Punish Kicks With Jake Mainini
In this video, Coach Jake Mainini covers some Dutch Kickboxing style drills for taking/defending kicks and responding back quickly with a delayed counter. Coach Mainini starts off the video by talking about the importance of your stance and how it is important in striking arts that involve kicking, to have your lead foot pointing forward at 12 o'clock, as he says. This is because if you have your lead leg turned inward you are more susceptible to taking low kicks that are more powerful, as you are not in the proper position to block.
This is while it is important to atleast have your foot and toes pointed forward but Mainini says that it is even better to have your toes pointed slightly outward. Coach Mainini says that having your toes pointed out at 11 o’clock instead of 12 o’clock is even better. This is because having your foot in this position not only speeds up your ability to block, but also takes some of the power off of a kick that does land. If a kick lands on the outside of a lead leg that's pointed outwards, it will take off the pain by having the kick hit the front of the thigh and also slide up it.
In terms of the actual drill, Jake has his partner throw a low kick to the outside of his lead leg. Jake then focuses on how to take the kick, by leaning forward slightly to put weight on the leg, so that you can take the kick better. It is important to keep the whole foot on the food and not raise up on your toes.
After taking the kick in this way Jake shows us a counter, that being using the same leg that was just hit to land an inside low kick to your partner/opponent’s lead leg. This is a perfect counter to an outside low kick in an orthodox vs orthodox scenario, as your opponent won’t be able to block or dodge this inside low kick if you are countering immediately after they land their kick. This kick will also off balance your opponent, leaving them open for devastating follow up strikes. Jake also says that you should step out slightly with your rear leg while throwing the inside kick to get more power in it.
The second counter off an outside low that coach Mainini shows is the switch kick to the body. Fairly simple, after taking the low kick, quickly switch your stance and fire off a kick from what was your lead leg and land forward, back into your normal stance. Aim to the lower torso of your opponent/partner, as that is the part of their body that is going to be open for a counter after throwing a kick.
Learn MORE Muay Thai fundamentals with Jake Mainini! Click Learn More!
Coach Mainini then goes on to cover kicks to the rear leg. First Jake shows how to counter low. After receiving the kick to your rear leg, immediately fire that same rear leg at your opponent's rear leg, which 3il be exposed from your opponent's lead leg kick. Once again this will off balance your opponent, leaving them open to more shots. The other counter is a simple rear kick to the body after getting hit.
Jake then goes on to talk about counter body kicks. To block kicks to the body, create a double forearms guard by moving both arms in the direction of the kick, but keep them tight to your body to avoid damaging your arm.
The counters are the same, so when you receive a body kick from an opponent's rear leg, respond with a body kick of your own or an inside low kick. THis is the same with the lead kick to the body counters, responding with either a rear kick to their rear leg or a rear kick to their body.
Jake also shows punch counters off of body kicks. When countering a rear leg kick to the body, throw a left hook either to the body or to the head. With lead leg kicks to your body counter these with rear straights either to the body or the head.
Jake then ends the video by going over how to train using this drill. The same person should go through each defense and counter first before switching, this way the person that starts the drill by attacking, ends the drill by defending and countering. After getting the hang of this, Jake encourages adding on to the counter strikes, as most of them provide good opportunities for follow ups.
Master the crucial fundamentals of Muay Thai with revered Muay Thai coach, Jake Mainini. Check out The Fundamental System of Muay Thai Today!