Thread: How old were you ?

I was actually 4 when I started.

And Master Toddy who is a well known Muay Thai instructor in england requires his fighters to take several years of TKD before they fight in the ring with Muay Thai.

I also learned most of the thai kicks while training TKD and I know what the different kicks are for.

Thai kicks are powerful. But I have seen just as many broken arms, broken ribs, and knockouts with TKD kicks as with Thai kicks.


Hell I've launch students 10 to 15 feet backwards and knocked the off their feet.

I'd tell you some training is better than no training. It is not hard for me to modify techniques but i've been doing martial arts for 20 years.

The trick is forgetting what you know so that you can stay open minded about new techniques. I have trained with people who did different systems and I would seen the weaknesses of what they did, but I had to forget about that so that I could find the strengths.


From what you've posted I think you worry to much about styles instead of finding things that might work for you.

my instructor (retired british champion) also trained with master Toddy & master Sken and spent a lot of time in thailand with them & the reason master Toddy wanted you to train in TKD is (which you obviously know but maybe others don't) is because he and master sken had a large backround in TKD & thought this was a good place to start with the well respected kicking & stretching skills of TKD.
I saw master Sken do a demonstation at the Birmingham NEC in 1995 where he had 2 of his students, one sat on the shoulders of the other holding out a very sharp sword with an apple stuck on the end, he then jumped up and done a jumping spinning hook kick & knocked off the apple into the crowd (might not sound impressive until you have stood next to Master Sken and realise just how short he is).
I might just put some Master Sken demonstrations onto mpg just to show people how impressive he is!!!!
fthaimike@hotmail.com

Well it is a small world.

I read an article about master toddy in a MA mag about 6 to to years ago. Time flies when you are getting your brains beat on several times a week

The system of TKD that I have done most of my life uses "Thai kicks" But we never refered to them as thai kicks. We refered to them as Fluid Shockwave kicks. Most of the time you didn't learn them until about halfway through the color belt ranks.

It's amazing to me that people often will try to say one type of kicking is harder than another. The power is dependent on Speed, Mass, and target.

Fluid Kicks on bony surfaces get you hurt. because the weakest thing will give. Like your leg Retired.

Snap kicks use impulse shock. Which deliver the energy and pull out. This does damage to the target without the recoil going into the body.


Fluid is for muscle and squishy spots. Impulse is for bony surfaces or to damage organs under muscle.



Physics determines the force of kicks not country of origin. Training and conditioning will determine force of a kick.

knowing how and when to throw the different types of kicks is the key.

i was 16 ... now i'm 26....

I was seventeen almost 18. I did it for three years then on and off for a couple more years,cuz' i went into the sevice. I'm 37 now although I have taken karate many more years I still practice my muay thai on my own 3-4 days a week (mostly shadow boxing and heavy bag). I also attend seminars every now and then. I've even gone to a couple master toddy's, and fairtex. I get my ass kicked in sparrring alot at these camps, I don't get to sparr at home to much. I tried tkd but quikly found it was'nt for me about 6mo. not enough time to change the way I do things. Even in karate i still use alot thai while sparring. It's real effective against these guys, and it makes me feel good to win. Alot of the guys tell me after that their legs are really hurting. I spared a tkd black belt not to long ago he told me about two weeks later he had trouble walking for about a week.

i started muay thai somtime in august last year... 19. now i am 20. The last traning was Thursday night, it hurted so bad when i tried a spin kick during sparring, but my sparring partner exchanged a front kick right here, behind me... the strike connected to the groin area..... bloody painful... i hope it wont have to happen again..

I was 22. I had originally begun training in Tang Soo Do, and then moved on to Ninjitsu. I had heard about Muay Thai, and my training partners and I would read up on any Muay Thai info we could find and attempt to imitate the techniques.

Then, one of my friends went to a Master Chai seminar. When he came back he had SO MUCH info to share with us. It was incredible! But it was almost another year before I got my first real taste.

I had gone to a Karate Tournament that summer, and while there I noticed a booth that was selling Karate equipment AND advertising Muay Thai. I got their information and contacted them during the week.

I admittedly did not expect much. I had already experienced people who 'claimed' to know Muay Thai, but turned out to have no more knowledge about the art than I did. When I called the school, they explained that their instructor was Master K, and that he was in Thailand. He was supposed to be returning in another week. I formed a mental image of some ex-military guy who had trained in a little Muay Thai while stationed in Asia. Like I said, I wasn't really expecting much.

The day came where I showed up for my first trial lesson. My friend and I arrived early and were warming up when this little Thai man walks in and is introduced as Master K. He proceeded to get warmed up, and while we watched him shadowbox, my friend and I realized that we had found the genuine article!

As soon our first trial class was over, my friend and I couldn't sign up and pay for our first month fast enough!

The rest, as they say, is history. I have been training, fighting, and teaching for Master K since that day. Its going on 12 years now...

Khun Kao