Muay Thai VS American Kickboxing

**SimonBelmont** · Posted On: 10/29/2006 8:19pm

Something about that fight doesn't look right. It looks like the kickboxing guy is very heavy on his legs. What round was that clip?

**Sokaku** · Posted On: 10/30/2006 12:24pm

Yeah I wonder why he's so heavy on his legs after taking several low kicks :eusa_thin.

**taekwondoguy** · Posted On: 11/06/2006 4:59pm

I think that's pretty gay myself.

**Torakaka** · Posted On: 11/06/2006 6:57pm

That clip looked like it was probably from the 4th round, after Changpuek had been pounding away at his legs for the last 3 rounds. Rick Roufus was pretty light on his feet in the first two rounds and landed some nice combinations, but got his **** ruined for most of the fight by leg kicks.

**Torakaka** · Posted On: 11/07/2006 1:21pm

Originally Posted by emboesso

Here's a similar clip, featuring a favorite of mine from those days; Jean Yves Theriault:

http://youtube.com/watch?v=DQCZjCj7TK0

So, what sort of strategies should Roufus and Theriault have used in these fights against leg kicks? Or is the best defense against leg kicks simply a matter of conditioning?

actually, ya know, learn to defend against them. Lift your leg up and block with your shin, learn to properly evade, cross blocking, aggressive blocking (stepping in and jamming your knee into their thigh as they kick etc.), counter punching when you see them lifting that leg.

By trying to keep his distance and turn away from the kick, Roufus did absolutely the opposite of what he should've been doing. Conditioning has nothing to do with it.

**Torakaka** · Posted On: 11/07/2006 2:51pm

No, I knew exactly what you were saying. Leg conditioning is not the important factor here, it's how you deal with the kick. You take a kick on the thighs and it's going to **** you up, regardless of any kind of conditioning.

When leg blocking a kick, you point your leg out at a 45 degree angle and try and take it on the part of your shin closest to your knee (the hardest part of your leg). Some people prefer keeping their leg loose, some like to block rigid and blocking agressively(making it more painful for the kicker). I think that's just personal preference. You can also cross block, meaning you block with the opposite shin, so one leg isn't taking all the punishment. Then there ar the other methods I mentioned. Leg conditioning won't really help.

**alex** · Posted On: 11/07/2006 2:59pm

i think the best defense they could have come up with is not accepting a fight with leg kicks against someone who has been doing that their whole life, while they are noobs at it.

**PointyShinyBurn** · Posted On: 11/07/2006 4:07pm

Bas actually advocates leaning your weight slightly onto the target leg and eating the kick instead of shin blocking. He feels it leaves you too open to punches. For those of us not born with superman genetics and a slight brain malfunction, is this a really, really bad idea?

**Dirty Rooster** · Posted On: 11/07/2006 4:13pm

I agree with Alex, a fight involving two fighters whose normal experience is similar but one of them is allowed to use something 'extra' (leg-kicks in this case) from their arsenal ... well, that's just unfair.
They shoulda given the kickboxer an extra too, like ... erm ... what do they do that Muay Thai doesn't allow? Burgers??