Knee Composition-Thrusting Knees

[Hardball]

Do you believe that one's knees need to be built a certain way in order to be successful with knee strikes to hard targets like the head and face? I've seen some bony guys with odd shaped knees and I don't think it's a good idea for this type of knee to strike a hard surface. Better to stick with soft targets like the groin or stomach. For example, Ken Shamrocks' KO of Kimo with a Knee strike was awesome but If some guys tried that they would never walk again due to the trauma to the knee.

Do you agree or do you thinks it's all in the knee strike technique? Is there a such thing as a conditioned knee? How do you condition your knees without doing harm to things like your roundhouse kick?

[Tom Yum]

Do you believe that one's knees need to be built a certain way in order to be successful with knee strikes to hard targets like the head and face? I've seen some bony guys with odd shaped knees and I don't think it's a good idea for this type of knee to strike a hard surface. Better to stick with soft targets like the groin or stomach. For example, Ken Shamrocks' KO of Kimo with a Knee strike was awesome but If some guys tried that they would never walk again due to the trauma to the knee.

Do you agree or do you thinks it's all in the knee strike technique? Is there a such thing as a conditioned knee? How do you condition your knees without doing harm to things like your roundhouse kick?

Knee the thai pads, again and again.

[William]

Knee the thai pads, again and again.

Ditto.

Do you believe that one's knees need to be built a certain way in order to be successful with knee strikes to hard targets like the head and face? I've seen some bony guys with odd shaped knees and I don't think it's a good idea for this type of knee to strike a hard surface. Better to stick with soft targets like the groin or stomach. For example, Ken Shamrocks' KO of Kimo with a Knee strike was awesome but If some guys tried that they would never walk again due to the trauma to the knee.

Do you agree or do you thinks it's all in the knee strike technique? Is there a such thing as a conditioned knee? How do you condition your knees without doing harm to things like your roundhouse kick?

Not really. When you bend the knee as in a straight knee etc..., it pulls all the tendons, knee cap, and ligaments tight which creates a very hard surface that's well protected. That's why you don't see a whole lot of injuries from striking with the knee. I'm not saying you can't get hurt, just that it's a lower probability compared to the other weapons that you throw. The actual shape of the knee hasn't played a role as far as I have seen. It has had more to do with previous injuries before they started training MT.

As far as needing conditioning, most of what I see is just people needing to condition the skin (get tough) around the striking area of the knee and elbow, not the bones themselves. When one of my fighters started training a couple of years ago he could elbow and knee like crazy, the only problem was his skin kept opening up because it was so thin in those areas. After a while it toughened up and no more problems. If you're a normal, healthy human being, you've already got pretty tough elbows and knees.

Just keep kneeing and kicking the thai pads and heavy bags.



William

[Wolverine]

My trainer lost his knee cap in a motorcycle accident, and still has wicked knee strikes. So, I guess if your knee is conditioned to strike it doesn't really matter the structure of it. I've never taken a knee from him when he had the knee cap, but the ones I have taken (without cap) are brutal

[thai_me]

I would watch your oponents elbows here. I always go out and then drive my knees back in, almost like a slap, but at the last minute, pull them in and drive the knee up...thats for body shots anyway. For head shots, its just a matter of striking when your opponent's head is clear of his guard - or his elbows.

[shark]

Dont worry buddy knee vs head, head will come off second best. (often cut or KO) You have much more chance to damage yor hand (with all its little bones) when you punch someone.