Is the jab as prized a tool in Muay Thai in Thailand (I'm not talking about the U.S. or elsewhere were there is a strong Western Boxing influence) as it is in Western Boxing circles? If not, then how prized a tool is it? Is it considered to be the most important strike in Muay Thai?
And how does the application of the jab differ in Muay Thai in Thailand from how it is used in boxing?
Lastly, how prominent is its use in Thailand?
If someone who is knowledgeable with the state of Muay Thai in Thailand could shed light on the above, I would appreciate it.
I agree with Khun Kao, every MT fight I have watched (not too many) that were Thai vs.Thai...it seemed when they used their hands it always followed a tiip or roundkick and was more of an X pattern straight to the head, with an occasional liver shot. Really it looked more like both Crosses (with left and/or right hands). You dont' see many jabs like they are used in boxing. And yes, the Tiip (push kick, foot jab) whichever you want to call it, is really prominant in MT. A very effective kick as an opener or a counter. I know the roundkick and knee is dominant in MT, but I agree that there is alot more emphasis on the Tiip. One of my newer fighters has a great tiip, he was using it last night sparring and knocked several guys back with it. Seemed to be very quick in execution and had awesome timing.
Khun Kao, glad you said it, I was tempted to say it but didn't want a flame war... I am really surprised that for such a long time US Muay Thai has been all round kick, very little straight kick
That has changed though over time, I actually saw a good amount of TEEP at the WKA event... for the short time we were there before we had to catch our train home!!!!!
I think a major reason why the teep is so under utilized is a lack of understanding proper scoring and judging (very common in the USA). The common mistake is that roundkicks and punches score more uniformly rather than knowing that shades of scoring actually exist.
From a fighter's perspective, as you attempt to develop the distance and timing for a teep, many people feel too slow to counter the roundkick or punches, or may feel off balanced, and therefore abandon the technique opting to use those which cause damage. Especially since 3x2 fights are likely to be frantically paced from the start versus 5x3 fights which really kick in during Round 3.
Why did you think it would start a "flame war"? As you said, Khun Kao is absolutely correct. It is very underappreciated. There is alot of Muay Thai here in the midwest, and for the most part, the fighters throw all roundkicks. I for one, really like the teep. I find it very effective, if the timing is there.
On a side note: I had one of my junior fighters go to the IOWA Games and compete in the Tae Kwon Do sparring (his Dad wanted him to go just to see how he would do), well, landed a few teeps which knocked the kids down, and he got penalized for it. When asked why, they said "oh, well the front kick is used for more defense to creat space, not for offense". I couldn't believe what I was hearing! Yea, that's why the kids were falling on their Asses! So, then he stuck to the round kick and got penalized for contact when he hit the other kid hard on the side of his face. LOL, I told his Dad to stick with Muay thai. He ended up getting 3rd which should have been 1st.
PeteP, I guess you're relatively new here :) but some people just look for reasons to argue. While I am not a MUay Thai trainer, I have a lot of students competing in the format and have a lot of friends in it. But I don't want anyone to turn the comment into a flame war, glad so far it hasn't