Sylvie's Muay Thai Technique Vlog - The Golden Kick

Read all about the Golden Kick here: 8limbs.us/muay-...
This week's Sylvie's Technique Vlog for Nak Muay Nationis all about a discovery I had when filming sessions with Sagat and Karuat for my Patreon Muay Thai Library. I've been living, training and fighting here in Thailand for 5 years and I just had a very important aspect of the Thai kick wrong. I'm calling this type of kick The Golden Kick. If you become a patron you can see the very session in which I discovered this, but this vlog outlines the discovery pretty clearly. This is not a "demo" of the proper kick. Like all my technique vlogs for Nak Muay Nation it's me giving some thoughts and sharing what I'm working on so we can maybe work on it together. This change is making my kick much faster, much harder to see, and more powerful. Maybe it can do the same for you.
You can see this principle of the kick in this video compilation Kevin made, mostly from fighters of the Golden Age:
/ 1805861112781344
And Kevin wrote some notes about it on the forum too:
8limbs.us/…/910...
I'll be writing a blog post about it, and for those that support my Patreon Muay Thai Library the Karuhat and Sagat sessions should be up soon! Thank you for supporting that documentary effort, preserving the legacy of techniques from the great fighters and teachers of Thailand. Thank you to Boon Sport Shop and SMAC who officially sponsor those efforts as well.
You can find, support and study the documentary materials in the Library here:
/ muay-thai-uncut-7058199

[@fighttips]

Another awesome video and explanation, Sylvie! Love the metaphors used -- made it crystal clear!🤘

[@de20]

fightTIPS yea ever since i started using this style of kicking my power, speed and balance has gone up by like 50%

[@Ngocdiep1411993]

It would be great if you can do a colab with her and explaining this kick. It so different from what i have seen

[@theredninja2817]

fightTIPS I always believe there such a difference when training with someone who has first-generation instruction which is what I like to call it when you train with someone who's learned from someone from that country where the martial art originated from or learn from someone who's from the country with a martial art originated from if that makes any sense there's a greater understanding in that regard that's what I believe

[@bluecat6902]

Dude you should go to thailand again to collab with her

[@a.h.z2830]

Hey man didn't expect to see you here

[@Bl2EAKIN]

With this and "The Golden Kick" video, you changed the kicking game of every one of your subscribers. Top quality content right there.

[@orangeiceice12]

Crowbar in the door before they locked it. It always is so shocking how similar in fundamental philosophy these old thais are to my old wing chun teacher. The same emphases, the same metaphors even. Muay thai is amazing for capturing this ancient theory in actual sport. Hats off to Chatchai and Sagat and the rest. And sylvie too pf course, you are a legend for documenting all this.

[@ManofOneGod]

Please dont bring in that bullshit wing Chun into this.

[@orangeiceice12]

@@ManofOneGod It aint all bullshit

[@Gohome2Texas]

This is good info just wish the camera guy could back up more to see

[@PinelliSC]

My coach has always taught us this golden kick and wondered if I was being taught something wrong. Glad I found this video.

[@martinduran2769]

I'm from Argentina and I thank you for everything you share, you have a great flow in your technique, it's nice to see it

[@violettademoney2749]

I'm 45 and just getting/1.5y in to kickboxing. Found your videos, because want to learn better techniques. Love your tutorials. Thank you Sylvie!!

[@ELMO11958]

Everytime i come across a video from you i learn so much precious info ! Thank you so much Sylvie!!!! Blessings

[@sublimeonskunk]

The point about both kicks being right is spot on. Both kicks have a place and time. Great video. Next level stuff. Respect.

[@edgarona1675]

Thanks Silvie you are amazing for sharing all this knowledge. Thank you.

[@KaitlinYoungify]

Great insight! Kronphet teaches a similar kick. Visualizing the kicking leg grazing the support leg on the way up has helped in cleaning up the kickboxy angle for me.

[@grahambroad4354]

I'm commenting like a dope on an old video, but I like this a lot. Interesting thing: this technique of bringing the 'roundhouse' (whatever you want to call it) kick up the middle and then turning it over is exactly the way I learned it in a traditional karate school about 30 years ago. We brought it up like a front kick and THEN turned it over. Of course, we delivered with the ball of the foot (!) which would be no good in Thai boxing. Later I learned that high side chamber and roundhouse swing outside the body she's talking about and forgot about the idea. Now I'm going to start playing with it again.

[@Moiez101]

I NEEDED THIS VIDEO! THank you so much Sylvie for breaking this down and giving context. I've just started muay Thai a month ago and am so confused about the different types of kicks I see in Muay Thai in terms of angles.

[@MH-zg5yw]

Paulo Tocha taught me this kick. Both toes pointing forward when throwing that kick. It is deceptively powerful. Takes alot of practice. Thank you for this video

[@gronith]

Sounds a lot like a Taekwondo round house. We always trained by standing beside a wall. When I switched to Muay Thai from TKD I kept this style of kick for anything above the waist. For attacking the legs I am a bit wider the speed difference isn't as great and I generate just a little more power throwing wider. Try throwing your hook punches this way too. I picked it up from my Muay Thai instructor. It feels and looks like a pawing motion but you can really sneak it in better and it has about the same power. Also makes entering the clinch a bit more natural. I love your vids and its changed a lot of my ideas about fighting. I no longer lean back throwing knees and my lower back is happier :) Thanks

[@SebastianHay]

yeah it feels more TKD style although not that it really matters. throwing the question mark kick helps get the hip pivot with your leg forward.

[@thomasmei3443]

yes a tkd kick but with the muay thai push instead of the snap.

[@XAE_A_Xii]

@111AAA don't take personal, but taekwondo is specialised in kicking. you don't say thai boxers punch better than boxers or wrestle better than judokas, but i admit thai boxing is a great martial art, and I'm a takewondo practitioner.

[@sway71]

I'd have to strongly disagree. Yes, there are varied styles out there, but I've trained TKD in the US, Seoul, and Jeonju, and the emphasis is always on speed, leading with the knee and taking as direct of a line towards the target as possible before using the quadriceps to snap the foot around and to the target. With all Muay Thai kicks that I've seen, the emphasis is always about leading with or using the hips, keeping the leg fairly straight along the entire path. Although this variation improves on the speed of most Muay Thai kicks, it still has the leading with the hip, keeping the leg mostly straight, and wide arm movements to balance the spread out "moment of inertia".

[@1810stormy]

45kick@ hitting the body on the 45degree angle. All in the hips and the rotation on the standing foot.. With the speed comes power, if the hips, upper torso and standing foot synchronised together at the same time@@ tkd style of hitting the body shield. quicker kick,due too the shorter distance too the target...........

[@ronnysudiono315]

I think that the Thai Golden Kick is indeed FASTER than the (traditional) roundhouse kick, but I think that the roundhouse kick is initially or theoretically HARDER/HEAVIER when it's target point is located behind the target itself: when you kick a leg you aim to kick a point behind that leg. This is also the case in breaking tests (in Karate): you have to think to stop the punch (far) BEYOND the board itself. I believe that the Thai Golden Kick is a more complicated kick to master, because we have to "bend" or "transfer" the upward energy (of the first part of it) into a horizontal direction of energy. Yes, I will try to master it, thank you! It is pretty cool to hear that we can "slip" inside the opponent's block (elbow) using this kick.

[@philadelphiabarber]

Ey, Silvie ✊🏽I just wanted to give flowers 🌺🌺I’ll been watching you since you were in the basement with the ol G Arjarn emphasis on hip thrusting and chest lifting ☺️. I’m really proud of you and just grateful we can travel with you and have access to all this details and persue our passion for Muay Thai. Thank you! Kongnapa taught me this kick in Atlanta. I’m from philly where I trained with Rami at Sitan gym and before that Angel at body arts gym. Choc Dee much love 🙏🏽💪🏽

[@DareToWonder]

Best Mauy Thai Kick ever. Superior to all the rest. Thank you Sylvie

[@Sagatto]

I was told that my kick was way too slow too and I learned the same from my Thai trainers. It took me a while to get used to, but it did improve my kicking speed tremendously and also the power was more intense. Thank you so much for putting this into details and I really love your channel. Btw Sagat is my real name 😂

[@hasanmorris5853]

One day you'll be the master teacher. Keep soaking it in. Brilliant work!

[@IMODN2]

Never knew this but it makes so much sense! Awesome Sylvia!

[@phaethaya]

Hi Sylvie, its fantastic how u got a chance to learn that tecnique. I learned from my fathers bloodline who was doing Thaiboxing for generations and i also got the chance to learn that when i was young. Its tru that it is one of the best tecnique to learn and it took me a long tíme to got it right. My dad told me to stand with left feet first and do that frontleg kick and it must be in the frame as u said. The result i got was not as powerful as when i got my left leg behind my right (like the regular left kick) but it was faster and more unpredictable. It could also transform to some kind of fient tecnique like blocking and pushing. Anyway, thank you for your video and keep up the good work.

[@Overunity357]

Damn, this chick is for real. So calm and down to earth. Excellent presentation.

[@csl9495]

Omg. This is crazy. Because (not on some big head stuff) I discovered this on my own just recently! On the bag you can imagine trying to carve the sides of the bad and turn the shin in last second.

[@kwandao4005]

That is exactly what i learned in thailand as well. I had problems with my fucked up flexibility for over a year. Coming to this way of kicking through my visit in thailand improved my kick so much! I always had a lot of difficulty with the way of kicking, which you demonstrated first. Always a lot of pain in my hip when trying to move above middlekick level.

[@LECityLECLEC]

I love the dedication you give to your craft!

[@thuyhadao2548]

Very effective and subtle indeed, it’s all about the arc of the kick.

[@marcoglara2012]

Love these breakdowns. Deeply appreciate the lessons you’re learning from people who aren’t accessible to us. Please keep communicating these valuable insights

[@zammatt]

I've said it once and I'll say it again.. You already know soo much more technically than any farang I see on KZbin.. You should already be the Head Coach of your own gym right know.. The knowledge You have right now is just so INCREDIBLE.. Love u Sylvie

[@RossJamesNicholls]

I had a coach from Thailand who trained this kick … he used to say it’s the same movement as getting onto a bike. I’ve had other coaches try and change it but I’ve never steered from it because it just feels natural.

[@georgestill2473]

I was taught when you kick just right on the bag, it should go back just a little bit, if you do it wrong, the bag would just rock from side to side. Always kick and focus power through the opponent. Watching this video confirm what I was taught years ago and why other people don't like my low and mid kicks. Good job and keep the knowledge coming.

[@ianf8554]

George Tillman yeah, the kick should just sink into the sweet spot on the bag rather than move the whole thing, so well said.

[@de20]

George Tillman depends. Heavier guys can easily make the bag sway when they kick through it

[@LeeJoRo]

I found your channel today, and I love all of your content so far. Everything you do is so well explained. All of the trainers (and yourself) seem to have so much positive energy. Thanks

[@joshstein4708]

Spent the last few months working on this; was cracking pads today and finally started to feel it integrating (along with the Sagat power cross) and it just feels great. Still not as smooth of the switch, but it'll get there. So grateful for your work and these resources. Thank you. Also, "how feel?" is great advice for thinking about development.

[@johntay3831]

The job of our spinal muscles is to stabilise and resist spine movement, so it doesn’t make sense to over rotate on our punches and kicks. Excellent video on this topic,

[@miaowang3364]

That reminds me of the Taekwondo Roundhouse I used to learn, but instead of Taekwondo's snap, it drives my whole body and weight through the bag! Very useful technic, I tried and it worked! Thank you for sharing!

[@TheArtofBlues]

Love this woman’s passion! I wish her success in everything she is working towards! ✊️

[@mcdarrenpaschal948]

Great show of your progressed. I feel that the way trainers hold pads can contribute to the wide arc

[@Naturalhealing099]

Love that research for the pure technique of the art! You've got a new subscriber.

[@ianf8554]

Thanks Silvie. Really important and relevant post and brilliantly explained as ever. I learned this style kick back in 2001 in Thailand, from trainers who were 80s and 90s fighters. Economy, speed, frame ... totally the selling points for kicking this way.

[@ΓΙΩΡΓΟΣΠΑΠΑΔΟΠΟΥΛΟΣ-ν9π]

Sylvie your passion and enthusiasm makes us feel that we are there with you. It's nice to see people such energised enjoying the insights martial arts. 👍👍

[@brianrhodes7292]

Im a fan now, i just learned something really useful. I like how your able to distinguish kicks and strikes and understand the strengths and weaknesses of multiple techniques for the same strike. Different Tools for varying situations.

[@RoseBrosHTX]

Love your video! It’s the same technique used in tae kwon do. But the Muay Thai style is stronger. Same technique! I love it. Thank you for sharing

[@dianadamin]

I'm in love with your quality content. I feel that it's incredible to have you sharing your knowledge and journey, teaching technique breakdowns and most of all, inspiring aspiring female fighters like me to have someone to look up to 👊🏼 Much gratitude from me to you, may I be able to learn more from your resilience, strength and grace 🙏🏼

[@tjkuba]

Wow! You are gifted at explaining technique. Keep it up!

[@max522shinji]

thank you so much for uploading so many amazing videos. they are really educational.

[@02pilot]

I was always worried kicking the opponents elbow. Thanks for showing this vlog! Also, “throwing everything from the ribs” makes so much more sense too. All power is from core, strikes are more narrow and harder to see coming than rounded movements, body stacks onto the limbs better so the weight will feel like they’re getting hit by a freight train

[@vyderka]

I learned this mechanics of kicking when I was a teenager (like ages ago..) and I've been corrected to this wide like baseball bat swing round kick since then :D but somehow I used to return to this mode of straight up then turn every so often to the dismay of my coaches :D now I always thought that this way of kicking you've shown is wrong but it just felt much better for me, now thanks to you I know that my intuition wasn't that bad, many thanks! I used sharp turn in my shoulders to generate the power for this snappy turn when rising leg was at the intended level, it helped me a lot.

[@HorstEwald]

Aah, man! I almost forgot this video. I love this way of kicking soo much

[@TheKos7900]

Very helpful video , been trying to improve my round kick this helps a lot.

[@eumesmo654]

Hi there Sylvie! Amazing video, as usual, thanks a lot for sharing! What really got me here the first time was a small text of yours about fear and fighting - a taboo for most fighters and coaches. I remember saying "yeah, she knows about it and she ain't no rookie." I coudn't be happier to subscribe to a fight channel. About he kick: Does it feel kind of that brazilian kick? Sure is deceiving, and when it snaps its like a thunder.

[@nelsonventura7374]

Your videos are really good,you are doing a great job.Thank you very much.

[@Jeongle210]

Awesome vid. Good explanation of this technique. I started training this kick a few years ago and have since lost it a little bit and reverting back to that farang kiick. Yod fairtex does this up & over kick very well. he almost looks like he's not fully turning it over .

[@SingularityCSGO1]

These videos are waaay tooooo goood. Watched 3 vids and learned a new/better knee, better jab hook cross from the 90min hip tourque video and now a killer kick that will probably allow me to hit them before guard close haha, before my roundhouse was very wide and straight legged, i think this will be useful in my next training session. Thank you!!

[@mauriciosotoa8130]

excelent work Sylvie. I love so much martial arts and I can see in your eyes the love you have to muay thai. Its fascinating. And I love so much this kick, I practice kickboxing and after years of training my boxing is very fluid, relax, fast and strong (when I want). I can controlled the texture of every punch. But my kicks are so robotic, rusty and I have always have felt they don't fit with my style. Now I have this new kick. Thanks¡¡¡¡

[@seanhibs1093]

Great video, thanks for the breakdown 👌🏻

[@miguelarocazarco5744]

Very interesting ! Thanks for sharing your knowledge

[@mcorleone77]

wow this truly is a "secret" technique. thanks so much Sylvie, it seems so effective.

[@AlanGodshaw]

I still love this video!

[@Xinthisis]

I used to always get closed on while kicking so I started almost preparing to throw a knee first. Because of that my became much tighter and closer and for the person the the receiving end it was less opening to come in. I guess through trial and error I discovered this kicking style as well. It works.

[@hectorlopez3299]

I learned this kick from a Dutch style kickboxer, he told me that it comes out kinda like if you're throwing a knee.

[@joesmith6199]

Fascinating. I have always been interested in Muey Thai but never had professional instruction. have to see if I can find a studio wher an oldish guy can study w/o getting killed.

[@dojanglesclimb]

I learned this same round kick from a taekwondo master. His father taught him like that. I wonder if his father studied old muay thai? Or maybe if you spend all your life sparring and fighting this is a kick that develops naturally as your movements become more efficient?

[@sorntham6516]

Dojangles I’m just gonna praise your back gains

[@leon5248]

You know your stuff, im impressed withyour vids. Thank you

[@Richard-Espanol]

Thank you so much for sharing this! Rare knowledge!

[@InvestTaner]

It took a long time to correct my kick after a Thai fighter showed me how to kick correctly the way you are showing.

[@majesticbob884]

This makes so much sense, whenever I was throwing my kicks, I felt like I was losing so much power at the end, and wondering why. Thank u for the tip

[@ahmedtonmoy8171]

Thank you so much, this lesson change my life

[@Not2Be0utDone]

My MT coach showed me this today and tbh I was a little skeptical since it was contrary to how I learned it but it’s definitely made a difference, especially during sparring sessions

[@LucidStrike]

Whoa. Watched this intently, visualized a lot, and then succeeded on the first attempt. Felt WAY more natural than I imagined it would. You can FEEL when you should really snap the hips. Still years of improvement to go obviously, but yeah. Ironically, I think it's because I'm such a novice. I haven't thrown thousands of wide Thai kicks yet, so there's not much 'muscle memory' to fight against at all. Anyway, thanks.

[@KerryDSC]

Awesome break down of the details with this technique:)

[@danielhans3242]

What about pivoting on the ball off the standing foot which is a key part off the kick and your hands are important as well moving the same side hand downwards to cause more momentum!

[@dappadon714]

Sylvie this particular kick is based from Northern Thailand it originated from the Petchindi and Pontivi Camps my Ajarn was campmates with Sagat and they both kick very similar the thai kick that MOST people do is very wide the kick that I was taught and is used by "the golden age fighters" is a relatively unknown/hidden technique and was secretly kept by these Ajarn for a long time due to how effective it was. There are a couple more things involved to make this kick even more brutal perhaps when I go to Pattaya to Petch Rung Ruang gym and I bump into you there I can possibly show you I may go this June with my fighter Hiro Amano who fights in Max Muay Thai whom I believe you have met in the past while he was training there. Or possibly in the winter time I will be in Pattaya.

[@cecpacasxz9614]

Amazing, you are a nak Muay, keep on!

[@lukenothere1252]

This is crazy, you just blew my mind.

[@hasanmorris5853]

The funny thing is I've been criticized for teaching my daughter the same thing on the front leg. And yes it still packs a wallop on the front leg as well especially after a quick teep.

[@luisalbertovazquezocana2417]

Awesome, thanks for sharing🙏

[@bigred3096]

That's how we learned the roundhouse in the 70s... Some call it the ? question mark or whip kick... I like the golden kick... It's a great one to master.

[@PRSer]

I actually am quite proficient with both ways of kicking. The rounder kick is easier for most people to learn. The golden kick requires a little more looseness and flexibility from the hip to be able to whip out that extra pop at the turning end of the kick. I believe Yodsaenklai uses the traditional round kick the best. His version just has so much power behind it that it's so fast and hits the opponent like a battering ram.

[@T10-n8o]

Thank you 👍

[@SpodyOdy]

I don't know why but for some reason this video keeps coming back to my suggested videos even though ic watched it multiple times

[@louieb3430]

That's very JKD like, straight forward , turn at the last moment. More snappy than thudding, but still hard.

[@Crimson_Skull52]

Great vid. I want to definitely start using this when I kick. One question can this concept be applied to cling multiple times with the same leg? Curious if you could make the same vid but throwing multiple kicks with the same leg. 🙏🏾🙏🏾

[@81banga]

Awesome video, would love to see a technical breakdown of this kick if you ever get the chance

[@8limbsUs]

Here's the long post I wrote on the Golden Kick, lots of breakdown 8limbs.us/muay-thai-thailand/golden-kick-how-to-improve-your-thai-kick

[@81banga]

@@8limbsUs You rock. Thanks heaps :)

[@davidmassey4179]

I trained with Ronnie green (uk) in the 1990’s and he also taught the kick in a similar way.

[@alexischavarria1834]

Love this video. 🙏🏼🙏🏼🙏🏼

[@user06065]

Wow 😀💓💓💓💓💓love it can u tell me what u do before a fight

[@poonyanuchklangthong2454]

Hi been watching since u train master k... I been training with Arjan Aik he have the similar style like sagat

[@Adrian-jw3sp]

i just realized saenchai's kicks are always ike that

[@nervedown666]

Yeah, they are tricky, and can really surprise, with the ribs as target or head, in the last nanosecond he can change it...

[@thestrikingclinic7828]

My kru kicks like this. He had me drill it standing in the ring and having me kick pads standing with my kicking leg next to the ropes, that way I had to come up straight, if I came round or my foot would hit the ropes.

[@j3froc63]

I wished that when you demonstrated the Golden Kick, I could see your supporting leg. Like at what point on the supporting leg that are you're on your balls of your foot? At what point do you pivot?

[@8limbsUs]

You can see an extensive description along with an edit of legends of the sport using the Golden Kick here 8limbsus.com/muay-thai-thailand/golden-kick-how-to-improve-your-thai-kick

[@dyonesios]

As someone mentioned before, this seems exactly like the taekwondo roundhouse. The only difference may be the chambering/fake is more exaggerated in taekwondo.

[@poonyanuchklangthong2454]

Kindly let me know if u find it similar... Love your video

[@hailmanbeli2398]

my idol..great fighter n humble

[@VladKhomutov]

Trying this next tuesday...

[@redwolffist]

Oh that what we do in Choy lee fut. very interesting.

[@sgt7]

This kick apparently has the advantage of not being as common as it's wider variant which means opponents will be less likely prepared to defend against it. They would have seen this kick less.

[@nono559]

So I watched you and Sagat and when he was demonstrating the kick he said 45. Does the kick land at a 45 angle?

[@nono559]

Sylvie, you ever thought about going back to this technique? Talking more about it in detail?

[@8limbsUs]

I wrote this detailed article about it: 8limbsus.com/muay-thai-thailand/golden-kick-how-to-improve-your-thai-kick

[@nono559]

@@8limbsUs thank you! My trainer always told me to kick like you knee but drive the knee across the target and reading your article everything makes sense.

[@hinakhodiyara7883]

Nice one. Thank you :)

[@KKMultes]

Would you call this a variation from the Round kick?