Customer Reviews

Muay Thai Kickboxing: The Ultimate Guide To Conditioning, Training, And Fighting

5 star:		(14)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

I bought this book, because other reviews for this book was so great.
I hope others don't make same mistake that I have made.
I bought this book thinking I will learn about the art of Muay Thai and how Thai fighters train.

It probably have about 10 pages explaining basic punching and kicking in a whole book. Although I didn't anticipate to learn all the technique in one book, this is way off the mark.

However, what really disappointed me was a conditioning part.
There are over 40 pages of "Weight lifting" techniques in this book without explaining its relationship the art of Muay Thai.

I mean just looking at pictures of Bench Press, Barbell Curls or Crunches doesn really Help you a lot. I expected to know about how much weight to use, number of repetitions, what body parts should be emphasized, etc. But, this book had nothing but pictures of weight lifting exercises.

As regard to cardio conditioning, all it said in a whole book is "Muay Thai fighters have been religios followers of distance running." I mean....who doesn't know.

I would give this book 1 star even if it was only half the price of its outrageously overpriced price.

If you are interested in Muay Thai, get a great book by Villalobos "Training secrets of Muay Thai camp."

If you're already a student of Muay Thai under a qualified instructor there's not much here that's going to be new to you, but it is a great reference and contains quite a few good drills, which are nice to know since the more drills you have the more you can vary your training and keep it from getting too monotonous :)

If you are interested in learning Muay Thai you're not going to learn it from a book, you need qualified instruction, but this book is a great introduction to the art and will give you a good idea what it's about.

The emphasis of this book seems to be conditioning more than technique. However, that doesn't mean it isn't good. There are five full chapters on physical fitness, and it's probably the most complete program I've seen in a martial arts book. The conditioning covered is everything from calesthetics to weight training to stretching to cardio. For those who are wondering what fitness has to do with fighting, well, it's a lot easier to defeat a person of equal skill and greater size if you have superior conditioning. Anyway, I found these chapters easy to follow, and very insightful. As far as the techniques go, they are described fairly well, and following a single offensive move are the defenses against it. Punches are given the most detail, with sidebars providing extra tips for each punch. Just for the record, pgs. 15-70 are devoted to these techniques. There's also a chapter on training drills, which covers equipment and different drills to do based on what skill you want to emphasise. On the down side, the "self-defense" section was kind of baren, the history chapter seemed a little rushed, and many combinations seemed to favor no-holds-barred contests instead of Muay Thai, in that there were throws and chokes. Overall, a very good book, I just don't think it truly presented Muay Thai. MMA/NHB atheletes might find it useful, as well as folks who are trying to spruce up their self-defense/full contact training. Also, anyone who wants to use a Kickboxing-based workout program.

Chad Boykin writes a solid book on kickboxing technique and tactics. The book has plenty of illustrative and high contrasting photos to demonstrate his concepts. The book layout is logical and covers a wide variety of bases (those already familiar with weight training and aerobic training may want to skip it). The real value of the book, I believe, is in his use of combinations and pad drills. These parts provide a great reference and empower the intermediate fighter in making his/her own favorite personal combinations. Too few books provide such detail and examples for this important material... As in any case this provides a good supplement and/or refresher of muay thai, though people truly wanting to learn this great style of fighting should start with a qualified instructor. More advanced fighters will not get too much out of this manual; there is very little material on the culture of Muay Thai and how it is practiced in Thailand, very little coverage of principles and mechanics of the style (which should also be addressed for true beginners) and very little on fighting strategy. Boykin provides a solid book for those interested in tactics which ideally suits advanced beginners and intermediate practitioners of the martial sport.

This book is a mix of kickboxing techniques and drills with weight training and exercises.

The techniques and explanations are very detailed which is a plus. I would recommend this book for beginners or intermediates. This is because the emphasis is on basic techniques and pad training, with some detail on sparring styles.

As others have included in reviews there is a big section with information on strength training, exercises, and fitness, which martial artists may or may not be interested in.
If someone is looking for strength and fitness as well as basic kickboxing then this is a good feature. The list of shorthand drills is a nice addition and gives many possible examples.

The author credits the Thai's for the striking style that is used most in the No Hold's Barred fighting today, and focuses on the techniques more than the culture of Muay Thai itself. For advanced books on pure Muay Thai culture and rituals there are better available, such as "A Living Legacy" and "Thai Boxing Dynamite".

This book is a good introduction to the techniques and training methods that can be used to excel in Thai kickboxing and to get in shape. But there is likely nothing new for advanced fighters.

Although no book can ever substitute an actual Thai Boxing instruction, this book did a good job trying. It is very informative and if you've had several introductory courses in Muay Thai, this book will be a valuable training guide. If there are any faults, just keep your foot pointed towards the ground as much as you can when kneeing. Some people depicted kneeing in the book had their foot way too horizontal while delivering a Muay Thai knee strike. All in all, it is an excellent book and I fully recommend it!

This book was just what I have been looking for! There is some history and information referenced on the art aspects of Muay Thai, but mostly the book focuses on the training. There are technique descriptions with photos for each strike, diagrams, combinations, training plans, weight training, cardio conditioning, self-defense tips for women, and sample programs.

I don't plan to fight in the ring but for self-defense I want to train as if I were. I got this book to help reinforce what I learn in the gym and it does just that!

This book not only has detailed information for all of Muay Thai's offensive strikes and defensive maneuvers, but also contains a wealth of information on how to get yourself in to condition for fighting. Sections on calisthenics, weight training, and mental preparedness will be helpful for both beginners and experienced kickboxers. Great sections on how to throw knees, kicks, punches, and elbows are here. You will also learn how to use these moves in combinations during pad training drills (and eventually sparring or fighting). Information on the history of Muay Thai and the use of Muay Thai in self-defense or street fighting situations is also included here. An excellent book and a must for anyone interested in Muay Thai or other forms of kickboxing.

Basic technics, training drills are given without photos, no combinations, no serious muay thai. Half of the book is about weight training, which is not something that you would look for in a muay thai book. If you need conditioning, purchase either Matt Furry's or Christhensen's books. Self-defense chapter is useless because with only few pages you can not learn anything, purchase Gracie's one if you need a self-defense book. This book does not woth money for few punches, kicks, or knee strikes.

Well done. This encyclopedic text delivers on its promise and more. Minute breakdowns of every offensive and defensive technique this sport has to offer. There is some wonderful training/conditioning information as well. I found the VERY detailed combination/flow drill list an incredibly strong feature. Over all the best text on this effective sport I have ever come across. I have added it to the recommended reading on my own website ... In many cases it far surpasses some live instruction that I have seen. Well done authors, well done.