Khun Khao, anyone,
When sparring, which leg is better used as a stop/counter kick, and why? The lead leg or the rear? I.e. when do you think each could/should be used?
I use either, depending on which direction I am moving. If I am going to check an incoming leg, I use the same side leg, i.e. against a right kick, use my left leg. If you target the midsection/lowerabs, I use whichever kick I am in balance for. My rear leg has more power but I usually look to use my hands.
I feel more comfortable using my left kick b/c I box orthodox and if I step down this sets me up nicely to use my hands. The followups and defenses that flow from how you step down should be trained on the pads, i.e. pushkick and step down, determine if you have changed leads and followup with combos or defenses to your opps combos/clinch etc. If you push kick and bounce off, did you change leads or assume your "starting position"?
Sometimes b/c of you opps body torque, your pushkick leg slides off in different directions-you need to train your recovery and offensive options also.
Khun Kao/Brooks/DUDE :)
Clearly, as you have known me on these boards and met me in person, you know that I don't have anything against Muay Thai. Most posts are responses to Ercan's ignorance and insults. He has said a lot of misinformed and insulting things and acts like he knows it all. So I am calling him on it. It isn't an attack on Muay Thai, just Ercan
Thanks Mos! Boy, you're answering all my questions today. I oughta come take privates with you sometime :-) So from orthodox, would you check/stop your opponentsleft kick with you rear push kick?
Misigoy. I've actually been doing that also...but not the axe kick...how are you going to lift & land the kick before he hits you? Remember I'm refering to interception/Stop-hitting.
depends on what kind of kick you are countering with. If you spin, use your back leg, otherwise I'd use my front leg. I'm actually gonna start working on my front leg axe kick for countering.
Ken, if you want to check the left kick, I would use my right leg or right/left foot jab to the body.
The only thing I give privates in these days is trolling.
Thanks Khun Khao. Truth is I do both, but was wondering if I should just stick to one front kick as my 'main' interception. I do have a tremendous rear leg stop kick, that sends peeps across the ring, but the lead comes a little more naturally to me. It however stops them int heir tracks - which does enable me to add combos unlike the rear.
Misigoy, let us know how the axe kick works out for you after you practice it. Maybe you'll develop one like Andy Hug's. That was a scary thing.
This question has mostly been answered by everyone else, but just to add my two cents.
It depends, really. What are you trying to do with the push kick in the first place?
If you are merely trying to perform a stop hit or a technique to put or keep your opponent at range, then the lead leg push kick is what I would use.
If you really want to drill your opponent, or push him across the ring, or just a plain power technique, use the rear.
If you are countering an attack, it will depend on which you can get up in time to counter and what you intend to do with the counter. For instance, if your opponent is kicking, and you just want to stop him at a particular range so that you can follow up with a few techniques of your own, then use the lead legged push kick.
If you want your push kick to actually BE the counter, then use the rear kick, as you can dump your opponent on his butt with it.
The only way to figure it out is to experiment with it during sparring.
Khun Kao
it's just a speed thing, and it'll take practice obviously. I've learned to speed up an axe kick though by picking up my leg without it being fully extended, maybe bent halfway or something, just kind loose, and when you reach the height of your kick you should have it fully extended and then bring it down. That speeds it up, especially for the front leg, whether your doing a counter or attacking with some kind of footwork. Outside of fighting in close, which really hasn't been my thing ever, I don't see any good ways on using a back leg axe kick that way.