That being said, we were recently discussing the match between Yodsanklai Fairtex vs. Cosmo Alexandre at this years Kings Cup Tournament in Thailand. The conversation was in regards to proper MuayThai scoring. Many who have seen this fight were shocked when Yodsanklai was declared the winner. They cried "Foul!" and accused the judges of being biased towards the fighters from Thailand. While I cannot claim to be an expert on Thai officiating, I have spent the last 4 years studying their scoring system. When I first watched the fight, I came to the same conclusion as the judges. Yodsankali won the match, fair and square. There was no "hometown bias"... it was MuayThai officiating at its finest! But I digress....
The conversation prompted me to recommend that my students/fighters to look up the fight on YouTube and watch it. Unfortunately, the link I had provided was removed, which led to my student looking up other Yodsanklai video clips. After watching a number of clips, he contacted me with some questions....
MY STUDENTS EMAIL:
I went looking for that fight video you mentioned (since the one you posted to the group got pulled), and I found a couple clips of Yodsanklai Fairtex doing some pad drills. I noticed some interesting things about his technique that I wanted to ask you about. These clips are good because they do a slow-mo section where you can really see what he's doing.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L1Gpi7G6jQE&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YgpgWWzeER4&feature=related
1) Towards the end of the first clip, he demonstrates a rear leg round kick. I noticed that he doesn't really step to the outside with his lead foot (more like he takes a step forward), and also his lead/support foot seems to leave the ground for a bit.
2) In the second clip, he does a hook/cross combo. His right hand seems to drop A LOT (almost to his waist) when he throws the cross.
3) In that same combo, he finishes with a rear leg round kick. He doesn't seem to step with his lead foot at all, and simply throws his kick from the position he's in.
4) His round kicks seem like they're traveling upwards at a 45 degree angle rather than across.
So I'm wondering -- is this an example that even pros have their bad habits? Or is it just his own personal style that works for him -- he's so good, he can do whatever he wants?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L1Gpi7G6jQE&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YgpgWWzeER4&feature=related
1) Towards the end of the first clip, he demonstrates a rear leg round kick. I noticed that he doesn't really step to the outside with his lead foot (more like he takes a step forward), and also his lead/support foot seems to leave the ground for a bit.
2) In the second clip, he does a hook/cross combo. His right hand seems to drop A LOT (almost to his waist) when he throws the cross.
3) In that same combo, he finishes with a rear leg round kick. He doesn't seem to step with his lead foot at all, and simply throws his kick from the position he's in.
4) His round kicks seem like they're traveling upwards at a 45 degree angle rather than across.
So I'm wondering -- is this an example that even pros have their bad habits? Or is it just his own personal style that works for him -- he's so good, he can do whatever he wants?
MY RESPONSE:
Good Questions!
I can answer without even looking at the videos. It was your final question that pretty much hit the nail on the head... It's a combination of the fact that even top-level pros have developed bad habits and that he's developed his own personal style of what works for him.... and what he's able to get away with in the ring.
Here's the thing... as we start training, we learn the strict fundamental techniques. We learn to do everything with our guard up, with the proper footwork, etc. But Yodsanklai Fairtex has been at this his whole life. He's already mastered all the fundamentals the way they're properly taught and has now ventured into the realm of developing his own style.
One of the reasons Yodsanklai is a top-level pro is because he is not just because he's been at this for so long, but he has the physical gifts that all top-level professional athletes (regardless of sport) possess. These physical attributes actually make it so that he doesn't NEED to follow "the rules". One of Yod's skillsets is his very precise head motion. He is able to stand toe-to-toe with someone trying to outbox him, and move his head just enough that the guy always misses, while Yod counters back with successful strikes. They call him "The Computer Wizard" due to this speed and precision.
Now, in regards to question #4, there are multiple angles for the round kick. I prefer teaching beginners how to kick through the target on a horizontal plane. However, as your training progresses I will introduce new kicking angles and discuss the possible scenarios for each kicking angle.
I can answer without even looking at the videos. It was your final question that pretty much hit the nail on the head... It's a combination of the fact that even top-level pros have developed bad habits and that he's developed his own personal style of what works for him.... and what he's able to get away with in the ring.
Here's the thing... as we start training, we learn the strict fundamental techniques. We learn to do everything with our guard up, with the proper footwork, etc. But Yodsanklai Fairtex has been at this his whole life. He's already mastered all the fundamentals the way they're properly taught and has now ventured into the realm of developing his own style.
One of the reasons Yodsanklai is a top-level pro is because he is not just because he's been at this for so long, but he has the physical gifts that all top-level professional athletes (regardless of sport) possess. These physical attributes actually make it so that he doesn't NEED to follow "the rules". One of Yod's skillsets is his very precise head motion. He is able to stand toe-to-toe with someone trying to outbox him, and move his head just enough that the guy always misses, while Yod counters back with successful strikes. They call him "The Computer Wizard" due to this speed and precision.
Now, in regards to question #4, there are multiple angles for the round kick. I prefer teaching beginners how to kick through the target on a horizontal plane. However, as your training progresses I will introduce new kicking angles and discuss the possible scenarios for each kicking angle.
You will also see especially in pro Muay Thai fights that the concept of "who gets the last hit often applies" Many times a fighter who initiates all the time still ends up losing because his opponent is more adept at landing a final telling blow in the exchange.
ReplyDeleteThe 45 degree kick is Dtae chieng, while not as powerful as Dtae dtadt (the Horizontal kick) it has other benefits in terms of speed and follow up technique either in way of defense or offense.
People don't realize how many variations of "the Thai Roundhouse" there are (NB I HATE when it's referred to as "the Thai Roundhouse")
Nice post KK, keep em coming