The reason is several. At the dojo I go to you cannot kick below the waist, and kicks seems to be designed for points sparring (pulling back consciously after contact) instead of using them as a sledgehammer. Also, the kicks we are taught shall be delivered with the foot and not the shin, which gives a nice slapping sound but is not really that effective, except against the head. And they also include some musicals forms which in my opinion is a waste of time. It is sad because there are some really well qualified instructors there (competing at the top in Europe), but their way of fighting doesn`t really seem that effective. Even the so called "experienced" guys and girls (including instructors) there are doing beginner mistakes. Their whole game plans seems to be based on front kick, side kick, front kick, jab, cross, jab front kick, or something along those lines. I mean, shouldn`t their be more to kickboxing than basing your attacks on a light tap to the stomach?
They're training for the rules they compete under and their methods are probably very effective for that. If you don't like their rules then go train somehwere else. Simples Mitch
Watch this: [ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pi8R4-o3P5U"]YouTube - Luke Carter vs. Darren Holdridge[/ame] Jump especially to 4 mins 50 seconds in. Certainly doesnt seem like light slapping or tapping to me since he KO's the other guy.This is a local instructor near me, owner of the Southern Kickboxing Academy. I dont kickbox myself though.
Hi there Yes there is a lot more to Kickboxing but what peolpe forget is the fact that the below the waist kicks are only allowed in Muay Thai tournaments along with knees and elbows. My current club trains us in Freestyle Kickboxig and Muay thai, so we mix things up with thai clinch's, elbows, knees, thai and kickboxing kicks and also some mma work. Have you spoken to the instructors there and asked about a freestlye session intigrating more styles or techniques into a session? Carl
The thing is the phrase kickboxing covers so many different things it's almost meaningless (much like Karate it could be said). Kickboxing covers what Benny the Jet and Bill Wallace did/do AND the semi contact game of tag you can see at freestyle events the world over. Some people call what they do kickboxing when it's really cardio exercise. It seems to me that the OP is at a club that does kickboxing B rather than kickboxing A. And you can get low kick kickboxing that isn't full Thai rules. No idea how popular that is these days.
Very. I think most Thai fights are fought under modified rules but there's still a big K1 kickboxing scene out there
And Enshin And as Moi says (I think), not all Thai matches use full Thai rules. Rules dictate training, so finding something that allows what you enjoy is important. Mitch
You can definitely generate power with your foot and your range is extended in comparison to the shin. if you are new to kicking, learning how to pull back and not "sledgehammer" through the target is the best thing to do. You will learn control and learn to not turn and expose your back. There is a learning curve to everything. You sound like you want to learn something like Muay Thai. If that is so, go ahead and do that. I don't know what to say to the "musical forms", though, except "LOOOL"
