Many years ago in my youth, I spent several years faithfully training in Muay Thai boxing.  The kicks weren’t pretty too look at but I found out, the first day I held the pads for an experienced Thai boxer, how devastating and powerful the kicks were.

Sure, I was a karate black belt of many years standing but where my kicks were strong and a bit more accurate, the Thai kicks felt like Atom Bombs going off – it literally felt like my teeth were being rattled in their sockets upon impact!  Accuracy be d***ed, I was going to learn how to kick like this.

The hardest part was toughening the shins.  I recall a whole summer of bruises with colors that spanned the rainbow, from my insteps to just below my knees. I went to the Dr. for a job physical and he was aghast as I recall.  I explained what was going on and he just wagged his head.  “I’m not going to get a blood clot or something and keel over, am I Doc,” I asked.  He told me that I wouldn’t but that he couldn’t understand why anyone would do that do themselves.  He wasn’t a fighter I guess?

It didn’t take much longer and the bruises started to leave and within 6 mos or so there were no more bruises, just iron-clad shins. During this time I learned that like most martial arts, the power and delivery of the fearsome “Thai Kick” was simply a matter of proper use of body mechanics.

Of course, I learned the whole system – not the Traditional style with weapons and forms etc. but the kicks, knees, elbows, punches, footwork, defenses and other various nuances of Thai Boxing.

In my later years now, as a grizzled veteran, I no longer throw those big booming shin kicks to the head or even the body for that matter. What I love is the timing and throwing of “cut kicks” from all of their angles and with relative ease. They stop unconditioned or untrained fighters like a slug from a .45acp pistol. Just a little  movement here and a little there, then swing that shin right into the inner thigh “inside cut kick” - the outside works well too but requires just a bit more oomph!

I promise you, who haven’t seen the results of the “cut kick,” that they will stop a fight quickly and with great finality.  Keep on kicking!