Granted and point well taken. If economy and efficientcy is what matters, but If a big motion brings a end to a conflict. Making it effective, then do it.

I know it goes againt all what Wing-chun hold worthy and I preach the samething, but I do and hold to hitting whats ever open. Making openings sometimes plays into a counter puncher realm.

Effectiveness outwieghs efficiency in combat, IMHO. Now if you can have both I standby your commentment.

Taison,

Have you trained in Thailand before/Do you train in Thailand now?
I am planning to go there for a year to teach English before I apply to med school and I would really like to train in Chiang Mai. Do you know of any schools/camps that can train more traditional Muay Thai? I do have a little experience in Muay Thai, about 8 months and I have competed in one amateur fight. Let me know!

And back to the high kick discussion, talking about high kicks in Muay Thai seems a little redundant, especially when knees and elbows are involved, but you can't dispute that a successful head kick can end a fight VERY quickly. I would definitely prefer a clinching knee/low kick personally.

Taison, my JKD instructor said essentially the same thing about high kicks: "Kicking someone in the head is like punching them in the foot". But, honestly, I don't use high kicks because I have lousy flexibility. I WISH I could kick higher than the waist. That's why I love training muay thai with short people, cause it makes me feel like I can kick higher than I really can!

I think in a MMA a good thrusting kick, side, back at the rib level can be very helpful against many of these grapplers that just charge in with abandon. I honestly have never seen a kick besides a front or roundhouse thrown in a MMA fight. Roundhouses are often the opening kick, because I guess it takes less effort to throw. Unfortunately they have a bad habit of getting stuffed and quickly lead to a takedown.

I am tall and do not like to high kick.All the low kicking that Bruce did was to open the door to get inside and end it (elbow, knee, head-butt) I remember a instance when I had to defend myself and used a straight blast...it worked, it worked well.

To those who think high kicks are too slow, try throwing more than 1 attack ::shakes head::

Cobra,

It's not that kicks are too slow to the head, they can be set up. However, the problem is the risk involved in throwing a high kick and missing, or having it blocked and grabbed, and opening oneself up to take downs while unbalanced with one foot in the air.

High kicks can be usable, if the circumstances allow it, but relatively speaking, it is probably safer to throw lower kicks and work from there.

-B

Oh my gosh, I have seen lightning fast kicks, I am not saying it can't be done. It is just a high risk move. I would hate to get caught being flashy and dumped on my ass. It depends on who and where you want to perform the kick. In the "real world" I would never use any high kicks..in the ring, maybe. High kicks can be a a great attack, if it hits.