The Liver Shot

My favorite spot to hit on the body is the liver. I like to throw the left hook to the body and for leg techniques, it can be: spin back kick, knee, round or side kick. The right side of your opponents body is very sensitive, so when doing your bagwork focus on hammering that right side of the bag. When sparring created combinations to get your opponent to draw than hands up and open up the liver. Watch this body shot KO video. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AxqrQuMskEI

Tae Kwon Do Knockouts

I came across a cool compilation of TKD knockouts. Remember that TKD is one of the top 2 practiced martial arts in the World (along with Judo). Great kicks in this clip. Go stretch out and get to kicking. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WPVuC6ugmAw

Cro Cop Kick of Death

In his prime, Mirko Cro Cop was the best kicker in the game. His left leg was feared. In days of Pride, he almost unstoppable. Wherever he kicked, damage resulted. Here's a highlight of Mirko. As he aged, injuries affected his kicking ability (lucky for his post Pride opponents). https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ltOdeFoyYO8

American Full Contact Karate

Here is a classic bout between 2 Kickboxing champions, Ross Scott and Jerry Rhome. This is early full contact karate which would later become American Kickboxing. This was before they used boxing gloves and they just started using a boxing ring. This helps give history of full contact martial arts in America. Traditional Karate tournanemt fighters sought a full contact platform which became kickboxing. In the 70s, 80s, and 90s American Kickboxing developed. In the 90s and 2000s, Muay Thai, NHB (early 90s becomes MMA by late 90s). Now the rise of Glory Kickboxing. See all the cool stuff we have to study. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p9DOEJqhk5w

Sacrafice Makes Champions

What are you willing to do to be good at what you do? Are you easily side tracked away from training? Will you train when you don't feel like it? To be a champion you must do what most others won't. Train! Believe or not there are a lot who talk a lot, but don't put in the work. Walk the walk, don't talk about it.

Yodsanklai At Thai Fight

Here's Muay Thai superstar, Yodsanklai Fairtex fighting in Thai Fight. In this match he is doing it old school Muay Thai, with no gloves, only rope wrapped around the hands. Some hard punches are throw here. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gHn2OlO-wi4

Cliff Thomas vs Tommy Williams

Another classic bout from the PKA days of kickboxing. Two champions in an exciting fight. Above the waist kickboxing were the rules at this time, so a lot of action of boxing and kicking. Enjoy. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=miYN1svPoIA

Fight Fighters Most Powerful Weapon

A fighters most powerful weapon is not his strength, speed, or cardio. It is his MIND. You have to believe in yourself and exude this confidence when you compete. You have to deny defeat and feel that you can when no matter what. Even if you are losing, you have to have the belief that you can turn the table and compete victoriously. Never give, never surrender, and never accept defeat.

Ilias Iliadis Highlight

Ilias Iliadis is a powerhouse in sport of judo. He is Olympic, World, and European Champion. If you understand judo, you will see the power in technique. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f9QV_CUP1ZQ

Classic Kickboxing Fight Vizzio Vs. Jackson

Here's a great lightweight kickboxing bout (above the waist) from the early 80s, with Richard Jackson and Paul Vizzio. Both of these fighters were superstars of the sport. Jackson fought out of Atlanta and trained with my first kickboxing trainer, the later Asa Gordon, so it's cool to watch. Both guys show good hands, hard kicks and hard chins. Watch and learn from this bout. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VEpufCA96tM&list=UUk8nVUXU_J-USqy1oeIvgdw

Glory 14 Kickboxing Best Fight

Glory 14 featured some of the top kickboxers going at it in Croatia. The fight of the night was Andy Ristie being upset by Davit Kiria in a title fight of 5 rounds. Davit came back from a knockdown and finished the champ in the 5th by KO. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R7DeF1GxiN8

You Need Full Contact To Make Your Martial Art Work

Full contact means applying your skills against a non-compliant resisting opponent. Just because you hit somebody hard doesn't mean they will fall down and die. One doesn't have to go out and get a kickboxing match to experience contact. Contact training can be done in ways to get participants a realistic feel. Grappling can be done almost all out without injury (just make sure you tap). Striking arts have to be monitored a little more as a hard blow can easily make one go to sleep or break a nose. But, contact training is necessary to learn effective martial arts.

Why I Practice Traditional Karate and Combat Sports

There are different schools of thoughts when it comes to fighting. The traditional view and the practical view. The combat sportman will feel that traditional training (kihon, kata, etc.) is useless. The traditional practioneer might feel that the sports fighter has a big ego and lacks discipline. I still put on a Gi (Karate and Judo), I bow, count and call commands in Japanese, etc. I still get in the horse stance and cat stance and practice the basics. I practice forms (empty hand and weapons). I still wear Muay Thai shorts, and sometimes boxing boots. I simple enjoy that practice of all these things and I always have. Guys of narrow views have questioned me whether my traditional techniques work. I always prove it. Traditional guys might ask the same. I always prove it.

Happiness In Fighting

Many find it strange when I say that I was always happy to fight. I don't mean that in a weird, sadistic way. There was never anger in me while I competed. I didn't fight because i wanted to hurt and beat people up. I didn't fight for money. I did it because I enjoyed competiton. I wanted to test myself against quality opponents. I wanted to test what I learned in class and in the gym. Enjoy competing, don't treat it like you are fighting for you life. Have fun.

Old Lightweight PKA Fight

Another great kickboxing fight from the 80s. Some good lighweight fighters with a lot of action. For you old school kickboxing fans, enjoy. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hlVZCgkMIAs&feature=c4-overview&list=UUk8nVUXU_J-USqy1oeIvgdw

My Personal Kicking Style

People are always asking what is the superior kicking style. Years ago, I was having a debate with a Muay Thai stylst about Thai style kicks versus other kickboxing style kicks (i.e. American Kickboxing kicks which come out of Karate and Tae Kwon Do). I told him that the Knockout doesn't care what kind of kick it is as long as it rattles the brain. You can slap someone hard enough to knock them out or you can use a sledge hammer. Starting out as a Korean based stylist (Tang Soo Do and Tae Kwon Do), I had the opportunity to train with guys who specialized in kicking. Through kickboxing I was able to train with Thai kickboxers and learn different ways to deliver powerful kicks. I kicking with a snapping style based on speed. It is a relaxed method where I used momentum of body (not muscle) to generate power. This way I can kick over and over even when tired. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pP3fnwVSKJU