Thai_Kick

In my Muay Thai class we only have a few females, about 4 training. The reason for lack of females in Muay Thai is they shy away from the full contact and aggressive style that is taught. Yet the females that do train are tough and have great potential of fighting in the ring. Sure the training is hard on the body BUT it prepares you to be EFFECTIVE in a fight or self-defense situation. So don't worry, believe in yourself even if you are the only female in class, I'm sure you'll teach a few guys a good lesson and don't forget HAVE FUN! http://www.womenkickboxing.com/images/nakazawa_yoshida_931115_%20copy%202.jpg

It's obvious by your statement about low kicks that you have NEVER fought a Muay Thai fighter! I've been training in Muay Thai for 5 years and after every sparring session or fight, myself and my partner(s) all have problems walking after, due to massive welts on our inner and outer thighs due to cut kicks (low roundhouse kicks). When sparring or fighting if you get nailed with a cut kick you feel it and it takes you off your game, by having to place that leg back and not kicking or blocking with it and sometimes if a person has a strong cut kick to will cause you to drop or fall. Sorry Martial_Artist cut kicks are NOT "easily noticeable" cause if they were then EVERY SINGLE Muay Thai fighter needs a lesson from you to learn how to avoid them ! Of course you are watching his top! When a cut kick is preformed by X then Y will attempt to counter with a cross or hook to the head. That's why you should ALWAYS have your hands up and eyes on your opponent, and not on his body part!

"They" came to this conclusion by watching Pride, UFC, Vale Tudo fights in the early days of the sport when it was being introduced to North America, many of the competitors trained in grappling arts (Sambo, BJJ...) and won the majority of the fights. The main problem with using NHB as a resource to prove grappling is the "best" in these "early day" tournaments the grapplers were some of the best in the world (Ken Shamrock, Royce Graice, Oleg Taktarov...) and the strikers were unknowns with VERY POOR skills and sad representatives of stand up arts (Muay Thai, Kickboxing, Karate...) This is how it was at the beginning (1992) of UFC, the best grapplers vs. poor strikers, so for MANY years this is how it was, and viewers/martial artists judged stand up strikers for their lack of ability in a fight and came to the conclusion that grappling is the best. Then, in the late 90's everything started to change. Powerful, skillful strikers were competing in the sport (Vanderlei Silva, Mirko "Cro-Cop" Filipvic, Chuck Liddell, Bas Rutten...) and now it all new sport, "stand up" fighters were blowing away top grapplers, with kicks, knees, punches and grapplers were falling behind quickly, until they (grapplers) began cross-training in Muay Thai, Kickboxing, Karate... to learn how to EFFECTIVLY strike. They were now prepared for the powerful strikes, at the same time strikers began to cross-train in grappling to have greater knowledge of how to stop a "shoot" or a powerful clinch and learn submission and they were prepared for grapplers. Now in these tournaments you don't have just grapplers or just strikers you have fighters who are trained in both, many have learned that no art is "best" it's all up to the fighter to prove himself and not the art. NHB has changed since the early days, grapplers had their chance on top, strikers had their chance on top but now MMA's are on top and IMO will be for now on. In conclusion the sport (NHB) has evolved SO MUCH that neither grappler or striker is the best you NEED a mixture in both to be successful in a fight or a self-defense situation.

IMO, the most effecive kick is a "cut kick" to the inner or outer thigh. http://users.breathemail.net/roly.baldwin/scorpions/assets/images/Tech01b.jpg