My instructor back in michigan gave me a pair of thai shorts the very first day that I walked into class. My perception before I started was that I would have to earn them but to him they were just something you wore when you trained muay thai.
As far as unusual kicks like crescent kicks, most schools that teach that are probably muay thai / tkd / whatever schools that teach a watered down combination of several arts. I have seen several instructors from thailand use techniques like the crescent kick, but I guess it's really rare and they are older techniques that are rarely used. |