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

~ Chad Boykin (Author) "The study of almost any martial art holds some kind of positive benefits, including self-discipline, flexibility, stress-relief, and the feeling that one is part of..." (more)
Key Phrases: Muay Thai, Exercise Sets, Nai Khanom Tom (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

In the most comprehensive guide available for entry into the fast-growing sport of Muay Thai kickboxing, personal trainer, Thai boxing coach and experienced fighter Chad Boykin leads you through every aspect of the game. Whether you long to test your mettle in the ring or simply get in the best shape of your life, this book will show you how. With clear, instructive photos and descriptions, Boykin demonstrates the conditioning exercises that provide the foundation for the power and speed of Muay Thai. Then he takes you step by step through the brutal elbow and knee strikes, punches, clenches and kicks that form your offensive arsenal, plus the blocks and evasion techniques that will confound your opponent. Training drills teach you to flow from one move to the next with accuracy and confidence. A veteran of the ring, Boykin gives novice fighters inside information on what to expect and offers advice on fighting styles and strategies. Whether you've been participating in kickboxing for years or are new to the sport, this book will give you the edge you need to succeed.

About the Author

Chad Boykin is the managing co-owner of Kickboxing Unlimited in Raleigh, North Carolina, and has several years of experience in Muay Thai-style kickboxing and American boxing. In 1998, Chad won the Toughman boxing tournament via four consecutive knockouts. Earlier that year, he won the North Carolina Academy of Kickboxing middleweight amateur kickboxing title.

Product Details

• Paperback: 207 pages
• Publisher: Paladin Press (May 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1581603207
• ISBN-13: 978-1581603200
• Product Dimensions: 11 x 8.5 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (21 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #314,923 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

51 of 54 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Not worth your money, August 15, 2003

By	K. Kang "dkang21" (BC, Canada) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

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."

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great book on Thai boxing, April 25, 2003

By	Andrew Baye "www.baye.com" - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

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.

12 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Americanized Muay Thai; well-rounded conditioning, February 14, 2004

By	Joseph M Burtner (Kennesaw, Georgia) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

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.