Knees

[Thai Bri]

I'm not really into all these different types of knee strike. Just the upwards knee into the groin or thigh. I certainly don't go in for the flying knee type wotsits.

Do you guys only ever really knee when you have someone in a clinch? When I train those seem to be the best. Trying to throw a knee when you're not clinching seems to be far weaker.

What do you guys think?

[William]

Do you guys only ever really knee when you have someone in a clinch? When I train those seem to be the best. Trying to throw a knee when you're not clinching seems to be far weaker.

Knees in the clinch are highly effective, but I have found that countering a jab/cross and sometimes hooks (with a cover) with straight knee also to be a high percentage shot. My straight knee can out reach most people jabs or crosses. Also a parry/slip/slap down followed immediatly by a straight knee is usaully a dropper. No one I have ever fought or sparred with outside of MT has ever expected it or countered it. Most systems just don't train for it (though many are "suddenly" finding techniques in their systems that mirror MT knee techniques).

William

[Szczepankiewicz]

I am by no means an expert on the knees, especially when compared with the Great One.

We have two different knee strikes. Front Knee Lift, Inside Knee lift.

We strike with the portion of the Quad muscle to the inside of the knee (as I assume most people do).


To be effective the target has to be within the length of the thigh so it has to be a close in strike.

Striking farther than that with the knee kinda defeats the purpose eh?

Like throwing an uppercut whilst your opponent is 5 feet away...

[William]

Kaptain Kabong

I'm still waiting for you to sign that waiver Spankster....

Come on, there's only 3,244 pages for you to initial and sign...what are you waiting for?


William

aka: Kaptain Kabong

[darrianation]

I have been trained to use knees in the clinch. I have thrown knees without the clinch but I usually have a hold of the arm or shoulder. I have seen plenty of Thai fighters in Thailand use knees without clinching. Like the flying knee or when the opponent is reaching for the clinch. I don’t recommend throwing knees without have some hold on my opponent. It’s dangerous and weaker.

[William]

I don’t recommend throwing knees without have some hold on my opponent. It’s dangerous and weaker.

Depends on what your strengths are. If I have a hold of my opponent...all the better. What I was alluding to above is using the straight knee with timing and momentum. When used to counter the jab/cross, I deliver a straight knee, leaning slightly back and thrusting the hips forward as my opponent advances. His forward momentum crashing with mine. he gets the bad end of that deal. Or I might slap the top of the incoming punch down as I deliver that straight knee, then immediately follow up with elbows. Weak? Not by a long shot. It's like a car going 30 mph hitting another car going 30 mph...it's the same as hitting a wall going 60 mph.
I don't advocate throwing knees willy-nilly, you just got to know when and what your good at. I'm tall and I love using knees, my reach is longer than most.

William

[darrianation]

william

"as my opponent advances".

Yea thats generally when i've seen it used. Takes good timing. My coach would make us do a 100 push-ups though if he saw us do that.

[aseepish]

My coach would make us do 100 push ups anyways.

[ryanhall]

We strike with the portion of the Quad muscle to the inside of the knee (as I assume most people do).

You strike WITH the quad? Why not use the platella (kneecap)? It's much harder, seeing as it's a bone.

[William]

Yea thats generally when i've seen it used. Takes good timing. My coach would make us do a 100 push-ups though if he saw us do that.

What can I say, different camps. I use it with a high success rate. My timing is good, probably from years of weapon fighting/training/sparring in FMA that carries over into my MT.

Do what works for you...or maybe it's time to let Hooper drive the boat. Drop another chum marker in will ya.


William

[Lizard]

I was taught to do a counter for a cross/jab where you parry with your left hand, keep hold of the opponent's wrist, put your right hand on their shoulder then side knee to the body. I reckon if I did it to someone on the street they would have no way to defend it and perhaps I could knee a few more times. Better than a karate mid block then reverse punch!

[Tom Yum]

That's a good drill; the variation that I practice is a simultaneous parry, knee to the midsection. The left knee comes up virtually a milisecond after the left jab, right knee comes up allmost simultaneously after the right cross. The parry-knee flows into each other - if you land the knee with full force you probably won't need to land another, but if you had to you could opt to throw a downward elbow, horizontal elbow to take it upstairs for awhile or secure a clinch, pull the guy off balance and into some knees.

Don't know about you guys, but I practice more of the ring style MT and western boxing with some traditional MT for self-defense. I can't imagine fighting full contact against a traditional MT fighter for fear of the clinch as well as other things. Have you ever tried to escape the clinch of a TMT fighter? Its really hard!! Have you gotten nailed by a knee while holding one of those old school thin square body shields?

One time our instructor told us to get the pads while I was across the gym and I got stuck with that damn thin square pillow (it isn't much thicker) because everyone else got the solid padded ones. And guess which drill we did? Skip knees - 50! My training partner was both taller and heavier than I and just ripped straight into me with those knees. Atleast there was something between me and those knees, but every once in a while the knee would pass my forearms and sink into my midsection - silly me I tried to suck it up and go with it. I have since dedicated a small portion of my work out time to building a Bruce Lee style midsection.

[JP Prideaux]

If you're gonna try a straight knee into an advancing opponent i suggest you seriously cover up.


Ive seen some HUGE knockouts happen when guys try to throw a straight knee into an advancing opponent... but end up eating a painful straight punch or cross. Very off balance throwing that knee too... so if your opponent connects well it will be a very embarassing sight as you go down.

[Tom Yum]

its not thrown as an initial technique, like a jab; its like catching the jab while simultaneously throwing your own jab.

I agree that throwing a straight knee as a starting technique could put you in a bad position and man do I hate the feeling of getting knocked down or out.

[William]

In reference to "advancing opponent", just in case I was not clear, is a movement to counter...lets say a right cross. As that cross enters (opponent advances) my reach (lets say we are both in a slight left lead), you pop/slap the arm down while simultaneously delivering a right straight knee. Your opponents right cross is deflected down and to your outside opening up his right side (and cutting off most countering possibilities) for the straight knee. The pop/slap is just that, and immediately comes back up to cover and/or follow up with elbows if needed. In this example, you are not grabbing or riding the arm down. A similar move is where you would sweep (or Pak Sao) the cross while simultaneously delivering the knee then either clinch or follow up with elbows.

William