Muay Thai/ Kickboxing/ K-1

[No pasarán]

Ok had a wee bit of a search but didn't see any threads on muay thai/ kick boxing... So I'm starting one. I trained from about 2002-2004 seriously, but moved away from my class and for some reason put my training on hold... I then took up BJJ but that only lasted bout a year cos I didn't have the energy to go after work (I was a bike messenger) and was traveling a long way to the classes as it was. I can't take it up again properly until I move again but I've been training on my own again...

In terms of fighters I don't think anyone can match the dutch muay thai/ K-1 in terms of aggresion and style. Of course some of the Thai's are just as tough, but their style.. being more about points (right?) doesn't look quite as powerful.

Rammon Dekkers... despite his amazing record didn't quite reach his full potential in my eyes cos he fought while injured too much
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-v-UQ5XnLz8

And of course ( the infamous) Jan Plas's boys Peter aerts and Rob Kaman

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z19u7Q23YCg

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6vCm7Hh1IWE

But in my eyes the greatest thai of our generation and an equal to the above

Buakaw Por. Pramuk

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BxzmmZ6RH1Y


I also seriously rate Remy Bonjasky, Faldir Chahbari (the one eyed beast of the east), Andy Souwer, the list could go on and on...

[Sasha]

used to train quite intens, although i never made it past the higest "recreative" group but since i trained at Mejiro, the old gym of Bonjaski, Kaman, Jan Plas, Aerts, Souwer etc etc i think i was quite OK, better than most advanced students at other gyms.
I realy should start training again, i'm not sure if i go back to Mejiro (long story short; my ex still trains there and we didnt have a nice break up) or look for a new dojo and take the oppurtunity to pick up some MMA as well (since mejiro doesnt teach that)

[No pasarán]

I haven't seriously trained at martial arts in years, but since I've been unemployed or working cash in hand I've been really keen to get into it again. I think work, probably too much drink and trying to be really political activte at the time were orginaly what stopped me. Then having a kid was another good reason to get sidetracked. I've done a little sparring with friends from K.O. gym and attended a few of their classes over the last few years but never had the money or time to really get back into it. But over the last 2 months I've been training myself again with growing intensity, but as soon as I move (hopefully in the next two months) I need to find a new class and get back into it.

I don't really think I'll ever do anything as a fighter (despite coming from a family of boxers) cos I'm too old now and I've too much bulk even though I've started to slim down a lot, the nature of the work I usually do means I'll always be heavy for my height. But I loved the release I got from it, I loved BJJ too, but I gotta be honest I prefer the standup nature of kickboxing over grappling.

[FreeFocus]

That was a nasty Aerts head kick KO..right when they broke he fired it off.

I'm starting Muay Thai full speed in a few months, should be great. One of my problems with K1 is that they don't let fighters work in the clinch enough, they break it right away. Some people say this puts Thai fighters at a disadvantage, because the clinch is such a big part of Muay Thai. I understand that it can impede the more technical aspects of boxing, for example, but when working in the clinch you can use dirty boxing, so I think its fine.

[Sasha]

the reason they banned the clinch in K1 is to make for more atractive fighting as an spectatorsport. And i must say i kinda agree with them, escpacily with heavyweights lots of clinching just ends in a hugging match througout the whole rounds.