Justfulwardog

I had the same problem when I converted to kickboxing. I adapted a Muay Thai stance while in kicking range. The boxing stance is 60% on your lead leg and 40% on your rear. The Muay Thai is the opposite with 40% on the front and 60% on the rear, and the rear toe is pointed at a 45% angle from my opponent instead of at him. What this does is to let you lift your lead leg with ease to block a kick. In doing so I found a perfect strategy. I actually like them to attack my leg (I try to bait them now). The reason is because after I check thier kick I step forward right into (you guessed it) punching range. It's the same as stepping forward as you throw the jab. I learned this the hard way, because in my first exibition, I had my lead leg immoblized by a good leg kick, while in the boxing stance. It took away my offense and my defense. In short, IT REALLY SUCKED. But anyhow, that's my advise.

I read an article once, that told me not to rotate my fist all the way around so that my palm was facing down. It said it should be facing the ground at a 45% angle, because when you rotate it all the way the two bones in your forearm limit the muscles ability to contract and expand. So your wrist buckles easier. It helped my wrist not to buckle, my fingers not to hit first, and the solidity of my fist on impact. Might just work for you. Experiment with it, rotate your fist beyond practical means and make your hardest fist, then try it a a 45% angle.

When I was sixteen I was in the park with my girlfriend and her baby boy. There was a drunk that came up to us and acted like he was part of the family. At first I thought it was her uncle or something the way he acted, until I saw my girlfriends face and the fear in it. He wouldn't leave and started getting a little belligerent. I had my boxing background at the time and felt like doing something (even though he was a lot bigger than me), but thought of there safety over my pride. He might have gotten the better of me. I just couldn't risk that. I talked him down. What seemed to take an eternity, but I did it. I had to hold back every emotion I was having while doing it, but it payed off. I finally got us out of there. Needless to say, as a young man my pride was still hurt, but I knew I had done the right thing. We all want to be the superhero that takes on impossible odds and wins every time, but life just ain't that easy.

I like to play Hacky Sack. Every few kicks the sack will bounce in the wrong direction, and I will have to react fast to keep up. Thus, improving my reaction time. It's a lot more intense when you play alone.

As a boxer that shifted to kickboxing. The single most thing that screwed me up was having three target areas instead of two. What I mean is in boxing I had upper (head),and mid (body). All of a sudden I had to pay attention to three target areas, as the lower (legs) became a reality. Not many kickboxers are proficient with their hands, so I usually had an advantage while in punching range. Except when I sparred a really good local kickboxer. I got him against the ropes and he unloaded with low, high, and mid, shots. I didn't know what hit me. I was completely taken off my game. He push me off with ease, and escaped. He was about twenty pounds lighter than me too. So if you mix it up, you will confuse the boxer and take him out of his game plan. I don't think it's a very good idea to try to just stay away and kick, because boxers train to be highly mobile. They can close the distance fast.

I was only told to abstane for a week, but I guess it's up to the coach. I thought it only took two weeks for blood to fully replenish. That's how long they gave it when they use to do blood doping. So I don't really see any sense in waiting for a month or longer.

Andrew Green wrote: Adrehnaline can make you strong and let you ignore pain, or it can make you freeze up and go into panic mode. If you want to control it, you first got to get used to it. Great advise! I was told by my first coach that when you ejaculate, it sucks all of the blood out of the back of your thighs. Thus making the strongest muscle group in your body lacking in nutrients and oxygen. Most of the boxers power comes from his legs, therefore they need to be in prime condition to fight with. By the way, how do you get the cute little white box with the quotes in them?

A boxers jab is perfect for this use. Step out with a stiff jab to the face. It will keep him from following.

I love it when I step in the ring with an opponent for the first time, and come up with a good strategy, that seems custom made for that opponent. I just wanted to hear about some of your spontaneous strategies. The ones that you come up with on the spot, but don't even realize it until the fight is over. Or the sparring match.

Why do we get into a book, or get into a movie? Why is Stephen King such a great author? It's because he can get you to relate to the characters. My point is anybody can throw a punch (no matter how bad it is), it comes natural. Kicks on the other hand are not taught to us from a young age in america, for the most part. Most Americans can't begin to throw a kick. Think of it this way, when you watch a sport you like, how much do you know about the tecnique that is envovled? Now think about a sport you can't sit down and watch. How much do you know about it. I think it is because they can't relate to kickboxing as much as they can boxing.

My coach told me when I first started boxing, many moons ago, that they used to drag there back leg around. They kept it sideways so that when they threw the cross, it would be with ultimate torch of the body. It was very immobile though, so the sport evolved to being "faster on your feet." So now we point our rear toe toward our opponent, heels off the ground. I only do this in punching range. I prefer the Muay Thai stance in kicking range. I use the one where my rear leg is at a 45% angle.

So how did it go? I like to slip there punches and route them right up the middle. It's the last thing they expect and it gains there respect real quick. Throw fast combos then get out quick. You got to overwhelm them.

The way I do it, in the ring at least, is both, kinda. I try to keep my rear hand on my cheek (damn thing don't like to stay there, though). Anyhow, in kicking range, I hold my forward hand half extended in front of my face. I used to use the boxing guard all the time, that is until my instructor knocked me out. In the boxers guard I couldn't see below my fists with my gloves on, so he wrapped his foot around my neck and kicked me in the brain stem. Since then I have tried to keep my lead hand out, while in kicking range. It works good, except for that one time when I forgot to extend my hand and took a round kick to the neck (every now and then we need to learn the hard way, at least that is what I tell myself). You see in punching range I go back to the boxers guard. Takes practice, but pain is a good teacher.

Just wondering if anyone else does this. When I spar I always practice fighting backwards. My coach once told me that it is ten times harder fighting backwards than pushing forward. So I guess I set out to defy that law. The thing is when I fight in the ring, I always push my opponent back. I know that, that is the way of choice in the ring. I just thought it odd that I still spar, always moving backwards, whether I mean to or not. The reason it is easier to fight when your opponent is backing up, is because they usually don't know that you have to set your feet Just before you fire back. They try to strike while backing up. Momentum just don't work that way.

Very nice.

Closing your eyes is a normal reaction. We think that it makes us safer to close our eyes. I think it is from years of conditioning, not to let things get in our eyes. After all, it's painful and frustrating to have particles in your eyes. I think the way that I broke myself from doing it, is that I kept telling myself that I was putting myself in more danger by closing my eyes than leaving them open. You can not see what is coming at you (direction, speed, etc.), and you can't go on the offensive, and defend yourself with good offense. In short, I rationalized the situation. It just don't make much sense to close your eyes in a fight. I have seen many people do it, and they take a beating every time.

I fear the unknown aspect of death. At the same time, I can't wait to be released from this life. I think of death as a gateway to freedom. I have kids, so I must live for and through them. I tell you though, when it is my time, I will thank God for it. He will truly be smiling on me. Sometimes when I get mad I start spouting off yelling at myself, "shouldn't of kicked Gods dog. Now you've done it. Now he's gonna make you live for many more years." Suicidal Tendencies is my favorite band. For those of you who aren't familiar, there lirics are about having a screwed up existence, but using it to make yourself that much stronger. I don't understand the fact, that it is totally against my nature to let someone take my life. You'd think it would be the other way around. I believe in denstiny, it is meant for me to be here. I have to set a good example for my kids, so I will never let them read this. And as far as death goes, someday I WILL be so lucky. Uh oh, got to go, the white coats are coming.

I agree with chrismann. None better than sparring. Although, I need to start playing Hacky Sack more. It don't teach you tell tale signs, but it does work on your reaction time a lot. The more solid the Hacky Sack is, the more erratic it is. Therefore, the more you have to react.

Thanks

Crush there larynx between your teeth. Tear and rip it out, as much of the esophagus as you can, like a dog. Stand up chewing it, as you give a growle, blood running down your cheeks. After that, I don't think you will have a problem with anyone callin you weak, or vulnerable. You might contract some STDs, but your gonna die from something eventually, anyhow. In this scenario, primal style wins over all. Thank you.

I think it was Bruce lee that said, you are a prisoner of your discipline. In boxing there are many rules that make you a prisoner. A boxer trains for high and mid strikes, not low. I am not saying throw continuous low strikes. I am saying throw low, high, and mid shots. You take them out of there game, and put them in a world they are not familiar with. They can adapt farely easy to continuous low strikes. But can be put into a kind of "culture shock" (if you will), by mixing it up. Once you end your combination, back away.

Like Rich_2K3, I like the Jumping front kick, as well. The way I try to use it, is just like I use my jab. When I throw a jab, I try to keep it the exact way that I hold it in my guard. If done right, your opponent doesn't know it's coming until it's too late. My instructor taught me to lift the rear leg as though you are trying to touch the back of your lead legs knee. With your lead leg, you want to "roll" your foot, from your heel to off of your toes. Use this momentum to Jump forward (not too high). You want to make it appear as though you are just standing there still (as much as possible at least). If done right, they won't have enough time to react. I love to see the surprise in my sparring partners eyes, just before I kick'em. You got to have some fun. I haven't perfected it enough for use in competition yet. I use simple moves, until the end of the third.

I think that is only in professional fights. It is a good rule. One kick to me, is as tiring as throwing 5 punches. I have seen some fighters throw only one kick in three rounds.

You can duck straight down, or side to side. When going side to side, you want to move in a U shape. Most of your weight on your front foot. Like Amosite said, you barely want to slip the strike. That way you wont be off balance. It will leave you with your footing to keep defending, or go offensive. It also leaves you in a perfect position for a counter, before they recover. Oh, and I almost forgot. Be aware of your center. Your center is located just below your belly button. Ideally it should remain strait up and down, like a pole. You should not bend at your center, at all. This is a technique, that I have to keep reminding myself of. Being aware of your center makes you use your legs, not over extend, not sticking your head out past your toes, helping you get the most power in your strikes, and much more. I could not figure out what I was doing wrong, after getting my front teeth loosened, and my nose fractured from my instructor's knees (I took two of them, one right after another. That was a bad night of sparring for me). I knew that when you bob and weave correctly, you should be well guarded. The answer was all in my center. By bending my center I was opening my elbows, thus allowing all kinds of bad things to accur.

Sorry about that, I didn't see you were from England. It also has a set of kickboxing rules on San Shou.