Muay Thai Vs Kickboxing: Fights That Changed MMA

[@LawrenceKenshin]

Does it take more talent to low kicks or spin kicks? Learn Free Strategies: www.lawrencekenshin.com

[@joelbelmonte1383]

background music kicks👍

[@rickburnout666]

Low kicks are much easier to do, and you don't use as much energy. Avoiding & withstanding low kicks takes a lot of talent when you're not used to receiving them

[@stonewulf2755]

Saying you made this fight famous on the internet sounds kind of gross. Don't you think the fighters made it famous, both that night and forever?

[@christophermarkee5445]

Will you continue to do why this style dominates series?

[@stevencoardvenice]

​@@stonewulf2755 He did make it famous

[@bodiwire]

If your entire offense is negated by a "low skill" attack, that should should be a clue that you need to re-evaluate the effectiveness of those techniques. This isn't figure skating. It's not about looking good while you demonstrate your skills. It's about utilizing those skills effectively to defeat your opponent.

[@LawrenceKenshin]

Low kicks rock!

[@Wez633]

My low kicks have that snap to it :3.

[@RAPEDBYBLACKS]

Then you should watch the first round of the fight. The Thai dude got dropped.

[@aj2228]

the rules of the fight was that the Thai guy was not allowed to elbow, clinch, or throw. Only punching and kicking was allowed. And the white guy is saying that the kicking was unfair.

[@syncmonism]

It wasn't completely negated, far from it. The American fighter caused HEAVY damage with his hands in the first or second round (can't remember which). He broke the Thai Kickboxer's jaw. It takes some serious mental fortitude to keep fighting after your effing jaw is broken. It definitely wasn't a one sided fight, because the American fighter wasn't far from winning early on.

[@bingsoo9559]

A point I’d like to bring up is Low kicks are EXCELLENT for setting up spinning attacks - whether my deliberately missing or landing them simply as a distraction

[@LawrenceKenshin]

👍🏻👍🏻

[@aj2228]

the rules of the fight was that the Thai guy was not allowed to elbow, clinch, or throw. Only punching and kicking was allowed. And the white guy is saying that the kicking was unfair.

[@ryanrogers8211]

@@aj2228 Yes as an American I'm embarassed by the response he gave but he was only 18 years of age as mentioned.

[@KingCuba]

@@aj2228why are you spamming this comment?

[@cd3121]

@@KingCubacause he has a right to an opinion lol.. why are u here? Lol

[@geodude3966]

Roufus threw the first foul, he kicked at Chang's face when he was down. After that Chang decided "Oh so this is how we're gonna play?" and proceeded to humiliate him. It was obvious from the referee and the commentators that they wanted the Thai to lose.

[@AkuoSubliminals]

Most of the people debating between arts, spend way more time commenting than they do in an actual gym training.

[@yokaipr6627]

Commenting is easier

[@ASMuayThai]

“The rules didn’t allow him to win” (No elbows or knees)

[@HWHY]

27:44 Rick watches his opponent fall, then launches a kick to the face AFTER noting the opponent is down. I wonder how much that kick factored into his opponent's fouls in later rounds.

[@ubcroel4022]

Real, then his brother whines about fouls

[@joeie010]

13:22 this was in the first round and the angle is even better

[@HWHY]

​​​​@@joeie010 The footage from the second angle makes it clear that the kick was a separate decision and action, not part of a combo.

[@joeie010]

@@HWHY either way, roufus did the fouls first

[@JuggoJuggo]

@@HWHY Plenty of time to at least pull back on that kick too, but he swung free. Thai fighters fight clean until you cross them.

[@markjames9252]

In the end it took only one move "Low Kick" to bring down a world class kickboxer.

[@LawrenceKenshin]

Yup

[@buddies8757]

"Its doesn't take to much talent to kick to the legs" Yeah, because the rule take out their albow and knee talent 🤭

[@LawrenceKenshin]

😆

[@TheLargino]

... and grappling.

[@viktoriyaserebryakov2755]

Lol, when you put it that way...

[@DADRB0B55]

How would that benefit the Thai player they are easily the worst grapplers of any martial art besides Taekwondo, Roufus can actually wrestle in a no rules fight Thai players would get suplexed on concrete in front of their families & wouldn’t do anything to stop it

[@viktoriyaserebryakov2755]

@@DADRB0B55 Are you a troll?

[@moustachio334]

I remember reading the history and rules of American kickboxing. The idea behind the rules was to make the fights as flashy as possible to impress the audience.

[@AlexN2022]

you have to impress the audience if you are to sell ads and tickets. If you don't sell you have no money to pay to fighters. Then you don't get great professional fighters, big gyms, etc.

[@blaacksugar7714]

Offense sells tickets. Defense wins matches.

[@nonon0n0o]

Or maybe the rules they made was to avoid the Thai fighters to use elbows or knees like K-1 did to Buakaw.. I wouldn't write that down if I was the one who decided the rules 😂

[@ayske1]

Low kicks are my bread and butter in sparring. I often watch many KZbin clips of people not using them enough! It's the starter and finisher of most of my combos

[@wolfhawk1999]

I'm a Muay Thai ring official. It depends on the organization for the scoring of low kicks. In many organizations, they are just as valid and scored the same as any other strike.

[@kingkrispy5289]

In your opinion, what do the majority of organizations score it in Muay Thai/kick boxing?

[@wolfhawk1999]

@@kingkrispy5289 I honestly couldn't say. I only work for two

[@rohitchaoji]

I always appreciate the attitude of fighters like the Roufus brothers because despite the early saltiness from the loss, they had to acknowledge the power and the effectiveness of muay thai techniques and adopted them for their own style. If you think you're the best, but got beaten by something, you need to adopt that something to reclaim your position. It's something similar to what Bas Rutten did. After losing fights via submission, he upped his ground game so much he never lost a fight after that, even defeating dangerous grapplers like Minoru Suzuki via submission!

[@The_Shining_wizard]

Hate to say it but that was probably a fixed fight. I love Suzuki and Bas Rutten though. Murder Grandpa is a legend in the business.

[@giantm846]

​@@The_Shining_wizardMost likely Bas was not "in" on the fix. But yes, Suzuki most probably lost on purpose.

[@The_Shining_wizard]

@@giantm846 He definitely was lol. Bas worked for NJPW in the early 2000s . Even Don Frye had pro wrestling matches with Kawada and probably more.

[@Slaphappy1975]

I'm familiar with the Changpuek - Rufus fight but had no idea about Sagat v Cunningham. I need to find the full fight, that looked epic af 🔥🔥🔥

[@TonyMontana-lm5gp]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/oXrQYXpjr7V3r9E&pp=ygUTU2FnYXQgdiBDdW5uaW5naGFtIA%3D%3D

[@tsama]

They fought twice and it was dope each time.

[@Kinosis79]

Changpuek is to Muay Thai as Royce Gracie is to BJJ. May not be the best, but he was tough and showed the world his style works.

[@selimhassaine6490]

😂😂😂. Every Thai boxer knows how to use low kicks !! Don’t need to be Changpuek. Royce gracie was defeated and humiliated by Sakuraba and the rest of the gracie brotherhood.

[@unkownboi67is_unavailable62]

​@@selimhassaine6490still showcased BJJ well.

[@dansacco1964]

The best kick is the one that you can land. Something that is often overlooked from the outside is how much damage a low kick can do to the kicker's ankle and foot. It takes an amazing amount of skill to fire off kicks at an opponent as hard as you kick a bag. Low kicks require tons of skill to actually use.

[@Kimwiko]

Multiple badly aimed low-kick to the opponent’s knee will destroy the kicker. There’re some KOs resulted from this where the kickers can’t stand back up from cumulative damage.

[@angeltzepesh1]

Yeah, idk why people consider low kicks " low skill". One badly aimed low kick and you can snap your shin, see Anderson Silva's or Weidman's horrible injuries.

[@alejandroc7357]

@@angeltzepesh1as someone who has had their leg kick checked I can confirm. I’ve also injured other people from checking their kicks with my elbows or knee. I just think it’s ignorance from most people who have never trained

[@CaptCanuck4444]

@@angeltzepesh1 Corey Hill also.

[@shortrandoms7010]

It doesn't matter if low kicks are considered as low skill. It takes sheer will and determination and hardwork to condition one's leg to deliver low kicks which is devastating and lethal. Not just anyone can throw low kicks, or it will be like Anderson Silva's sheen break in half. One's leg needs conditioning through vigorous training.

[@adlockhungry304]

Brilliant, in depth breakdown, as always, by the good doctor ( of philosophy in striking). I think we learned of the low kick that, the same way a jab takes less talent than a spinning back fist, a low kick takes less talent than a flying wheel kick, but you still have to learn the jab, and you still have to learn the low kick (and the check). At this stage in the evolution of kickboxing and MMA, not learning the low kick would be like a boxer not learning the jab, or perhaps the cross, but you get what I mean. And, if that jab is netting success in a fight, you keep throwing it.

[@TheLochs]

Totally agree.

[@jamestickle3070]

Yep!!

[@KangKoopa]

This was an awesome documentary. Thanks for this.

[@Chronnie]

I learned Karate when I was younger. But as I got older I realized my game had holes, and I needed to learn boxing and muay thai. I love the low kicks now. As you get older, the flexibility is difficult to keep when you aren't consistently stretching. But the low kicks are less maintenance and still very effective. But the conditioning requirements needed to throw good leg kicks requires a lot of practice. Those who just start throwing low kicks with out the conditioning of the shins and legs usually pay for it when they get checked which can often result in broken shin bones from the fighter that throws them.

[@raymond7451]

Saw a foolish man in a Hotel get warned twice by a lovely Thai mate of ours who cooked in the bistro . Man was just being a complete wanker , went to grab one of the staff . Little Nat walked forward , dumb ass threw a low kick at a 61yr old Thai . All over in a block and the cleanest forearm you could ever see .

[@langhamp8912]

I did Muay Thai first from a very young age, as I was born in Thailand, but you cannot just spam low kicks against even the worst opponent if you see them being sort of light on the front foot; they'll just lift that lead leg and turn it into your kick. You have to put the low kick in when they put their weight on the front foot OR at the very end up a combination, else it'll be checked. I've got a decent half-moon chip on my right leg from an opponent checking me. I'm skeptical that legs can ever be conditioned to not get those chips and cuts when you get checked. Against most people, I think the downward teep is the safest. You could almost do a whole sparing session doing nothing but teeps, but I have been caught doing a lazy teep. However, if something did only karate or taekwondo, then I could see one having a hard time defending against low kicks.

[@Chronnie]

@@langhamp8912 definitely. The body mechanics of a Karate or Taekwondo kick is much different from Muay Thai. You pretty much have to unlearn what you know from Karate in order to learn Muay Thai. I had a difficult time learning how to check kicks and how to throw a proper Muay Thai roundhouse. There’s not as much torque with Karate roundhouses and it’s more about snapping the kicks and retracting it back rather than following through like Muay Thai. The checks are different as well. In karate they might block a low roundhouse with a lower block with the forearm or a low kick with the foot before the apex of the roundhouse kick. Although the conditioning of the entire body is decent with karate using makiwara boards and other forms of bone conditioning. I don’t know if it compares to how Muay Thai conditions their shins, knees, and elbows. I personally wouldn’t want to test that if I know they know Muay Thai. I would more likely try to keep my distance and avoid close quarters with a Muay Thai practitioner. Even though I’ve been training Muay Thai for a while now. I know that it’s not as good as someone who’s trained their whole life. I definitely would be hesitant to throw a leg kick against them. Even though I have pretty good leg kicks. I think it’s the comfortability that I haven’t developed as a Karate fighter. But if I was fighting someone untrained to stop a leg kick. I’d probably keep throwing it after landing a few.

[@langhamp8912]

@@Chronnie I did Muay Thai when I was a young teenager, and then went back when I was in my early thirties, but never seriously and often just to stay in shape with like-minded people. Never went to a camp or such. And I never really conditioned by legs; it seemed if you knew how to check a kick by being very relaxed then that worked well enough. But also we usually used leg pads. In my opinion, the low kick is somewhat difficult to do especially if you load up and miss. You need to get somewhat close to ensure you don't miss so you cannot just spam it. I do think it's amusing that if you see a low kick coming (not difficult) then...just step back with your lead leg. Just step back and everything will be ok. But when I went back in my thirties to martial arts circa 2010's, it did not seem there was a distinctive Muay Thai, kickboxing, or taekwondo style anymore. By then, it was all merged together to form a fairly conservative style whereby if you missed then you wouldn't be ludicrously off-balance like what we saw with Rick Roufus. For example, turtling up with a soft lead leg as what we see Muay Thai does, then you're leaving yourself awfully vulnerable to being taken down.

[@Chronnie]

@@langhamp8912 Yes. I see what you mean. Martial Arts has evolved since this fight. People are more MMA/Jeet Kune Do in this day and age and don’t rely on one style anymore. Muay Thai Stance does have a disadvantage in an MMA fight because of it’s higher center of gravity. It’s also not as good with lateral movements as some of the other styles because Muay Thai fighters usually fight square to their opponents with little lateral movement. But it is a good base style to have as it does have some wrestling and judo. It is very effective in the clinch which is one of the most important factors in an MMA fight or street fight. I did study Jeet Kune Do for a bit. Bruce Lee had the On-Guard Stance which makes a lot of sense and is balanced in many ways utilizing a Philly Shell Blocking to protect the body and a boxing/fencing stance that allows the footwork to be much lighter for movement. Of course this isn’t a good stance against a cage or being cornered but it does allow circling around an opponent to be easier. But, probably not as effective to throw Muay Thai Roundhouse kicks out of because of it’s sideways stance.

[@julianyo7072]

It's not a question of "talent" but of effectiveness.

[@ryanrogers8211]

In a fight effectiveness is talent.

[@jeffmurray6219]

As has been proved hundreds of times you can’t stand in a bladed stance against a brilliant low kicker.

[@RAPEDBYBLACKS]

He knocked him out in the first round. The Thai fighter’s corner had to revive him.

[@TheRogueSquid]

I believe Jose Also was one of the greatest low kickers I’ve ever seen. I also believe Conor McGregor utilised a bladed stance… But I’m just messing around, one example doesn’t change the basic fact.

[@sus425]

@@TheRogueSquidwhich is why the rematch Conor ran from would’ve been so interesting. Cub Swanson had to deal with the same thing, aldo comes out and flying knees him in seconds in the WEC - so everyone just assumes the fight would go like that every time, so we never really got to actually see that matchup

[@TheRogueSquid]

@@sus425 I agree. Rematch would have been nice! Jose Aldo was my favourite fighter at the time, and I had my money on him. But you put forwards momentum into a counter like that and we see the result. I was never a Conor fan, but his early days when he DID utilise his bladed stance he proved to be dominant, and thats what the post is about. Also, Machida, Wonderboy etc. It can more than hold it's own is just what I'm saying. Underestimate it at your own peril!

[@DADRB0B55]

I am not a Conor fan but you really don’t deserve a rematch when you lost in 13 seconds, Conor vs Volk as far as made up fights go is more interesting

[@kuba2pacMMABoxen]

Low kicks are ruthless, i remember eating 3-4 by a friend in high-school and i was debilitated. I had no idea about the pain they can inflict, and they are so easy and simple to throw. Spinning kicks on the other hand are beatiful and devastating when they hit, but they tend to be harder to land. Both are valid techniques, but u suppose low kicks overall are more effective due to their simplicity.

[@LawrenceKenshin]

which one do you think take more talent?

[@mcronrn]

@@LawrenceKenshinit isn’t a talent show, it’s a fight

[@serialced]

@@LawrenceKenshin Neither imho. Its all about practice and experience. As Bruce Lee himself said: " I fear not the man who has practiced 10,000 kicks once, but I fear the man who has practiced one kick 10,000 times."

[@1234rizw]

also spinning kick combinations are pretty hard to follow up unlike low kicks. Throw spin kick with wrong technique and you get punished because you are at a bad fighting angle

[@GangsterFrankensteinComputer]

@@LawrenceKenshin It depends on the kick. A low kick that breaks a leg and disables someone takes more talent than a spinning kick that doesn't disable someone.

[@keithspainjr7669]

Well commentated and assessed.. Never seen these fighters before subscribing… Amazed., I am considering, I practice the same styles as Rufus and Gibson when I was a child, ( born in 81 ). The spinning aspect anyway.. I’m also a competent Olympic style Wrestler and have been a great fan of all Asian fighting styles.

[@theriskid]

I LOVE seeing fighters get their legs shredded by low kicks. Being prepared to do that (or to defend yourself from it) definitely takes talent and a lot of dedicated practice. The brothers Roufus learned that humbling lesson oh so painfully.

[@tatecomedy]

Times have changed thankfully. In Johnny Walker fight last weekend it was stopped, because he couldn't answer a geographical trivia question and here they are resuscitating the fighters who are completely out of it and sending them back to the ring

[@HRM.H]

A proper lowkick can be so devastating. I once got kicked in the upperleg by a amateur MMA fighter, walked with a limp for a solid 2 hours.

[@newagain9964]

Low kicks are effective on both the unskilled and highly skilled opponent. And in between

[@GangsterFrankensteinComputer]

I once ended a fight with just one kick to the knee. Guy came up all aggressive and walked into it. He hobbled away soon after.

[@jarnMod]

Well, if he fought in Muay Thai rule, he probably got a few knees to the liver and end with bleeding eyebrows by an elbow. He was young indeed. Unlike spinning kick that looks fancy, low kick takes a lot of training to build up that toughness.

[@TheMatrixofMeaning]

Knees to the ribs will not only end the fight but leave you with intercostal rib injuries that take weeks or months to recover.

[@ryanrogers8211]

The Thai fighter was severely handicapped with what he was allowed to do yet his style destroyed the best guy in American kickboxing.

[@xThePrinceOfPeace]

What an amazing video. Thanks so much dude

[@showtime1235]

it’s so interesting to see because each fighters best strikes were the techniques the opponent hadn’t had experience w for roufus it was his spinning strikes and flashy moves for changpuek it was obvi his low kicks

[@LawrenceKenshin]

very true

[@isudizzyblud]

the legendary low kick vs spinning kick debate. low kick revolution was very much needed ✊

[@LawrenceKenshin]

do you think we'll get a spin kick revolution soon?

[@isudizzyblud]

if muay thai legends start, i will follow 🥲@@LawrenceKenshin

[@viktoriyaserebryakov2755]

@@LawrenceKenshin Nope. I think this 'low kick revolution' has led people to underappreciate spinning kicks and perhaps we'll see more of them as more people figure out the time and place for them, but I wouldn't call that a revolution in the same sense.

[@kinnanton]

0:26 It reminds me a game of thrones scene: - You don't fight with honor. - No. He did. *points to the dead What really matters in the end: who wins.

[@Leo.23232]

nothing dishonourable about low kicks though, just a false perception of lack of skill from ignorance

[@kinnanton]

@@Leo.23232 I agree.

[@brucehillbillybarthalow3786]

I've seen fights won using both techniques. Personally I would recommend learning both techniques.

[@MikeKollin]

This fight made Muay Thai Famous in the USA to a lot of us Kickboxers at the time! Rick and his Brother immediately began studying Muay Thai after this fight and began to integrate it into their training! P.s. I met Rick Rufous a few times. He trained with us in Fairfield California at Jacob Stitch Duran's Kickboxing School, A.S.K. American School of Kickboxing, for a Title fight in Lake Tahoe! Try to remember Roufous was super young, 18 and Rick was young too... This was one hell of a Learning for American Fighters!

[@xThePrinceOfPeace]

It's beautiful, these dudes don't play. Just imagine getting kicked by a Thai Muay Thai fighters

[@sukotsutoCSSR]

Low kick, high kick, spin kick - they're all equally good now that we know what, how, why, and when to use them. The best attack is the right one to use at the right time - if you don't train it, you don't get to use it.

[@stephencox8723]

Full contact never regained its former level of respect after this. Even with Rick’s later success in k1.

[@QuickStrikes84]

Didn't Francisco Filho stop him with low kicks too in K-1?

[@stephencox8723]

@@QuickStrikes84 yea that’s his only other loss to leg kicks, but it definitely happened a full decade later.

[@steffanofumo]

I completely agree, it doesn’t take much talent to low kick, but it does takes years of training and conditioning to do it effectively, but In the end talent to pull of complicated techniques is not a measurement of effectiveness In a fight.

[@theredgoblin562]

That debatable sweep sent a man flying in a cart wheel

[@martinrosso6243]

Despite Roufus' lack of preparation in low kick techniques, Changpuek had a very bad time in the first round. Nowadays he would not have been allowed to fight with a fractured jaw. It would have been interesting to see a rematch against a more mature Roufus, perhaps. in 1992 or 1994.

[@davidedwards3838]

If you have to modify the rules then your style is not superior.

[@LawrenceKenshin]

👍🏻

[@LIONTAMER3D]

That's why the post fight interview was hilarious: they specifically designed the rules to help them win & he's running his mouth about "the rules didn't allow us to win" LOL

[@aquaticlibrary]

That applies in a couple way. Benny the Jet could Judo toss Thai Fighters around but a lot of times that was also against the rules

[@LIONTAMER3D]

@aquaticlibrary yeah, but Benny wasn't fighting judo guys, then specifying "no throws" lol. These guys got a Thai fighter & said "no knees, elbows, or clinch-strinking of any kind" which is the equivalent of fighting a judoka minus the throws.

[@davidedwards3838]

@LIONTAMER3D Yeah, I was also going to say. It's a false comparison by the fact thar one is a striking art and the other is grappling.

[@ฉันทรักษ์หิรัญกาญจน์-อ2ฆ]

Nobody talking about RICK's kick to the face of Changpuek when he was knocked down the 2nd time in the 1st round and broke his jaw.

[@RAPEDBYBLACKS]

Rick absolutely mauled this guy from the first round

[@dbuck1964]

We don’t care about your poor little Thai guy.

[@newagain9964]

Didn’t happen

[@colet1096]

He absolutely kicked him in the face when he was down, watch the fight@@newagain9964

[@GangsterFrankensteinComputer]

Yeah, to me it looked like that kick to the head made him go sicko mode. He knew he could get the stoppage when he noticed the other guy couldn't block a low kick, so he absolutely humiliated the fool.

[@deformitygurubashi]

It doesn’t take talent, thats one of the reasons its so awesome, it’s simple and effective most of the time

[@kevinwilliams6889]

Just imagine how much more devastating Gibson would have been if he had been allowed to turn some of those spinning backfists into spinning elbows. Woof!

[@rohitchaoji]

I think it does take more skill to learn and successfully execute spinning back kicks or spinning attacks in general, but in the modern martial arts environment, it's likely that your opponent understands how to defend against low kicks with checks and distance management. So now it has gone around to low kicks requiring more talent to successfully land on someone who knows the defense, while someone who has practiced spinning kicks in sparring is more likely to catch someone off guard, even if their setup isn't very good.

[@viktoriyaserebryakov2755]

Takes more skill to fight standing on your head with both hands tied behind your back too.

[@abominationdesolation8322]

If humans were more durable, or could heal from any injury, and live really long lives, then someday you'd see fighters adapting to higher and higher tech levels. But as it is now our metagame is chiefly defined by what you can accomplish before you get too old or injured. And due to the brutality of combat sports, there will always be bottlenecks to what people can accomplish. Maybe biomedical and/or futuristic VR tech can change this.

[@anthonyclark9159]

why practice a skill thats less useful and effective?

[@rohitchaoji]

@@anthonyclark9159 That way, why do anything that is not utilitarian?

[@WastePlace]

@@anthonyclark9159cuz it’s fun, and it has a novelty factor if your opponent isn’t familiar with it

[@TranNguyen-mg9qq]

I fear not the man who pratices 1000 kicks, i fear the man who practices one kick a thousand times ..

[@serialced]

I remember when you released the original video, can't believe it has been this long! Still a very happy subscriber, your work has only gotten better with time, good job!

[@Kagemusha08]

Not gonna lie: I haven't watched the whole video (though I certainly will, as a leg kick connoisseur and huge fan of yours). But Duke as the GOAT MMA striking coach? Strains credulity a bit. Certainly very good but look at the progress guys like Trevor Whitman and Duane Ludwig made with their students. Pretty impressive. Duke's best strikers were guys like the Pettis brothers, who already had backgrounds I'm striking and still have pretty significant holes in their striking.

[@LawrenceKenshin]

He is one of the goats for sure. Not many striking coaches produced multiple mma champions. Even Jon Jones credits duke for a lot of his striking style

[@aquaticlibrary]

@@LawrenceKenshinyeah, but I think it’s a bit weird to credit him as the GOAT as if he was the best ever when he got destroyed. He’s a great coach now because of his decades of experience including this.

[@RAPEDBYBLACKS]

@@aquaticlibraryhe didn’t get destroyed. He dropped the Thai guy and dominated him. The Thais had to cheat to even the field.

[@ryanrogers8211]

@@LawrenceKenshin How about the Gentleman from AKA in San Jose, CA. He's produced a lot of MMA champions with his striking coaching.

[@restitvtororbis5330]

​@@aquaticlibraryNobody was considering him a GOAT striking coach when he was a 22 year old kickboxer (when he got "destroyed"). There are good coaches that were good fighters, mid fighters, even some like Eric Nicksick coached multiple fighters (sean strickland, jamahal hill, Francis nganou) to championships despite having never fought at all, he was basically a football coach. The fact is that after getting destroyed by low kicks he went to Thailand and learned them to make sure it wouldn't happen again, making him arguably the first american style kickboxer to start blending techniques from muey Thai, and trailblazing the evolution of MMA striking, and for that alone he should be considered a GOAT. As for coaches like Trevor whittman, while he could be considered a GOAT at one point when he had 3 champions (Rose, Usman, and Gaethje as interim champion) he now has no champions. The fact that he couldn't coach Rose (one of the most talented strikers in wmma history) to outstrike Carla Esparza (a wrestler with pretty rough striking) in the most boring title fight in recent memory, should be enough to yank Trevor out of the goat discussion, at least until he redeems himself for letting that atrocious striking display happen

[@safaafreeman564]

"Land low kick looks easier than it is" Ernesto Hoost

[@fuswatenetke8295]

Ricardo Verhoeven low kicks to the rear leg were so damaging!

[@rayclam8079]

It's not about who has the fancier kicks, it's about who's the most effective fighter.

[@LawrenceKenshin]

What if it’s fancy and effective!

[@keremd.dragon2855]

Ive done 10 years Taekwondo, 3-4 years thaiboxing, and still for me it is an art to throw low kicks, there is art in every technique or move and usefullness for different situations.

[@aj2228]

Thai fighters spend 20 years kicking wooden poles, practicing just one kick, to strengthen their femurs. they've spent more years on one technique

[@cd3121]

All in the hips an how u plant ur front foot either lefty or righty..

[@Schizohandlers]

low kicks are all about timing

[@lonewaer]

It's taken me around 8 of my 10 years of karate to finally "get", the basic tsuki (the jab) that I learned on day 1, 8 years for me to feel how that could be destructive, potentially. All those hits, punches or kicks, if they seem simple enough, they still take years to master, and they still have technique beyond "throw leg at leg", or "send hand".

[@lover-of-fate]

I don't know how anyone can decide who is the best fighter between Rufus and Changpuek. Wasn't Changpuek not allowed to use a lot of Muai Thai skills whilst Rufus was allowed to use most if not all of his strikes. Perhaps Rufus should have had one leg tied behind his back and then we could see which was the better fighter. Low kicks tend to shut down spinning kicks, what more do you need to know. Is it talent to strike in a way that shuts down a givin strike? or is it talent to execute a strike that only some people can get to work and doesn't always work?

[@pjorkan]

Rick Rufus is a girlie girl

[@ADAM_COLLECTS]

so, in Rick Roufus’ K1 career he lost to Francisco Filho, stayed on his stool, quit, didn’t want any more damage, from inside low kicks. i met Shihan Filho and asked him about this fight and the game plan, he essentially said to me, “it worked and he wasn’t defending it so i kept doing it”.

[@Phantom-nn6uq]

A low kick fight isn't a "spectacular defeat" ... It's a "BORING defeat."

[@keggerous]

Low kicks are the Muay Thai equivalent of wrestling's double leg takedown. It's a maneuver that you need to learn about because not knowing it is going to screw you over when you come up against someone who can utilize it with even moderate proficiency. This is why someone who's semi-athletic, with like 3 months of BJJ training, can probably handle most people in grappling match. Because if you just don't know these techniques, you have no real chance unless you're really fucking big and strong.

[@StLMikie]

Thanks for the video Lawrence!

[@lee-lemon]

great content and analysis. keep it up.

[@TheJaranggigi]

Spinning kicks absolutely do require more talent to throw than low kicks. Thats the problem, you need to be in the top .1 percentage of fighters to effectively use them all the time. Meanwhile low kicks are so effective and so accessible that even relatively one-dimensional fighters can use them to beat that top .1 percent. Part of what made Muay Thai so shocking back in the day was that it was obvious a lot of their international fighters like Kiatsongrit weren't the best they had to offer but they still managed to beat down America's top champs regardless. The hard truth is that most people just won't be Cunningham, Gibson, or even Adesanya. You most likely aren't going to be a wunderkind striker like them. The great thing about Muay Thai and low-kicks is that with enough practice and the right strategy you can threaten them regardless. Spinning shit is worth learning but for most people it will only be supplemental while Low Kicks and how to check them dramatically improve the fighting skill of everyone that studies them. If you are that once in a generation fighter who keeps getting spinning knockouts then by all means keep doing what you're doing. Just don't think you have to be or get discouraged if you aren't.

[@GangsterFrankensteinComputer]

Yup. A jumping spinning hook takes a lot of talent but you'll never see one in a boxing match because it's an ineffective attack.

[@QuickStrikes84]

Kiatsongrit wasn't allowed to elbow (not sure about knees) or clinch either + a considerable weight disadvantage.

[@Duane-tl2zc]

It's called a fighting match, not a flashy fighting match.

[@darkmarvel1953]

It still makes me laugh that the commentators were trying so hard to make out that the kick boxer was so impressive 😅

[@Cambodia69]

It appears that the Thai fighter wasn't allowed to use his knees or elbows either, so what was Duke complaining about?

[@gfdggdfgdgf]

Yeah it was an error on his part to allow lowkicks. It would have been a very short fight if the Thai was allowed to use elbows and knees.

[@moustachio334]

Remember practicing my spinning sidekick at Fairtex because it's a good kick that lands when the opponent circles out and away from my power side. I turned around and saw a much older coach mimicing me trying to learn it. It was a cool moment.

[@6nosis]

Marco Ruas was the first guy in the UFC to win a championship by leg kicks. He beat a much bigger opponent in Paul Varelans by chopping him down. Very enlightening night.

[@jamestickle3070]

‘His shins look like ten miles of bad road.’😂

[@jasonsanders8797]

Marco Rua v. Paul Varlens and Pedro Rizzo v. Tank Abbou immediately come to mind when I think about low kicks in MMA. Then my next thought is always Robby Lawler v. Melvin Manhoff.

[@Ajhmee]

Most of the time the Thai fighters fight in handicaps situations both weight and rules. They always below 2-3 class weight and did not allow to use knee and elbow.

[@LawrenceKenshin]

true

[@Slaphappy1975]

I'm not 100% certain, but I found a source that stated for this fight Roufus weighed in at over 200lbs and Chanpuek was fighting at 154.

[@saparapatepete]

low kicks feel like the kick equivalent of a jab. Not too fancy but pretty practical to get control of the match and set up finishers.

[@christophergenther3517]

Subbed! This was excellent man

[@daquayatcherson]

That belly stomp had me crying in laughter. It's like a Lion's version of F*** You. I got injured when I went to the Sandbox, so I never throw high kicks with my lead leg. I created my own style predominantly using the Teep as a Jab, and Low Kicks. I find it to be quite efficient for me. I would marry Low Kicks if I could. 💖

[@nomadnorbert]

I fought in Thailand i took elbows, knees, kicks, punches and nothing hurt even remotely close to leg kicks. I felt the leg kicks for two weeks after the fight.

[@sesimie]

Every kickboxing style will use what is effective. Low kicks are some of the most energy efficient, easy to regain balance and power and attacks nerve rich targets. Easily an effective kick over flashy powerful if landed spin kicks.

[@shingobb6]

think of it this way. if you grew up in the 80's, you remember how lit the Street Fighter 2 machines were at the arcade. if you proclaimed yourself to be a SF master but lose to some dude spamming hadokens, are you really that good? the answer is no.

[@rustyshackleford735]

A low kick that misses can easily become a side kick, spinning heal kick, or spinning back fist, similarly a side kick can easily set up a low kick. having both styles is great, they feed into one another.

[@ComicusFreemanius]

yeah but puling back and continuing the spin take almost exactly the same time

[@rustyshackleford735]

@@ComicusFreemanius no I doesn't and it's not always even possible.

[@sharkfinnigan]

Learned sbout this channel from the rogan podcast. Been watching it every since.

[@Chandasouk]

Got his butt whupped so badly that Rufus changed his tune about low kicks years later lol

[@jimbossemi-customs3129]

Just wow Lawrence, maybe your best offering yet. And that is saying something. Just an incredible breakdown. You are a fighting genius my friend. I have learned and been inspired by your channel than any other on this platform. When I am having a bad pain day I always come back to your channel to get my mojo back. Thank you for all you do. I am going to get a shirt to support the channel, something I should have done years ago for all the help you've given me. Thank you Lawrence.

[@LawrenceKenshin]

Thank you ❤

[@soul-man]

It doesn't matter what kick you have. Once you feel the pain on your leg, you can't even stand straight.

[@r.guerra6236]

Interesting fact, had Rufous survived the fight he would have won on points. They had deducted so many points on the Thai fighter that he was behind in the scorecard.

[@Kurauone__]

Rick Roufus also got leg-kicked to oblivion by Ernesto Hoost

[@imalvl10paladin]

Great video!

[@kacklerot]

The guys right. It doesn't take talent to spam kicks to the legs. But it doesn't take much to defend them and punish someone for spamming them either. It just takes being aware some fighters do it and some training and prep for it. Sun Tzu would say you must know your enemy or for every victory you will also suffer defeat. I forgot how brutal this fight was.

[@Smokkedandslammed]

I can only teep for so long before they start catching it 😁 but then I'll mix it up and throw them off lol

[@kacklerot]

@@Smokkedandslammed working off a teep for offense is nice.

[@d.b.cooper5775]

They are super effective so does it matter. Its like saying a punch takes no skill, you just throw your fist forward. A pointless argument in a fight.

[@Stixin3nya]

The great Bruce Lee said he did not fear the fighter who could throw a 1000s different kicks, but feared the fighter who threw One kick a thousand times.

[@LawrenceKenshin]

10000 times!

[@showtime1235]

one kick 10 thousand times

[@LIONTAMER3D]

Great at what, acting?

[@elpatron6537]

@@LIONTAMER3D🤦‍♂️

[@LIONTAMER3D]

@elpatron6537 surely, he's not talking about fighting, because Bruce Lee wasn't a fighter. You may as well say he was a great astronaut.

[@darynjackson816]

if it doesn't take too much "talent" to leg kick...THEN DO IT!

[@NobodyFamous253]

it absolutely takes talent to land low kicks on moving opponents. i would say it takes more talent to utilize this tool efficiently and effectively than it does to fight off of a jab.

[@cutkicker]

I love your channel. Let's break this down using your kickboxers example: Highly Skilled Kickboxer with Many Technical Attacks: This fighter has a vast arsenal of techniques, from punches, elbows, knees, spinning kicks, flying kicks, and so on. When this fighter is in a match and wants to initiate an attack, they have to sift through their extensive knowledge of techniques and choose one that they believe will be effective in that specific moment. According to Hick's Law, the more choices they have to sift through, the longer it may take to make a decision on which move to execute. This decision time might be milliseconds longer, but in a combat sport, milliseconds can make a difference. Fighter Who Uses Only Simple Leg Kicks: This fighter has a limited choice set. When they decide to attack, they might only think of which leg to use or what angle or speed to employ, but the core technique remains the same. With fewer choices to consider, their decision-making time is reduced, allowing them to act more quickly and instinctively. This simplicity can lead to predictability, but it also ensures that the fighter is not overwhelmed with choices in the heat of the moment. In essence, while the highly skilled kickboxer has a broader range of techniques at their disposal, they may also face a slightly longer decision-making time due to the sheer number of options they must consider. On the other hand, the fighter with a simpler approach might react more quickly, but at the expense of variety and potential predictability. It's worth noting, however, that with extensive training and experience, the highly skilled fighter can minimize the decision time associated with choosing from many techniques. Over time, they develop intuition about which technique to use in different situations, reducing the cognitive load and decision-making time. This is where mastery comes into play, and why seasoned fighters, despite knowing numerous techniques, can still react quickly and efficiently.

[@j.pocket]

Maybe the best "talent" to have is not to be the talented kicker; but the one with enough talent to remember how to win the current fight regardless of pain.

[@markmiller5558]

Changpuek Kiatsongrit is a legend no doubt! We all watched this at the Muay Thai academy in North Hollywood, and knew the leg kicks would kill. That being said, there was no need for that stomp to the belly of a downed opponent. A really low moment that could have furthered the reputation of Thais as being "dirty" fighters. Nanfa Seheradecho RIP

[@xThePrinceOfPeace]

In another video they said he did that because Roufus did him dirty. I can't remember what he did though

[@mrhead8175]

Pedro Rizzo was THE man for leg kicks, absolutely brutal force, arguably the hardest leg kicker in mma.

[@geetraveler5870]

Better bring up the hardest leg kickers in Muay Thai or kickboxing for this matter

[@MrHacken]

👏🏻 I am an older guy I remember that time Roufus was great could have been a champion Boxer, it was clear to me then we in the US had no answer for the Thais, The Dutch Kickboxers were the only one’s at that time who could compete with them. Rick the Jet learned got better and became the best

[@meicc398]

All right,what about spinning low kicks?!!

[@LawrenceKenshin]

good one

[@bigboi2724]

Andy Hug used the spinning heel kick to the thigh

[@meicc398]

@@bigboi2724 that's what I was thinking🔥

[@bigboi2724]

@meicc398 what a mad lad Andy Hug invented his own unique move

[@meicc398]

@@bigboi2724 yeah, pretty interesting and powerful technique

[@reverendfry6088]

For street fighting, low kicks are my go to every time.

[@bikrambaruah7216]

Excellent Breakdown , ❤❤❤❤❤❤ 👌👌👌👌👌👌👌🤓🤓🤓🤓🤓🤓👍👍👍👍

[@gogo-uf8ow]

awesome video

[@hokutoshinken-chrisarmstro131]

Really, really entertaining video 👍

[@joelbelmonte1383]

A precise front kick can totally debilitate a fighter who was up to a spin kick :D

[@LawrenceKenshin]

Yup!

[@LIONTAMER3D]

No kidding: they're helping you send them flying with a teep

[@mind-numbingtasks1575]

No one can ever take anything away from the legitimate legend that is Rick Rufus. There will never , ever be another fighter like him. Yeah, low kicks are extremely effective.

[@AmericankickboxerMMA]

Original muay thai do Not know boxing, That's why Rick Roufus broke the Jaw of Changpuek and knocked out Changpuek 2 times by Punching Changpuek in the Face

[@seandavidr]

I like the framing of what is most effective for the most people.

[@shortrandoms7010]

Rofous was shouting "My Thigh My Thigh My Thigh" after that fight. And thats how the word "Muay Thai" was born.