Switch kick tips straight from Thailand

[Willdawg16]

Sharing a little bit of what I learned over at ChokChai Muay Thai in Phuket Thailand before we left. Short sweet video with a few tips to improve your switch kick.

Shout out to Scott holding the pads who won his fight tonight at Bangla boxing stadium. Good stuff Scott!

Enjoy guys!

 

[PivotPunch]

Do you switch by jumping or by stepping? Here this guy jumps but I remember there's a video of Fedor and he tells you not to jump but to take a step back with the lead leg and do a small step forward with the other/new lead leg.
I assume the advantage of jumping is that it's quicker but at least when i do it then it doesn't laod the hips the same as stepping into the switch kick but maybe that's just my lack of technique

 

[Snubnoze707]

Do you switch by jumping or by stepping? Here this guy jumps but I remember there's a video of Fedor and he tells you not to jump but to take a step back with the lead leg and do a small step forward with the other/new lead leg.
I assume the advantage of jumping is that it's quicker but at least when i do it then it doesn't laod the hips the same as stepping into the switch kick but maybe that's just my lack of technique

He's not really jumping, it's more of a shuffle. Bring the lead back then step out and fire all in one fluid motion. You have to shift your hips in order to generate power.

 

[PivotPunch]

He's not really jumping, it's more of a shuffle. Bring the lead back then step out and fire all in one fluid motion. You have to shift your hips in order to generate power.

But it's with both feet in the air at the same time isnt it?

But here with Fedor the lead leg going back and the standing leg going forward are 2 different motions they flow into each other and are fast and smooth but it isn't a 1 motion suffle but 2 steps going into each other. And at least to me there's a difference in pwoer as fedor's version feels more like a real stance switch making the lead legf the power leg while the above version is only a quick shuffle but there isn#t enough time to transfer 100% of the weight into the kick. it is faster and only one motion so ahrder to see coming though.

Or am I just seeing it wrong?



@ about 2 minutes

 

[Julius_Caesar]

Good tips! I dont do switch kicks anymore after switching to southpaw unless I'm doing padwork and my trainer forces me to but I rarely do it in a fight. I feel that simplicity is key and I only use my back leg for the round house kick and use my front leg to control distance teeping to the body and legs. They teach the same in many gyms in Issan. A lot of people say its just a southpaw thing but even if your orthodox you can do the same like Singdam and Superlek.

Sometimes the more complicated you make things the more likely you are to make mistakes and a switch kick can be telegraphed like in the Superbon/Sittichai fight which got Superbon knocked out.

I like to keep things simple. Its kinda like the quote bruce lee used "I fear not the man who has practiced 10,000 kicks, but I fear the man who has practiced one kick 10,000 times"

Not saying switch kicks are bad by the way. Switch kicks can be extremely effective especially if your a southpaw going up against another southpaw or orthodox going up against an orthodox fighter but I think it comes down to what you feel comfortable with. Buakaws switch kicks back in his K1 days were beautiful and explosive!

 

[Snubnoze707]

But it's with both feet in the air at the same time isnt it?

But here with Fedor the lead leg going back and the standing leg going forward are 2 different motions they flow into each other and are fast and smooth but it isn't a 1 motion suffle but 2 steps going into each other. And at least to me there's a difference in pwoer as fedor's version feels more like a real stance switch making the lead legf the power leg while the above version is only a quick shuffle but there isn#t enough time to transfer 100% of the weight into the kick. it is faster and only one motion so ahrder to see coming though.

Or am I just seeing it wrong?



@ about 2 minutes

Fedors way is slower and a bit more telegraphed but can have a bit more power. The same motions he's showing but fast with a moment of having both feet slightly off the ground is faster and less telegraphed. See Buakaw.

 

[Willdawg16]

The idea behind switch kicks is speed. you can do them moving forward and back, speed landed is much more effective then power blocked, thats why i don't like the fedor version, too slow and easily readable/detectable. Speed and disguising it is the best way to make it land, and land effectively.

On a side note, my guy Rodney wins his first match in a 16 man tournament in Bangkok!!!!! I'm stoked!!!!!!

 

[FokaiMuayThai]

Have you done Karate before? Your kick looks like you're trying to control the movement too much with your hips and snapping at the knee instead of just letting your leg swing.

Good explanation on the switch/shuffle itself, though.

 

[FokaiMuayThai]

Good tips! I dont do switch kicks anymore after switching to southpaw unless I'm doing padwork and my trainer forces me to but I rarely do it in a fight. I feel that simplicity is key and I only use my back leg for the round house kick and use my front leg to control distance teeping to the body and legs. They teach the same in many gyms in Issan. A lot of people say its just a southpaw thing but even if your orthodox you can do the same like Singdam and Superlek.

Sometimes the more complicated you make things the more likely you are to make mistakes and a switch kick can be telegraphed like in the Superbon/Sittichai fight which got Superbon knocked out.

I like to keep things simple. Its kinda like the quote bruce lee used "I fear not the man who has practiced 10,000 kicks, but I fear the man who has practiced one kick 10,000 times"

Not saying switch kicks are bad by the way. Switch kicks can be extremely effective especially if your a southpaw going up against another southpaw or orthodox going up against an orthodox fighter but I think it comes down to what you feel comfortable with. Buakaws switch kicks back in his K1 days were beautiful and explosive!

Southpaws naturally don't do many switch kicks because chances are they are fighting orthodox guys so that makes the rear kick the main weapon e.x. Yodsaenklai, Samkor, Sittichai etc.

I envy southpaws and will use it from time to time, but switching completely would almost be like starting over for me lol.

Pakorn is another example of an orthodox guy that has a nasty rear leg.

 

[Willdawg16]

Have you done Karate before? Your kick looks like you're trying to control the movement too much with your hips and snapping at the knee instead of just letting your leg swing.

Good explanation on the switch/shuffle itself, though.

I have done a little bit of karate, I'm not a fan of the rigid locked leg style kick. The speed, accuracy and whip is what's important (IMO) and the guide from the knee and snap is my own style mix between thai and kyokyushen karate style lead kick. My fav and the way i teach it to my guys. I can usually land a head kick or body kick off it whenever i want because of the speed and looseness, it's so hard to detect where its going and when its coming.