Low leg kicks in MMA versus Muay Thai ?

SaoriseBiker

In the past before I got into BJJ/MMA etc on discussions between TKDers, Karate, boxers and Muay Thai fighters, the MT fighters were adamant that their low kicks would send a TKDer/Karate/Kung Fu fighter to the floor in no time. But watching the UFC, well that doesn't seem to live up ? I must mention that I have only do a few classes in MT, mostly TKD.

Now I know that as a precaution a fighter whose strength in MT/striking may not want to overcommit with his kicks for fear of the take down. But the reason I'm asking is, I have a friend from TKD who trains and fights in MMA and he has said he never found MT shin kicks etc a big deal ( he says a good boxer is more of a danger). And apart form the odd fight, they seem to be about attrition rather than the big "crash" that MT fighters in the past talked about ? Or can the big "crash" just be landed in a striking only match after the range has been found to chop a TKDer/Karate guy down ?


( BTW, can we avoid the Youtube TKDer/Karate/boxer v Muay Thai clips as ' proof ' seen em' all before, I interested in genuine experiences of lads in MMA. )

cowzerp

Leg kicks off a good thai boxer suck to take but if you train/spar enough you should be conditioned enough to take them, also there very easy to counter with wrestling if that's your game, In Thai you can kick all day with not many punches coming back at you and no take down wrestling.

In an MMA sense i would say leg kicks are just to slow opponent down and upset them more than anything, in Muay Thai there key weapon and fight finishers, A TKD lad who never got a leg kick will not last long taking leg kicks, trained to then they can just like thai boxers can.

oc_pl

I've fought both MMA and Thai at a reasonable level and the leg kicks I got in MMA of the opponents I faced did not compare in power to the ones I took in Thai.

I think in MMA your always worried about the take down, so commiting to a big kick is difficult.

Jason McCabe

Seen very few lowkicks finish fights in MMA

Seen a lot of crosses or lead hooks drop guys


A good weapon in the war of attrition though

SaoriseBiker

oc_pl wrote: »

I've fought both MMA and Thai at a reasonable level and the leg kicks I got in MMA of the opponents I faced did not compare in power to the ones I took in Thai.

I think in MMA your always worried about the take down, so commiting to a big kick is difficult.

But one of the things about powerful MT kicks ( and not just low leg ones ), guys have told me though more powerful than TKD etc they are often too telegraphed - including my mate who fights in MMA. And I remember seeing a comparision on Sports Science or something, they found the MT head kick more powerful than a similiar Karate kick, but the Karate kick was quicker to the target. But regarding the telegraphing of a kick, only the human eye can judge that one.

SaoriseBiker

Jason McCabe wrote: »

Seen very few lowkicks finish fights in MMA

Seen a lot of crosses or lead hooks drop guys


A good weapon in the war of attrition though

Seems to me also, but then I've never got a low leg whammer from a MT fighter

Jason McCabe

Look at results in MMA

That's what counts not a friends opinion

SaoriseBiker

Jason McCabe wrote: »

Look at results in MMA

That's what counts not a friends opinion

Really :eek: Well if you could post the break down of UFC KO's and TKO's by punch, elbow, knee, kick. And if the kick were of a MT, TKD or Karate origin that would be great as I have never seen such !!!!

Jason McCabe

SaoriseBiker wrote: »

Jason McCabe wrote: »

Look at results in MMA

That's what counts not a friends opinion

Really :eek: Well if you could post the break down of UFC KO's and TKO's by punch, elbow, knee, kick. And if the kick were of a MT, TKD or Karate origin that would be great as I have never seen such !!!!

No

MartyMcFly84

Or can the big "crash" just be landed in a striking only match after the range has been found to chop a TKDer/Karate guy down?

I would say most MMA fighters would not bounce on the balls of their feet as much as TKD and Karate fighters do in competition. A well timed leg kick can easily take someone off balance and "chop" them down.

An MMA fighter would tend to take up a modified Muay Thai/Boxing stance, which would allow for easier defense of leg kicks. Hence not as many TKOs as you might see against an art that doesn't train to defend leg kicks like TKD.

Colm.Mahon

MartyMcFly84 wrote: »

An MMA fighter would tend to take up a modified Muay Thai/Boxing stance, which would allow for easier defense of leg kicks.

I dont no what you think a muay thai stance is because I have very rarely seen mma fighters use a thai stance.

cowzerp

Colm.Mahon wrote: »

I dont no what you think a muay thai stance is because I have very rarely seen mma fighters use a thai stance.

Exactly
Almost always basically boxing stances with wrestling stance coming into it when grappling occurs.

youllneverknow

Skip to 12.30

Kieran81

check out some of jose aldo's fights , low kick might not have been the final finishing shot in the fights , but theres no denying the crippling effect it took on the oppponents . i think the main reason his are so sucessful is that his ground game is so high level he has no reservations about fully commiting to the kicks, which is different to the big percentage of guys who'd call them one of their major tools in a fight

RoboRat

check out some of jose aldo's fights , low kick might not have been the final finishing shot in the fights , but theres no denying the crippling effect it took on the oppponents . i think the main reason his are so sucessful is that his ground game is so high level he has no reservations about fully commiting to the kicks, which is different to the big percentage of guys who'd call them one of their major tools in a fight

I was just going to say look at Jose Aldo. If you have good leg kicks you may not finish a fight with them but you can nullify and opponents game plan especially if you are fighting a boxer... you take away that lead leg and you take away their punching power.

It also mixes it up enabling a knockout as your opponent may be looking to defend the leg kick, especially if its doing damage and you go upstairs - I seen that recently in a fight with Anthony Pettis I think.

I think leg kicks are definitely more powerful when wrestling is out of the equation as you only have to worry about a counter strike and not a takedown. MT fighters in MMA rarely put the full force into a leg kick as it leave them open to a takedown.

MartyMcFly84

I dont no what you think a muay thai stance is because I have very rarely seen mma fighters use a thai stance.

Well I did say "modified" Thai or Boxing stance. However a modified Thai stance for MMA can be seen in use by the majority Ex Chute Boxe fighters for example.


What I meant was many MMA fighters tend to stand more square on similar to a Thai stance as opposed to a strict western boxing stance. Depending on the individuals willingness to throw kicks or rely more on his/her hands.

cowzerp

MartyMcFly84 wrote: »

What I meant was many MMA fighters tend to stand more square on similar to a Thai stance as opposed to a strict western boxing stance. Depending on the individuals willingness to throw kicks or rely more on his/her hands.

They don't really though!

Just a common myth-also boxers stances vary widely just like in Mma, it's all about been on balance and comfortable.

MartyMcFly84

it's all about been on balance and comfortable.

Fair enough. Good point

OMCCABE

Kieran81 wrote: »

check out some of jose aldo's fights , low kick might not have been the final finishing shot in the fights , but theres no denying the crippling effect it took on the oppponents . i think the main reason his are so sucessful is that his ground game is so high level he has no reservations about fully commiting to the kicks, which is different to the big percentage of guys who'd call them one of their major tools in a fight

Kieran nailed it IMO. If you have a fighter who has no fear of the takedown because their ground is just nasty then they can throw hands and feet with bad intentions. Its rare to find a guy however that is very confident working off his back. A good example of this is Gunnar Nelson. Pat Barry has ridiculous leg kicks , now imagine if that guy had a great guard.