technique

[shipto]

Just watched the thai boxing on channel 5 and a local boy beat some walsall lad but I think he threw 5 kicks during the whole fight (won in second round) and to me the fight looked more like a brawl than thai boxing.

Now we have 2 what you may call names in the Redditch fight scene both have spent a little time with our camp but moved on to other stuff like ju jitsu for the ground work (edit: they take part in many forms of battle like grapple and strike as well as Thai boxing) i think they are both friends (you can almost quarantee where ones fighting the other will be too even if it only on the ringside) and they both fight in the same style from what i have seen.

Now to my point as a fight watcher or promoter you would want to see some thai boxing with a wide range of moves being used? yes/no

If yes (which i suspect will be the answer most will give)as a promoter would you then refuse to let fighters like those above be part of your event? why?

[YODA]

When I was judging Muay Thai at European title level in the mid 90's we were specifically told to award more points if one guy used a wider range of Muay Thai techniques.

[shipto]

Yeah I think most Muay Thai comps have this rule but thats hardly relevent when these people are brawling their opponent senseless and scoring a tko.

[totality]

if you can't beat them with a more technical style, then they are better than you, regardless of what you were doing. that fellow deserved the ko.

[Adam]

Agree with totality. Winning the fight ought to be more important than looking good while doing it. It does however give the stronger brawler a somewhat unfair advantage over the weaker technician, but that's ring sports for you.

[shipto]

I didnt say they dont deserve the ko they clearly do and I dont think its a unfair advantage even after all its the way they fight. I merely wondered how many people if they where organising a fight night would invite the brawlers to fight.

Another question has just come to mind how would you defend against this kind of brawl fighter my first thought would be to cover as much as possible and hope he punches himself out without catching me but not sure this would work.

[nicolo]

Ever notice how a little dog can bark once and frighten the crap out of you, no matter how big you are?

Brawlers are invariably more scrappy and aggressive. Brawlers are usually relentless in their attack and can be extremely dangerous combined with technique. However, they might lack in the areas of planning and strategy and that's where you might come in. The answer wouldn't be to defend but be even more offensive against him and apply intense pressure to beat him down or break his will. Attack attack attack and no retreat. If you retreat you'll play right into his hands, he'll charge after you. Make him think twice, three times about attacking you. Give him the psychological shakeup by displaying, or appearing to display, tremendous firepower. You might also go for a complete KO at the get go because you want him OUT. If he tries to change his style and go technical on you, beat him with strength. If he uses strength, be technical. Mess up his fighting ranges, in and out high and low, use fakes, feints, countering moves to mess him up. If he likes to kick and punch, work him in the close range with elbows and knees, and vice versa. Be slick and elusive. The idea is to psychologically beat him down.

[totality]

excellent post nicolo.

WANDERLEI SILVA. how do people beat him? well, they really don't. an evil man with heavy hands, who comes well prepared and walks through punches and kicks to break faces. smart brawler.

a smart brawler is very dangerous. they don't worry about avoiding your strengths, so much as knowing how to force you to eat theirs. find a weakness and exploit it. although, that applies to everyone, as that is the best way to beat anyone.

[nicolo]

The top two fighters, Landis and Silva, of Brazil's Chute Boxe school are vicious strikers.
Vanderlei Silva fights like a newly released patient from the local psyche ward. He literally goes ballistic. Combine that with his shootfighting skills, the man is extremely dangerous. But even so he can be beaten. Silva loves to take the fight on his feet and brawl with his limbs. His thai kicks are vicious and his clinching, although maybe not as technical as a real muay Thai expert, are frightening nevertheless. His losses are almost minimal (his record is 24-3-1!). However, it seems Silva may lack in the ground game. One only needs to look at his Peles' last loss on the ground to Carlos Newton. Carlos got the piss knocked out of him and was somehow able to lock in an armbar to secure the victory. Future fighters can only hope Silva remains somewhat weak in that area...otherwise, god help us all.

[totality]

silva may not be nogueira, but he's still a bjj blackbelt.

[nicolo]

true dat, seems the only one to beat Silva is Silva!