Watanabe Judo Aikido Kickboxing And Ju Jutsu School Article

You Know How Important The Thai Pads Are To Your Muay Thai Development? The Belly protector Is Used Just As Much In Thailand

Whenever you see a pad holder from Thailand you will see him or her wearing a belly protector. If using the thai pads the holder will especially be wearing one to protect himself from the powerful muay thai kicks and knees.

The belly protector or pad is a large foam padded belt which resembles a title belt in it's shape. It is usually covered in leather and is attached at the back with velcro or a buckle. It surrounds the mid-section and has large padding at the abdomen and sides.

We in the west seemed to recognize the importance of the thai pads for muay thai development but forgot the rest of the equipment. A muay thai pad holder from Thailand will invariably wear either hand mitts or thai pads, a belly protector, a groin guard, and shin guards. This makes the pad holder able to simulate a fighting experience without getting hurt but with the muay thai fighter going with full power.

One of the reasons you see western pad holders holding the thai pads wrong is because they are not wearing a belly pad. They hold the thai pads with elbows together in front of their stomach because they are afraid of the kick hitting their body.

This takes away from the realistic fighting experience because the kick is connecting with the pad holder away from his body. It is also hard for the pad holder to absorb the impact because he is using all arm strength rather than core strength.

When wearing the belly pad you can take full power punches and even foot jabs but you need the added resistance and padding of thai pads to take full muay thai round kicks and knees. You hold the thai pads at 45 degrees to your body but with your elbows at your sides and the tops of the thai pads touching. With the belly pad on this makes a triangle of protection which is the strongest way to hold them.

Here are some tips to remember when using the belly protector...

1. Wear a groin guard - some muay thai fighters miss and think that because you are all padded up that you are indestructible. Not so...wear a groin guard.

2. Let the kicks come to you - don't fade away from the kicks as this takes away from the muay thai fighters experience but don't move into it to brace either. The belly pad works great but it isn't like armor.

Think of absorbing the impact as the strikes hit you and the force will travel down your legs. Fight against it and you will feel the knees travel to your backbone.

3. Move with the fighter - make the pad work like a real fighting experience. Move backwards, forwards, circle etc.

4. Let the strikes hit the belly pad - you will be tempted to take the force mainly on the thai pads but think of them as back up.

Take a knee, for example, on the belly pad but use one thai pad on top of it to stop the knee and use the other against the top of the muay thai fighters thigh to absorb the force. This makes the fighter drive through stronger and work harder.

You may be thinking that the belly protector is just an added extra but without it you can't really use the thai pads properly. If you want to simulate the most realistic fighting experience for your muay thai fighters then grab a belly pad. You as a pad holder will get tougher abs and your muay thai fighters will kick and knee with greater penetration. Even tough body punches are rarely done in muay thai the belly protector is also the best way to train them.