would say strike again without setting it down. It's probably the best course of action. More like drag it backwards many meters.
Hitting hard bone with a closed fist = not a good idea. The first time you do it, you will learn why. As for sounding "overly knowledgeable", in fact it sounds like the reverse. Please get some training.
Sorry, man, but the guy in the video landed flat on his behind when his striking foot was raised only to the waist level. With stretching so poor he should find another occupation than training floor punching bag. I know that much.
Might want to watch again, as his foot is considerably higher when he gets dumped. Doesn't matter anyways because (a) it's a demo, and (b) he's being gentle. EDIT: Another video along these same lines. [ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QJeC3HJG4VI"]Tiger Muay Thai Techniques: Block/catch body kick and sweep opponent - YouTube[/ame]
It's not an issue of flexibility, it's an issue of weight distribution. When his leg his raised his torso is moved backwards, past the one foot that is keeping him up. It is not an issue of maybe true, maybe not. It is a matter of physics.
In the video, it kind of shows the physics of sweeping in a nutshell. It brings your weight in another direction while putting you on an uneasy base. Much like a good sweep will first start with breaking your opponents base. Even if you're flexible, the sudden redistribution of weight, in addition to having a terrible base will make you fall. Also hitting a solid bone with a closed fist will suck. It is a painful thing to do unless your knuckles have gotten strengthened or you've gotten used to the pain.
They also tend to make a lot less money. TheI many of the locals simply do not have the same opportunities in that foreigners do. It is easier for us to get decent jobs, heck in China they have jobs specifically for foreigners. Moreover you have a passport, you can leave when ever you want especially if things go bad. I suggest you do some reading up on the big social/economical problems down in SE. I guarantee you could have some work by the end of next week if you looked hard enough.
And return to the USA? No, thanks. Ok, I understand it when you guys say my MA skills are unpracticed, but reading? ... no comment.