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.
Spotlight customer reviews:
Customer Rating: Summary: it was alright Comment: While this book does have some good information, and lots of photos to demonstrate techniques, the author doesn't even actually seem to demonstrate that he realizes any difference between muay thai and kick boxing. All in all, i would rather not have bought this book, but am not terribly upset that i did. So, not a terrible buy, but don't expect too much. Customer Rating: Summary: Terrible Comment: The author spends the entire introduction claiming how Muay Thai is the most effective self defense martial art out there. But in doing so, he turns a condescending attitude towards every other martial art. He says that Hollywood makes 120 pound women believe that they can defend themselves with "windmill" punches. Yet the author, himself, is the one who succumbs to the myths surrounding other martial arts.
So he believes other martial arts like Tae Kwon Do and Karate are useless because all they teach is flashy movie moves. But this only goes to show that the author has absolutely no idea what the other arts teach authentically. TKD and Karate do not emphasize 720 degree jump spinning monkey kicks to protect oneself. In fact, the first thing you learn in a TKD or Karate school is to punch and to defend yourself against a punch. Just because all these Hollywood and Hong Kong movies utilise flashy moves does not mean that other martial arts teach that this is the way to defend yourself in a real fight.
Kickboxing has its limitations just like any other art. If you get grabbed and thrown by a judoka, what are you going to do? Does kickboxing teach you how to fight from the ground?
If you're a Brazilian jiu-jitsu artist and you get into a fight with more than one opponent, what are you going to do? Slap on a submission hold while a guy comes up from behind you and stabs you?
Instead of proclaiming that he and his style of fighting is the best, the author should really think about what he's saying. Style bashing (as it is commonly known in the martial arts circles) only shows ignorance.
I haven't seen this author defend himself in a street fight or fight in a no holds barred tournament. But I have seen Tae Kwon Do and Karate guys defend themselves perfectly in a real life street fight against multiple opponents and in one on one situations. And there was a K1 (Kickboxing) competition in which Muay Thai fighters fought against Kyokushin Karate opponents. Guess who won? That's right, Karate.
And these are gripes I have just about the Introduction!
The rest of the book was pretty useless. He says that the book is about conditioning and techniques. The conditioning section only consists of pictures of a guy lifting weights.
...all I can say is that it was completely useless.
No effort to tell how much weight to use, how many sets, how many reps, and workout schedules? I know how to lift a dumbbell and do a bench press. I don't need this guy's book to show me a picture of it.
And the techniques section was very basic. If you have even seen a kickboxing competition, you will probably learn more from just watching it than from the useless (!@$&) this guy shows.
This book is a definite waste of money written by an egotistical ignoramus who wants to sound like he is the best fighter in the world and knows everything about fighting. Yet he can't even put together a simple book on anything useful about kickboxing. Don't buy unless you really want to waste your money. There are much better books on Muay Thai on Amazon. Actually, any other book on Mauy Thai on Amazon is better than this one.
I was duped into buying this based on all the other favorable reviews on Amazon. But now I know that they must have been left by the author or his friends. Or by people who have never trained seriously in Muay Thai or any other martial art.
A much better book is Complete Kickboxing by Martina Sprague and Keith Linvingston. Customer Rating: Summary: The best Muay Thai training book on the Market Comment: If you want to be the best striker in your dojo this is the book to buy. Also buy all the Benny Urquidez Martial Arts training books together your knowledge of striking will be awsome. Also join a good Muay Thai School then compete against Tae Kwon Do Stylists. Then see how easy it is to defeat Tae Kwon Do Black Belts. Buy the book its brillant. Customer Rating: Summary: Americanized Muay Thai; well-rounded conditioning Comment: 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. Customer Rating: Summary: Great book for advanced beginners and intermediates Comment: 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.
