An Introduction To Muay Thai

All across the world, people have heard about it and possibly even witnessed it first hand or on television - the furious punches, bone crushing elbows, lethal and piercing kicks, and the unforgettable knees. Although watching it on television is great, nothing begins to compare to seeing these moves executed live - with thousands of fans cheering the fighters on.

This is the wonderful world of Muay Thai kickboxing. Muay Thai is a martial art that is unlike any other, rich in the proud heritage of an entire nation. The style is interwoven into the well known history of the Thai people. Even though they are gentle and fun loving people, they've had to defend both themselves and their land for many years against the aggressive powers and thieves.

To protect what they had, the Thai people developed a fighting system of close combat techniques that were suited to the type of rough terrain they would be fighting in. Over the years, it eventually become a rite of passage for all Thai men to train in this amazing martial art.

In the beginning, Muay Thai proved to be a dangerous and deadly art, with the fighters having no safety gear or protection - all they had were lengths of cords in which they would wrap around their fists as gloves. As the years progressed, rules were written into the equation to establish some protection for the fighters.

Over the years, Muay Thai has progressed as both a martial art and a style, attracting people from all over the world. There are training facilities in Russia and the United States, with qualified instructors to help teach Muay Thai to interested students.

These days, Muay Thai is one of the most popular sports in the world. There are a lot of television networks that broadcast Thai bouts on a weekly basis, pleasing avid fighting fans from all over the world. International boxing is another popular sport, although most successful International boxers got their start in Muay Thai. This goes to show why Muay Thai training is so popular - and so lethal as well.

Normally, Thai bouts are fought with 5 three minute rounds, with a two minute rest period in between the rounds. All fights are preceded by a dance, which gives the contestants the opportunity to pay homage to their teachers. The dance is an excellent exercise to warm up with, with plenty of symbolic meaning towards the style.

During the fights and even with training, you'll see that each Thai boxers wears armbands and a headband. The headband that fighters wear is believed to have been blessed by a monk or teacher, and will bestow luck upon the fighter. Thai boxers take a lot of pride in their training and fighting, with the headband being a source of inspiration and pride for the fighter.

During training, Thai fighters will learn a lot about their spiritual well being, the history of Muay Thai, and the skills they need to survive. Fighters that plan to compete in Thai fights will need to practice a lot, as the fights can be very demanding. Thai training can be very brutal, all depending on where you study. If you are studying the ancient arts of Thai boxing, you can count on the training to be very rigorous and demanding.

Although Muay Thai can be a tough art to practice, it is one of the best martial arts that you can study. The techniques are lethal, the training is tough - yet the competitions make it all worth while!



About the Author
Al Dawson is a 25 year + keep fit fanatic and runs the company : http://www.ultimateboxingbags.com.

The Author grants full reprint rights to this article. You may reprint and electronically distribute this article as long as its contents remain unchanged and the Author's byline remains in place.

Reality Based Self Defense Training: Practical Fighting Skills For High-risk Situations

Reality Based Self Defense Training (RBSD) is a practical approach to developing simple, direct, and effective fighting skills.

Other approaches at martial arts may emphasize competition, physical fitness, character development, or cultural tradition. While all of these certainly have their value, RBSD training focuses specifically on equipping you with the skills and confidence that you need to:

Neutralize an attacker within seconds and end a violent conflict quickly.

To prepare for real life, high-risk situations, you need training that encompasses a broad range of variables.

Reality Based Self Defense Training takes into consideration:

*Multiple Opponents *Armed Opponents (edged weapons, impact weapons, firearms) *Opponents Who Are Larger or Stronger Than You *Opponents Under The Influence Of Drugs and Alcohol *Awareness of Bystanders and Defenseless Individuals *Utilization of Surroundings and Improvised Weapons

The practical nature of this type of self defense training makes it ideal for law enforcement officers, security professionals, military personnel, and private citizens who understand the importance of being prepared for a dangerous situation.

Common elements of RBSD Training include:

- Situational Awareness - Verbal De-escalation techniques - Attacking Vital Areas (eyes, throat, groin, etc.) - Finger Manipulation and Wrist Locks - Grappling - Kickboxing - Take-downs and "Come-alongs" - Knife Defense and Disarms - Stick Fighting - Gun Disarms - Legal Considerations in Self Defense

The nice thing about Reality Based Self Defense Training is that anyone can take advantage of it. You don't need to be a black belt, special ops soldier, or a "tough guy". You don't even need to be in excellent physical condition.

You just need to have the desire to do something about it the next time you or someone you care about is threatened with violence.

If you are serious about practical, quality self defense training, I will be more than happy to direct you to the instruction that you need. Why put it off? What you learn today could save you from being a victim tomorrow.

To get connected immediately with some of the most respected self defense and close combat experts in the world, go to http://www.squidoo.com/reality-based-self-defense-training

Adi Purusa is a self defense instructor and a black belt in Filipino Fighting Arts.Visit his web site at http://www.selfdefensesolution.com



About the Author
To get connected immediately with some of the most respected self defense and close combat experts in the world, go to http://www.squidoo.com/reality-based-self-defense-training

Adi Purusa is a self defense instructor and a black belt in Filipino Fighting Arts.

Visit his web site at http://www.selfdefensesolution.com

The Benefit of Kickboxing Training

So what's kickboxing training all about and why should you get involved? A great reason is because you will get the workout of your life. A lot of people will start a workout program just to quit a month or two into it because they get bored of running or bicycling. What kickboxing offers is a wide variety of body movements to not only help you burn a ton of fat but also strengthen your muscles to further help you burn more fat.

Because of the different things that are involved, you won't easily get bored of it. Another added benefit is that you'll be able to defend yourself better. Unless you train intensely for a few years, you won't be able to compete or anything, but that's not really your aim here anyway. Your aim is to get fit and at the same time build confidence by learning to defend yourself.

When it comes to actually learning to defend yourself, you have to do the real thing. I'm not talking about aerobic kickboxing. I'm talking about repetitive kicks and punches to punching bags and sparring. This will get you use to holding the right stance and performing the right punch and kicks. With the aerobic kind, you're really just moving a lot to sweat. Form isn't as important therefore, in real life situations, your strikes won't be as strong.

One last thing. The best way to avoid a fight is to back down. That is not "wimpy", it's smart. Only try to defend yourself if it's your last resort. Other than that, enjoy the health benefits kickboxing training provides. It can be the most fun workout you can have.



About the Author
David helps contribute to a site about kickboxing training.

Buying the Right Kickboxing Equipment

Kickboxing is a great full contact sport that requires players to engage in combat. This is why having proper kickboxing equipment is highly important for all combatants to safeguard their bodies from unnecessary damages.

The most basic kickboxing equipment are the gloves, hand wraps, trousers, shoes, mouth piece, groin and shin guards, and sometimes, helmets. As these items will very much likely receive some degree of beating, it is important that you get the highest quality you can get with your budget and level of practice. And to help you with choosing which product name will suit you, here are some tips you should mull over before purchasing.

Gloves

There are different types of gloves, depending on the weight, usually ranging from 6 to 18 oz. The lighter gloves are usually for professional fights, while the moderate weighing ones are used for training with pad and bags, and sometimes for free sparring, like the heaviest types. Use of the heaviest gloves work as a protection for both parties, but rules still apply against hard punches in the head. In buying your own set of gloves, experts suggest getting those with trusted brand names. This is because, usually, branded ones are much stronger and could last for a couple of years.

Trousers

The first requirement for choosing a kickboxing trouser is how freely it will allow you to move, kick, and raise your legs. As long as it is loose enough for that purposes, it could work.

Shoes

Wearing shoes are rather optional for most enthusiasts for other prefer being barefoot in fights. However, there are specialized kickboxing shoes which are especially created to endure the intensity of the sport. Another option, especially for beginners, is by wearing trusted trainers that would allow you to move freely without hurting you.

Keep in mind that in buying kickboxing equipment, your safety is always the main goal. So, in purchasing other items, like mouth piece and shin and groin guards, pick the ones which will effectively perform and meet the requirements for their purposes. This way you can be able to enjoy the sport better without worrying too much about your safety.



About the Author
For more information please visit my Kickboxing Equipment site.

What You Never Knew About MMA Fighter Chuck Liddell

One of the most recognized names in the Ultimate Fighting Championship, or UFC, is MMA Champ Chuck Liddell. Beginning his martial arts training at the young age of 12, he fights out of San Luis Obispo, California. Born and raised in that state, he wrestled at California Polytechnic State University, where he also majored in accounting. Before he began his full time fighting career with the UFC, he worked as a bouncer and bartender despite having an accounting degree.

1998 was the first time that we saw Chuck Liddell fight in the UFC. By 2002, he was the number one contender for the light heavyweight title. At that time the title was held by Tito Ortiz, who Liddell had trained with at the Pitfight Club. Apparently Ortiz refused to give Liddell a chance to fight him for the title, so instead he fought Randy Couture, who was a former heavyweight champion and a veteran of the UFC.

Unfortunately, he lost to Couture, and it was Couture who later beat Ortiz, becoming the new light heavyweight champion. In UFC 47, Liddell then was able to knock out Ortiz after he lost that title. In UFC 52, Chuck fought Couture once again. This time he was able to beat Couture, and he now was able to claim the light heavyweight title. After this fight, Randy Couture announced his retirement.

Liddell is known as The Iceman and is known for his unconventional fighting style. He is trained in Brazilian Ju Jitsu, kickboxing, wrestling, and Karate Tae Kwon Do, with a black belt. His style has been described as being very relaxed, but disconcerting to his opponents at the same time. This makes his actions difficult to anticipate.

His exciting fights are intense and exciting, which has contributed to the fighters popularity immensely with MMA and the UFC. What also helps his popularity is the fact that he tries to make sure that his wins are from knockouts rather than by judges decision as much as possible.

The UFC launched a reality series in 2005 called The Ultimate Fighter and Randy Couture and Chuck Liddell were chosen to be the coaches of the two teams of aspiring Mixed Martial Arts fighters. Both of the finalists from that show were members of Chucks team, and were given contracts to fight with the UFC. Forrest Griffin and Diego Sanchez were the winners of the series, and both became successful in their endeavors with the MMA. Chuck Liddell has no plans to retire anytime soon from the UFC.



About the Author
For more information on Chuck Liddell, please visit our website.