Vut Kamnark Video Reviews!

Here are the reviews I promised earlier.

Vut Kamnark Tape 2 - Punches and Elbows

This tape is excellent for the beginner who wishes to get started training in Muay Thai. Vut gets the correct mechanics for each technique across by demonstrating it over and over again. He speaks in Thai throughout all of his videos but ther is an english voice-over that translates very clearly.
Vut starts off by explaining the Muay Thai guard. He shows an unusual approach of keeping your lead leg flat-footed. I personally dont see any advantage to this other than when you are agressively attacking your opponent and he is too vulnerable to counter. Otherwise, I can see the lead leg being suspect to low kicks from here.

Now Vut shows the basic footwork movements in Muay Thai, such as Forward, Back, Side etc. Again, this is shown very clearly and is easy to understand and follow. Now he starts to demonstrate the slide step. He demonstrates with a couple of his students and points out any mistakes that they are making, and what they should do to correct the mistake.

Now Vut begins demonstrating the Jab. This part of the tape is very detailed, as is every technique he demonstrates. He talks about moving and jabbing, and demonstrates with two students. Again he points out any errors that his students make and offers advice on how to correct the mistake.

This is the format he uses for all of the punching techniques. Vut also has his students work the punches on focus mitts. Again, correcting their mistakes and advising how to fix them.

Vut also explains what his students could be doing to improve their technique. The punching portion of the tape is very well put together. I believe that it will be of great benefit to a beginner who needs to master the basic punching techniques. Vut also gives examples of why the Punching methods of Muay Thai, although similar, are still different from Western Boxing. He shows variations for the hook and uppercut and compares them to the Western Boxing style Hooks and uppercuts.

Vut shows 2 types of hook. The Short and long hook. Vut also explains when it is appropriate to use each variation. Again, he has his students work the hook on the focus mitts and critiques there technique, suggesting improvements and pointing out mistakes.
Now Vut goes on to the Uppercut portion of the tape. Again showing the difference between the Muay Thai style uppercut and the Western Boxing uppercut. Now he has his students work the Uppercut on the Focus mitts, again pointing out any errors and suggesting improvements in his students technique.

Vut finishes the punching portion of the tape by covering combinations, how to combine the Jab, Cross, Hook and Uppercut into numerous punching combinations.
Now Vut moves on to the Elbow segment of the tape. He demonstrates a varirety of elbows i.e.

Straight Elbow (Ive always known it as a cross elbow)
Overhead Elbow (Ive always known it as a circular elbow)
Front Elbow (Ive laways known it as the uppercut elbow)
Jerking Elbow (Basically a variation of the straight elbow)
Swing Back Elbow (Reverse elbow)

After the great detail put into the Punching segment, the elbow portion of the tape is quite disappointing. There is just a basic demo of each elbow and they seem rushed. There is not so much detail and there is no demonstration from the students. The tape just moves on to working the elbows in with punches on the focus mitts.

Conclusion

Overall, I would highly reccomend this tape to anybody who is just starting out in Muay Thai wants to brush up on the punching skills. Its worth the money and the only problem is that there is not nearly as much detail on the elbow techniques as ther is on the punching techniques.

Tape 3 - Kicks and Knees

Vut Starts out with the Push Kick and its variations. Sadly, these are mainly demonstration and there is little detail on the technique for each variation. He has a student wear a belly pad while he just demos the kick and its variations.
The variations to the push kick are as follows:

Straight Push (2 variations)

Tip Toes

Side Push

Slap Push

Heel Push

Combinations of all the above

Now Vut moves onto the Muay Thai Roundhouse and breaks it down into great detail. He emphasizes the importance of pivoting and twisting. You can see how all Roundhouse variations depend on this movement. Now Vut talks about turning halfway into the kick. Really, it is just to get you used to getting the hip up and over. Now Vut talks about kicking from the lead leg.

From here he has students practice this and points out the mistakes they make and corrects them.

Now he discusses the target areas for the roundhouse kick. The Legs, Body and Head. Now he talks about the variations of the roundhouse and how they are intended for each target. No Vut teaches some variations of the low kick. These are:

Outside Kick

Inside kick

Cross Kick

Both leg Kick

Each of these variations are taught in great detail. Each variation is shown with a partner and any errors are pointed out as well as any possible improvements.
Now Vut moves onto the body kicks. He demonstrates the following:

Step in Kick

Semi Knee Kick

Step Back Kick

Move and Kick

Each of thes variations are explored in great depth and alot of detail. Again, a partner is used to demonstrate as well as point out any flawes in technique and any possible improvements.

Now Vut moves onto the final area, Head kicks. He goes through the following:

Neck Kick

Then the Guard Kick

Ankle Cross Kick

The neck Kicks are not covered in as great detail as the other kicks, but it is easy enought to understand the technique for the kicks.
Now Vut goes on to Working the Roundhouse on the Long pads. Again, he points out errors made and how to correct them. This is a good introduction to pad feeding for the roundhouse.

Now Vut covers Knee techniques. He teaches 4 knee techniques:

the Straight knee (Ive always known it as the Long knee)

the Diagonal knee (what I have always known as the curve knee)

Curve knee (I have always known this as the side knee)

Cross knee

Each knee is demonstrated on a partner, and alot of attention is paid to detail.

Conclusion

I think that more detail could have been paid to the Push Kick and Knee segments. But the Roundhouse segment is like an encyclopedia of information. There is alot of information for the beginner or experienced trainee. I highly reccomend this video!

Tape 4 - Fighting Techniques

This video takes the basics learned from its 2 previous tapes (both reviewed on this site) and shows you how to put them all together and develop each technique. There is a number of defenses and counters taught for each technique.
After a brief, warm up, Vut starts off by showing how to use the long pads to train the roundhouse kick. After he shows how to work the knees on the pads. He shows a little bit of clinch work here but that is not really explained and no depth of instruction is given.

Now Vut moves onto counters, starting with defenses and counters to the Jab. Thee range from parry and sidestep to layback and counter with kicks. There is no talk about slipping though. Which I found strange, as this is very effective against the jab and Cross.
Now he shows how to counter the jab with elbows.building on the defenses he showed previously. Now he quickly moves onto kicking as counters to the jab.

All of the techniques shown here work well against the Jab and Cross. He then shows how to use the push kick to counter the jab, before he finishes this section by demonstrating how to use the knees as counters to the jab.
In this section he explains more on the clinch and how to work in the clinch. This is not demenstrated in great detail though. He shows how to turn without really explaining how to turn youre opponent and off balance him/her.

Now he talks about how to counter and defend elbows. This is well detailed and he has a student try to work for elbows while he evades and counters with kicks. Now Vut shifts on by showing how to defend against kicks. He starts off by showing how to defend the low kick. He starts off with the slide back. To move away from the kick, before talking about how to block the kick. The he shows the foot jam to stop the kick in mid flight. Now he shows the correct mechanics for blocking with the shin. He shows 2 types of shin block, the cross block and outside block.
After this, Vut moves onto catching bodykicks and off balancing your opponent this way. He shows how to push your opponent back when you have trapped your opponents leg. Now he demonstrates free sparring with kinks only where he puts all of the previous stuff to work.

Now Vut moves on to defending high kicks. He first shows how to lean back out of the way and then adds how to follow up after your opponent has missed with his kick.
Now Vut shows what to do if you have thrown a kick only to have your opponent catch the kick. This is basic, but good info nonetheless. After this, Vut shows how to deal with push kicks to your legs. He shows how to avoid the push kick and then how to follow up with a punch, kick, knee or elbow.

Now he shows how to defend against push kicks to the body. He starts off with scooping the kick and sidestepping. Now he adds some follow up techniques, before showing hot to defend the push kick with a push kick.
Next Vut moves onto ho to defend with an opponent who is trying to clinch and knee. He shows how to clear the arms and knee your opponent on his way in. In this section, Vut shows some effective techniques in the clinch. Again though, this is brief and there is not a great deal of info shown.

Vut finishes the series by demonstrating a series of Combinations on the pads. These are basic, but effective that could and have been used in the ring. These are also good combinations for fitness. Drilling them over 3 miunte rounds will soon get your heart rate up.

Conclusion

This tape shows you how to blend your Punches, Kicks, Knees and Elbows into a seamless series of attacks, counters and combinations. However, it is no substitute for a real Muay Thai training session. But it will definitely give you an idea of how to train and develop your techniques. I think its worth the money.

Thanks.

Yours, Beev

ttt

Great review. Where can I order his tapes?

Not sure. I go mine in the UK. do a search for google on Vut Kamnark, or Unique Publications. Who are the company that made the videos in the first place.

Yours, Beev