5 Technical Tips I Learnt Training In Thailand

Summary

In this episode, the host shares five key training insights gained from a three-month stint in Thailand. They discuss variations in checking kicks, head movement during round kicks, power in cross punches, countering with kicks, and defensive front kicks. These tips aim to enhance technique and power in martial arts.

Takeaways

• 🥋 Training in Thailand can provide unique insights and techniques that differ from what you might learn elsewhere.
• 💡 The position of the elbow during a Muay Thai kick can vary; some gyms advocate for the inside, others for the outside, but the key is to avoid connecting the elbow with the knee.
• 🤔 Personal preference plays a role in technique execution, and seeing different approaches in Thailand can broaden your understanding and flexibility.
• 👀 When executing a round kick, turning your head in the direction of the kick can be unconventional, but it might enhance power and provide a different defensive angle.
• 💥 A unique training tip from Eminent Air gym involves dropping slightly when throwing a cross, which could potentially increase the impact and knockdown power.
• 👊 The importance of defense is emphasized, and incorporating a downward angle in strikes might not always be advisable depending on your defensive strategy.
• 🦵 A technique from Purple Mooc involves responding to a hook to the head with a leg attack, specifically a round kick, which trains a different kind of counter-attack.
• 🤼‍♂️ Blocking a punch and then firing back with a kick is a less common training method in North America, but it's practiced in Thailand and can be an effective counter technique.
• 🦶 When throwing front kicks, keeping the hands in the center line instead of swinging them out can provide better defense against potential straight punches.
• 👍 The overall emphasis in Thai training is on small, nuanced changes in technique that can make a significant difference in both offense and defense.

Q & A

What is the main purpose of the video?

The main purpose of the video is to share five training tips and insights the speaker learned during their training in Thailand, which they believe can be beneficial for viewers to improve their martial arts techniques.

What is the first point discussed in the video about checking kicks in Muay Thai?

The first point discussed is whether the elbow should go in or out when checking kicks in Muay Thai. The speaker shares that there is no universally correct way, but they personally prefer the elbow on the inside.

What was the unique head movement technique taught during round kick training in Thailand?

The unique head movement technique involves using peripheral vision to see the target while turning the shoulders and hips in the direction of the kick, rather than looking directly at the target, which is believed to maximize power.

What is the difference in teaching methods between Simbi Gym and Fairtex Gym regarding the elbow position during kick checks?

At Simbi Gym, the speaker was taught to have the elbow on the inside during kick checks, whereas at Fairtex Gym, they were instructed to put the elbow on the outside.

What is the significance of the downward angle when throwing a cross punch as taught in Eminent Air Gym?

The downward angle when throwing a cross punch is believed to add more power and is more likely to knock the opponent down, as it involves dropping the punch instead of going straight through.

Why might firing back with a leg after a hook to the head be a more effective counter in Muay Thai?

Firing back with a leg after a hook to the head can be more effective because it takes advantage of the opponent's exposed midsection, and it's a less common reaction that might catch them off guard.

What is the recommended hand position when throwing front kicks in Thailand, and why?

The recommended hand position is to have the hands come down the center line, with the palm facing out. This position maintains the shoulder twisting motion and provides a defensive position against potential straight punches.

How does the speaker feel about the downward angle cross punch technique?

The speaker is unsure about implementing the downward angle cross punch technique into their own style because they believe it might compromise their defense by losing shoulder protection for the jaw and taking longer to retract the arm.

What is the speaker's view on the importance of defense in martial arts?

The speaker considers defense to be one of the most important aspects of martial arts, and they believe that any technique should be evaluated based on its defensive implications as well as its offensive potential.

What does the speaker suggest for viewers who want to learn more about the techniques discussed?

The speaker suggests that viewers should give the video a like and express their interest in the comments if they want to see more detailed demonstrations with a training partner in future videos.

Outlines

00:00

🥋 Muay Thai Training Insights from Thailand

In the first paragraph, the speaker shares personal insights gained from training in Thailand for three months. They discuss the variability in technique execution, such as the positioning of the elbow when checking kicks, which can differ between gyms but should avoid connecting with the knee. The speaker's preference leans towards having the elbow on the inside but emphasizes the importance of adaptability and recognizing that what works for one person may not be universally correct. Additionally, they highlight a unique head movement technique for round kicks, taught at Macau's gym, which involves using peripheral vision to enhance power and potentially improve defense against strikes.

05:01

🥋 Advanced Muay Thai Techniques and Defensive Strategies

The second paragraph delves into advanced techniques and strategies observed during the speaker's training in Thailand. They mention a specific cross technique from Eminent Air gym, which involves a slight drop to increase power and potentially knock down an opponent. The speaker also discusses a pad-holding method from Purple Mooc, where反击ing a hook to the head is done with a leg, specifically a round kick, instead of with the hands, capitalizing on the exposed midsection of the opponent. Lastly, they highlight the importance of hand positioning during front kicks to maintain defensive safety, with hands staying on the center line rather than swinging out, which is a common practice in North America.

Keywords

💡Training in Thailand

Training in Thailand refers to the practice of traveling to Thailand for martial arts training, specifically in the context of this video, Muay Thai. The video discusses the unique training techniques and insights gained from such an experience. It is central to the video's theme as the host shares his personal experiences and lessons learned from his time in Thailand.

💡Muay Thai

Muay Thai is a martial art and combat sport from Thailand that uses stand-up striking along with various clinching techniques. It is the focus of the video as the host discusses techniques and training methods specific to this discipline. Muay Thai is highlighted through the various techniques and training tips shared by the host.

💡Elbow Position

Elbow position is a technical aspect of Muay Thai striking, particularly when checking kicks. The video discusses the debate over whether the elbow should be on the inside or outside during kick checks. This concept is important as it relates to defensive strategies and the potential for injury, illustrating the nuanced differences in training philosophies.

💡Head Movement

Head movement in the context of the video refers to the positioning of the head during striking techniques, such as round kicks. The host describes a unique method taught in Thailand where the head is turned away from the direction of the kick to maximize power and minimize resistance. This technique is highlighted as an example of the innovative training methods encountered in Thailand.

💡Round Kick

A round kick is a type of kick in Muay Thai where the leg is swung in a circular motion to strike the opponent. The video discusses the importance of head movement and peripheral vision in executing this kick effectively. The round kick is used as an example to illustrate the impact of subtle changes in technique.

💡Cross

The cross is a straight punch in boxing and Muay Thai, typically thrown with the rear hand. The video mentions a technique where the cross is thrown with a slight downward angle, which is said to increase the power and potential to knock down an opponent. This technique is part of the broader discussion on optimizing striking techniques.

💡Hook

A hook is a type of punch that is thrown in a lateral arc, typically with the lead hand. The video discusses a training method where, instead of countering with a hook punch, the defender fires back with a leg technique. This approach is highlighted as an unconventional but potentially effective defensive strategy.

💡Front Kick

A front kick is a basic kick in martial arts where the foot is driven forward from the hip. The video emphasizes the importance of hand positioning during front kicks, suggesting that hands should come up the center line rather than swinging out. This technique is discussed as a way to maintain defensive posture while attacking.

💡Pad Holding

Pad holding is a method of training in martial arts where one person holds pads for another to strike, simulating combat situations. The video mentions specific pad holding techniques used in Thailand, such as the response to a hook with a leg technique. Pad holding is central to the practical application of the training tips discussed.

💡Defensive Strategy

Defensive strategy in the video refers to the techniques and tactics used to protect oneself during combat. The host discusses various defensive strategies, such as the positioning of the elbow and the response to a hook, emphasizing the importance of defense in martial arts training.

💡Technique Variation

Technique variation refers to the different ways a martial arts technique can be executed, often based on regional or personal preferences. The video highlights the diversity in training methods and techniques in Thailand, such as the elbow position in kick checks and the head movement in round kicks, showcasing the value of learning from various sources.

Highlights

Training in Thailand for three months provided a wealth of new insights and techniques.

Different gyms in Thailand have varying techniques for checking kicks, with no single 'right' way.

Personal preference for checking kicks with the elbow on the inside, but open to other methods if they work.

Unconventional head movement during round kicks can increase power and potentially improve defense against strikes.

Eminent Air gym in Bangkok emphasizes a dropping motion when throwing a cross for added power and knockout potential.

The importance of defense when incorporating new techniques to avoid exposing oneself to counterattacks.

Pad holding techniques at Purple Mooc emphasize countering with legs after blocking a hook to the head.

The rarity of training to block punches and counter with kicks in North America compared to Thailand.

Front kicks in Thailand are practiced with hands coming down the center line for added defense.

The significance of maintaining a shoulder twisting motion during front kicks for power and defense.

The need for hands to stay close to the head when not in use during kicking combinations for safety.

The value of experiencing training in Thailand to understand the nuances of various techniques.

The willingness to share personal training experiences to benefit others' martial arts development.

Invitation for viewers to engage with the content by liking and subscribing for more training insights.

The potential for a future episode showcasing advanced techniques with a training partner.

The importance of practical application and training to truly understand and benefit from new techniques.

Transcripts

in today's episode i'm going to share

with you five things that i learned when

i was training in thailand for almost

three months part of that alongside

bukow i took away so many training tips

so much information from that training

experience in thailand and today i'm

going to pass some of them on to you

guys

[Music]

so i hope after this episode you're

going to go wow i got so much

information from gabriel i don't even

need to go to thailand now

i'm joking you still want to go to

thailand it's still an awesome spot to

go train you can still learn lots of

things but the tips i'm going to share

with you guys today

were just small little things different

ways to do regular techniques which we

normally throw but were so eye-opening

to me just small changes that make a

world of difference when implementing or

trying to throw these techniques either

with the idea of damage or defense in

mind so let's move in to the first point

now one of the big questions that seems

to come up when we talk about checking

kicks muay thai style is does the elbow

go in or does the elbow go out now i

want to clarify something because i

trained at simbi gym for four weeks when

i was in thailand and over and over and

over they drilled for me to have the

elbow on the inside and then i jumped

over to fairtex gym in bangkok and the

first thing they did on the very first

day when i started doing pads they went

elbow on the inside no put the elbow on

the outside so the one thing that we can

definitely agree upon is the elbow

should not connect to the knee because

eventually you're gonna smash the two

together and you're gonna actually

almost like charlie horse yourself what

we do need to understand though is some

gyms will tell you has to be inside

other gyms say have to be outside and

according to my experience in thailand

there's actually not one that's 100

right or 100 wrong but let me give you

my personal preference i like to come on

the inside for both of them that's just

what i like to do but as i said going to

thailand opened my eyes that if i do see

somebody going the opposite that i don't

run over and go no no no no it's wrong

what are you doing there are people who

teach it in that method and if it works

for that person maybe it's okay that's

just something i learned over there

which i just wanted to pass on to you

guys because we don't see or hear that

very often point number two which i want

to talk about is something very

interesting you do with your head

when you throw round kicks so let me

just show you a normal round kick if i

throw a round kick over here

and i huck it out would you go yes he's

doing the correct motion with his head

he's looking right towards the target of

course that makes sense but when i was

at macau's gym and his pad holder was

working with me he went no no no no

eyes don't go this way if you're kicking

that way

you turn

and he did his best to explain to me in

his broken english that if our shoulders

and our hips are turning this way we

don't want our head

fighting that natural motion of

everything turning together to maximize

power so over there they had me kick and

use peripheral vision to see the target

again i've never seen this anywhere else

i've never had anybody teach it this way

but when we look back at especially book

house old fights in k1 max that's right

around the time period where i was

training in thailand we very often see

him whip kicks in and his head is off on

that angle and that's something you can

definitely consider doing not only might

it potentially increase your power

additionally i feel like if you get hit

here you're going to get jolted back

whereas if you're sideways you might be

able to roll with the shot a little bit

more and still put lots of power into

your kick again this is just a small

little bit of information which might

make a massive difference in your

kicking power and something that you

might never hear from anybody else

outside of thailand now the next pointer

i'm going to give you is something that

i took from eminent air it's one of the

big gyms over in bangkok very successful

gym very high level fighters not many

foreigners were there which in my

opinion made it a better gym they worked

us really hard most foreigners would

come in for a day or two and then they

would leave too difficult but anyway one

of the things that they were teaching

over there is when we throw our cross

out we don't come in a straight line

we come straight straight straight

straight straight drop

and that little drop at the end is just

going to help you get a little bit more

power and they said when you hit

somebody here and instead of going

through you drop

it is more likely to knock the person

down now i cannot confirm or deny that

because i have not practiced this a

whole lot and hit enough people with

this downward angle cross because for me

defense is one of the most important

things and i figure if i come down at

all i lose my shoulder protecting my jaw

and it takes a little bit longer to draw

it back so for me this is not a style

that i have tried to implement into my

cross but it is something you might like

to do so you come out and you just drop

a little bit and when you're hitting a

pad or a bag it's much easier to get

that angle down and smash that pad and

really feel this all come together guys

if you're enjoying the episode if you

like experiencing tips from thailand

without actually having to go please

give the video a like and let's move on

to the next point another massive tip

that i took from the pad holding that i

did at purple mooc where bacal was

training was whenever a hook gets thrown

at your head instead of firing back with

your own hands they go fire back with

the legs

and the way they set it up with muay

thai pads and the way that you guys

could do it or if you're in your

fighting stance i take the big muay thai

pad i slap it at your head as soon as i

slap it at your head i put the pad here

for the round kick

so essentially you guys are blocking off

the left arm but then round kicking off

the right or vice versa i slap here and

then i have the pad ready i really like

this style of pad work and this style of

blocking and then firing back with the

kick blocking and firing back with the

kick because it's something that i

haven't spent too long doing it's

usually for me block fire back with a

hand but when somebody throws a shot

very often they expose the midsection of

their body and there is an opening there

to land that round kick the only issue

is we don't train it very often in north

america we don't train blocking a punch

and firing back with a round kick so we

don't see it utilized that much but if

it's something that you guys want to try

and get better at simply ask your pad

holder to do that drilling for you hit

kick hit kick hit kick and you just

stand there you're ready

and you can get really good at this

counter technique and the final thing

that i want to talk about which was

pretty much paramount at every gym was

when we were throwing front kicks what

were our hands doing

many of the gyms in north america they

practiced swinging the arm down the arm

swings out it was not that way in

thailand when we were kicking the bags

which was very often go to the bag and

kick it 300 times some of the gems were

kicking 500 times in a row the hands

come down the center line if i kick with

my left hand

my left hand does not swing my left hand

comes up the middle

and then when i kick the other side this

hand comes up the middle and the idea

being here i'm still getting the

shoulder twisting motion which i would

when i pull my arm down except i have

something in the middle to defend from

any potential straight punches so if you

see me from the side i just let this

hand

very slightly come down the middle i

have my palm facing out and i can

continue with my kicks in a normal

fashion with this other hand tight to

the head something very important if you

want to throw front kicks and you want

to be defensively safe as you're letting

that lead teep go and that's everything

guys those are all the tips i wanted to

share with you i hope this gave you a

little bit of that experience of going

to thailand and just condensed it all

for you in a nice little package i could

go on and on about the little tips i

took

from thailand except i need a training

partner to show you some of the really

cool things if that's an episode you

want you've gotta give the video a like

you've gotta let me know in the comments

below because i actually have to get

somebody into a different filming space

to make that video happen it's going to

take a lot of energy a lot of work it's

not like me just walking upstairs and

filming something in this little filming

studio i have so

guys

give the video a like if you haven't

already join the channel get subscribed

train hard guys i'll see you back here

soon for another video