How a World Champion Kickboxer Completely Shut Me Down

[@GabrielVargaOfficial]

Always love filming with Icy Mike ❤ Although I did miss Seth, Shane and the rest of the crew. I'm looking forward to our next group collab.

[@ClantonCombatives]

I’m loving it!

[@emissaryofelohim1431]

You always season the melting pot that is Mike and the crew!

[@emissaryofelohim1431]

At 7:00 you can also rechamber off of that contact point (especially if stuffed), to then go high, slipping slightly back, for kind of a slappy almost downward landing roundhouse.

[@adrian126]

Great video! Gabriel, aside from being a great fighter, you are a great teacher. That’s a rare combination.

[@w8ngr]

Is this framing but basically with the legs?

[@SenseiSeth]

First time I’ve ever heard somebody mention this, definitely gonna start using it!!

[@MrKeepnit100]

And look no pendulum step!

[@hard2hurt]

You don't have to... you know.

[@jacobhochstetler825]

New for me too! I will have to try it out with my sparring buddy tomorrow.

[@shinomori69]

But will it work against a kangaroo?

[@Leadfoot_P71]

@@shinomori69 The advice is to avoid kicking contests with kangaroos

[@tomnaughadie]

"I can't let you get close." - Chaebriel Sonnga

[@Adilf_Hutler]

Lol

[@UnexpectedWonder]

Lol. 😂😂

[@stevenshar1233]

Great content Mike. The most informative section of the video was when you asked how do I practice to get better at it.

[@hard2hurt]

Bingo

[@MR-nl8xr]

yea.

[@computerlogicelectronics2158]

Wow. My muay thai coach taught me this exact technique years ago. Flashback.

[@rydiggitydog]

I was gonna say it looks like a Thai leg check

[@moodfm5673]

@@rydiggitydog it is

[@MR-nl8xr]

Hey man, your channel is empty. What gives?

[@computerlogicelectronics2158]

@@MR-nl8xr Won’t be for much longer ;) Just getting the content ready.

[@pandaBoxz]

@@computerlogicelectronics2158lies

[@thomasirwin4099]

Wow, guys- this was an AMAZING technique to mess with. Definitely bringing it to sparring, and the other thing is- y'all just make me smile, period. Two of my favorite people in combat sports on KZbin, and it's always fun to watch you. Thanks for doing this!

[@jasonfinnerty5711]

Street Beef MCs stand up!

[@brodysievers5163]

H2H: "It's 2023 you don't have to be so straight all the time" GV:"play around" H2H: "Play Around!"

[@ynghuch]

Gabe dishing out pure GOLD! It’s these tactics and a good fight IQ that are the difference between amateur and pro.

[@UnexpectedWonder]

Pretty much. 👊👊👌👌

[@richarde1355]

I’ve watched Gabriel Varga on Glory kickboxing many times, watching him win many fights and losing a few that I thought he won. I always appreciated his technical skills, gas tank, and move-forward fighting technique. True warrior. Thanks for sharing!

[@garbour456]

Varga is awesome. Great video!

[@nonsequitor]

Vargas is an incredible fighter...and teacher. Thanks for airing this. Great video.

[@TeedChap]

Awesome. Been on the receiving end of this recently and it's definitely a great way to stop pressure fighters. Didn't really know what was happening when it was happening to me and then I did it by accident myself a couple of times so it's really handy to get this demonstrated. Thanks guys.

[@christopherflynn5478]

“ let your kicks exist on a spectrum” Never expect to laugh yet you always deliver!

[@outmaster2348]

I love that my favorite and so lesser known way of throwing round kicks is getting some light on it thank you

[@Kottenification]

The "Umph ohaaa! Is your shin ok? I don't want to hurt you with my forearm" is priceless! 😀 Thank you Mike and Gabe for yet another educational and very amusing clip.

[@chrismiksworld]

Mike throwing out some SERIOUS Tid Bits of Knowledge. Thanks, Mike.

[@TheMongolPrime]

This makes me so happy to see! I teach the same thing. "Long kicks" with the lower shin, and "hard kicks" with the upper shin. Love it.

[@ellefsensbarmyarmy8491]

This kick is probably one of the best kept secrets in the fight game. Quite common among thai fighters, but Gabriel is one of the few western fighters that use it. I looks simple, but it actually quite hard. You need good timing, balance and flexibility to pull it off.

[@lady_draguliana784]

Controlling distance and range is one of the Keys to Victory.

[@chrissothegr8930]

One of my bucket lists is to train with Icy Mike, love this man!

[@jaywilliams6250]

I kind of discovered this by accident when taller guys would try and step in so they can box, I would use it to push them back and also land a shot while they are punching and exposed but I never really thought much about it until now haha. Great video as usual Mike

[@mutant0177]

Best video I saw in a long time. thx

[@pingislife2653]

Details like this is what separates S from A tier. Thanks for the tip!

[@HeavyHardDrive]

You know that light bulb moment when a student finally gets it, and it just clicks. Mike had that moment. Instead of saying 'ooohh', It was more like in your mind you went "SOB that's awesome".

[@RedSplinter36]

Love love love this! My two favorite KZbin game changers!!! Gabriel and IcyMike!!! Brilliant collaboration and awesome technical explanations! ❤

[@charlesdourado8292]

Never heard anyone talking about this, there are levels to this game

[@jimlewis4853]

Excellent stuff, guys! ☺❤

[@prvtthd401]

It is like a side teep/kick but with the knee. A... *side kneep*

[@mistral-unizion-music]

Nice to see you both in the same video, I love both of your channels. Gabriel knows some very cool tricks! I am gonna keep this one in mind and will try it for sure.

[@paulorawdogcosta3630]

Mike, thank you SO MUCH for making these videos. I sparred with many Thais and never understood the concept. Obviously thanks to Gabriel too as I follow his channel as well. Please keep up the good work

[@THEANPHROPY]

A brilliant principle we use in gong fu sandai & Mauy Thai!

[@brittnivaughn3218]

This will come in handy for my kickboxing fight this Saturday

[@andrewleiva2029]

Goodluck!

[@nwbdirge1198]

You got this g

[@Sulamanjansulttaani]

How did it go and hows training a year later?

[@billpence5444]

Ty for sharing! Made me smile! Hope you guys have a great day:)

[@rudro5784]

I learned it from shane from fight tips,he always said to have a slight bend in knees and extend it after the knee has gone past the target....i didnt know the reason,now i know

[@thecommonnovelist4181]

Excellent closing line.

[@marouaneidmansour8276]

Amazingly smart. Such a generous Champion, Gabriel, a real true martial artist in all aspects. And a curious inquisitive Mike. What a pair !!! Got my daily dose of niceness .... Osu !

[@ShovelChef]

This is absolutely the first time I've ever heard a fighting coach describe their approach as "encroach like a roach." I love this man. 💪💛👍

[@jcolby298]

Lots of great tips to try in the next sparring sessions. Thanks

[@stevoz748]

youve said plenty of controversial stuff on your channel but the reason why i stay subscribed is because youre not afraid to admit to learning. Which sounds odd but many martial artists on youtube arnt willing to admit to that. I like that you bring in people from different walks of life and styles in order to grow and improve! keep it up! this was a fantastic technique explained that ive never really seen before in years of practicing martial arts. I would love to see someone really trying to catch it and ways to get out of it or use it to the kickers advantage.

[@pranakhan]

Nice job, you add a great sense of humerus to the training

[@95DOIDO]

this is awesome, such a little detail can change completely the usage of a technique, and about that left kick while the opponent is throwing a cross, I remember cliff does this shit too, but sliding, it's a beautiful move, but so hard, I never forgot that video.

[@gw1357]

Its sort of like a linear question mark kick in concept. You're hiding a push kick inside a round kick motion, the same way a question mark hides a hook kick inside a front kick motion. Thats nifty.

[@oduneyeman]

Great video

[@toddlewandowski7366]

My coaches taught us from the beginning to throw our round kicks with that angle but the reasoning they had was if someone were to circle around you could keep transferring the power as opposed to the kick extending fully and finishing too early. This was cool to see definitely gonna try it out

[@ItsMeBatmanlol]

I love it! Mark the front foot when switch kicking back not the back foot though

[@Crunchy166]

I discovered this style of kicks on my own about a year ago but I never thought to use it defensively from my front leg before. Definitely gonna try this!

[@cHK91129]

Search for "Buakaw Analysis: Shutting Down "Iron Mike" Zambidis, old stuff

[@c.t.2573]

Good stuff! Alot of people don't throw their roundhouse kicks straight enough so that's why it's easy to deflect and counter. Looks like its a roundhouse mixed with a knee shield just without the clinch.

[@kmtbritton]

this is great. i train in japan and my coach did a class on this 2 weeks ago, in japanese, and i couldnt really understand the point of it at the time. great to have it in english

[@ClantonCombatives]

I love these collabs between your two channels. Looking forward to meeting you both in person sometime.

[@mediapcaccount1154]

taking a break from talking about LEG MOSCLES to talk about some leg bones... icy mike the renaissance man....

[@willowelizabethryder4141]

Definitely giving this a shot next class! Gotta see how well it works for us filthy southpaws :)

[@bladecommando]

This was super informative, thank you both for sharing!

[@rjdman5588]

I love finding new small ways to level up, especially things most people dont do. thanks for the lesson :)

[@adim00lah]

Awesome intercepting technique! Gonna have to try this one out.

[@alastair4839]

I just started back at kickboxing from straight up boxing.... and I had just planned to start countering exactly how Mike was originally... which I think would work at my club. I had no plans to actually use the kick myself. but now - this looks like a great counter! - I love simple, because simple can be used effectively :)

[@vantagepoint3563]

Gabriel wasn’t ready for that last comment 😂

[@rw8147]

Two things I love about this video: 1) How brilliant that kick is 2) How hungry Icy Mike is to learn it

[@twinklingjoiner]

"It's 2023 let your kicks play around."

[@amartyapandit]

I am fascinated by K-1 Kickboxing a lot would love to train it as my main style something so intriguing about it that makes it unique to MT, MMA, and TKD

[@user-bl5cg1jk1u]

this is super beneficial i love you guys for this video

[@christophmeier3185]

Excellent! Thanks for sharing this!

[@davidalbus8089]

I'm hoping to see a video on pocket sand for self defense in reference to Shadiversity's video on the subject.

[@dacedebeer2697]

I think the main downside of this is the walking around with sand in your pocket.

[@davidalbus8089]

@@dacedebeer2697 that's why you use a pocket sand pocket liner. Duh... 😜🤪

[@Christopher_Boyd]

Great video. Thanks for uploading.

[@billyg.personaltraining]

I'm excited for the Dewey collab!

[@musickalxf]

A lot to learn from this video. Thanks and much appreciated.

[@myname-mz3lo]

varga is the best teacher out there. he talks about things that even pro coaches dont know . he wasnt champ so many times for nothing

[@kez_the_reaper2657]

Oh I like that even just the footwork on the switch kick going backwards, gonna have to try this out

[@aryanslop88]

really good video, the end was hilarious

[@LeonardoRamos01]

Gabriel is pure gold.

[@ClantonCombatives]

Man. You lucked OUT snagging him up got a video with all his knowledge!

[@DuncanTheHighlander]

I already knew this! Makes me feel good I've been doing this for years! It's common in TKD

[@interventor3507]

Hahaaa, Icy Mike KZbin Boxer, theory fighter. Always a pleasure to hear hes gettin lit up

[@christopherwinrow3878]

Brilliant video mate respect YNWA brother

[@ACarpenter89]

Can someone edit Gabriel Varga switching his feet with some Irish dance music for St Patrick's Day?

[@Cysubtor_8vb]

Interesting. Being tall, I don't incorporate many round kicks myself partly from feeling like I can control spacing better with front kicks and, fittingly enough, knees. Would have to try it out myself, but this technique looks like something that would benefit my height and open up my kicking game more.

[@curryman3628]

Always was taught that the switch kick was a counter for aggressive opponents, not something to pursue an opponent with

[@gentlemandemon]

I want to play with this. I usually take an off-center step to make my shin land square, but this seems faster and more direct

[@luisdawnfinder3188]

Thank you for this video. As a rangier fighter for my weightclass I'm gonna be abusing the hell out of this

[@MrKeepnit100]

There's just levels to this game man.....

[@TheSonnyGo]

I remember being told sternly by my instructor 15 years ago that such a roundhouse kick was wrong and that I shouldn't do it because it sacrificed range and there were better and more direct answers to the situations shown in this video. Maybe I could show him this video, but he has since cut ties with me years ago. I still respect him as a teacher, but I don't feel bad about his departure from my life anymore as his inflexibility became more and more obvious over the years, which was especially egregious as a Jeet Kune Do instructor.

[@junichiroyamashita]

Ever thought about analyzing shoulder strikes and body checks? Nobody seems to talk about it,but ramming with the body and other extremities is common in 52 Blocks and Keysi,and Bajiquan and Xing yi liu he quan are basically only that.

[@andybarth5928]

Yeah Footwork is the real secret of every good MA - so oft not seen as important as it is.... and I love the channel of Gabe....

[@pragzter]

I've seen Muay Thai fighters use this one a lot. Is there a name for it? In our gym we just call it a "round kick to the front of the body". Great pointers on the retreating switch kick too!

[@c.t.2573]

It's pretty much using the principle of a knee shield but without clinching into it.

[@pragzter]

@@c.t.2573 that's a great way of describing it

[@hearwho8438]

Closed ranged kick

[@tonydismukes4409]

When I learned it, the description was “half-shin half-knee”.

[@samarvir126]

Collab of the century

[@TC_Hero7]

I use this technique but with a front kick. so i do like a weird push kick to legs especially the inside really throws people's balance and base off opening them up. THIS tutorial was AWESOME thank you for sharing i gotta practice with round house style now. Big fan of lead leg round so a new weapon to use is excellent!

[@justinAclark2075]

Very intriguing title. And it wasn't click baity at all

[@generalgrievous6689]

The round kick tip at the beginning sounds a little like a karate-style kick. When I started Karate I was always taught to extend a little later a flick a bit. I guess now I know why it works well close up!

[@bblvrable]

9:50 - Perfect opportunity for an elbow to the temple if your rules allow it. There's zero chance of blocking it, and because you're in so close it should be pretty easy to land (particularly if the height disparity is a bit less pronounced).

[@legend77ARY]

What Gabriel was saying about how hard it is to tighten on the right side when throwing no matter how conditioned the body may be is exactly what happened to Garcia

[@rylewmma553]

Nice breakdown.

[@spaljenibackup9339]

great collab

[@ivanrpribeiro5725]

This way of throwing the kick is also a good way to practice turning the hips (instead of kicking just with the legs)

[@rosemarietolentino3218]

Gabriel Varga’s fight IQ is off the hook.

[@HarleyAssi]

"Its 2023, you don't have to be so straight all the time!" LIterally broke me. I almost pee myself a little, didn't see that comming from Icy Mike xD

[@konpoy]

in order to properly execute that upper shin kick i believe the pivot of the standing foot gotta be more what Icy Mike attempts.

[@Loyal2law]

Ironically enough, this is the type of roundhouse that majority of instructors "correct," because it's not a "proper" roundhouse, regardless of style.

[@nacktheslayer9882]

that back up switch roundhouse is kinda like what we call a pada chagi in taekwondo

[@Lmn-b4o]

3:43 Gabriel varga switch kick

[@tomnaughadie]

This is great content. I love it.

[@drumpriest]

I'm pretty surprised here, this is how I've been taught to kick for 30 years (Muay Thai, WTBA trained, Thailand Sangtiennoi and Sasiprapa). Straightening the leg when you hit steals momentum and takes power from the kick. I don't want to kick at your arm/side, but through it. Good stuff. The addition of pushing forward works super well when you are a bit taller than your opponent. My first training partner would do this to me constantly, super annoying. :)

[@xLiveFreeDieFreex]

"It's 202, you don't have to be straight all the time." Waaaaay ahead of you Mike hahahah