31.03.18
This morning I began my client’s second course on Muay Thai for Martial Arts Cross Training. After warming up with a series of dynamic stretches and calisthenics specific to this new area of training, we discussed his personal objective for this course. He wanted to focus a lot on better developing and learning kicks. We decided that the best way to do this would to have an immediate look at basic kicking combinations, ensuring that they were being set up correctly with effective punching. Then I began introducing new kicking variations and techniques by looking at various tactics.
This began with a series of one-for-one kicking exercises, looking at correct position and balance as we moved around one another. Then we got going on the proper integration of kicks by simply adding round kicks onto basic punching combinations. Here I had a look at how footwork would help my client transition and flow. The two-punch combination allowed me to introduce the switch-kick. Muay Thai’s peculiar rocking motion helps in the execution of this kick. We broke it down and then slowly integrated it. Next I brought in the side kick recovery tactic. This move came out of sparring practice when I missed with a round kick and used a side kick. I had learnt the side kick from background in Korean martial arts and Kickboxing, but found it worked to a limited degree in Muay Thai. This particular move has been pulled off very effectively in competition by several top fighters in recent years. Having introduced the side-thrusting kick concept, I moved onto the back-kick. My client learnt this move as another recovery from a missed round kick.
We finished the lesson with a round of Muay Thai sparring. During the debrief we discussed more about improving set-ups with punches. This will form part of next lesson’s training plan.