Sherdog User Rules
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I condition my shins?
To make your shins tougher and more tolerant of pain: Kick the heavy bag, kick the Thai pads, spar while wearing shin pads, or try light sparring without shin pads. Avoid the following: Rolling bottles or rolling pins on your shins, hitting your shins with sticks or other objects, kicking trees. (Yes, I know, in the past Thai boxers used to kick soft, sapling banana trees.)
My shins are really bruised and they hurt. What should I do?
Apply ice/cold to help get the bumps and contusions down. Then later, apply heat. An anti-inflammatory such as Advil can also help reduce swelling and help minimize the pain. Contrary to what some people say, Thai liniment does not help alleviate damaged shins; it is used to help you warm up prior to training or fighting. It is also useful for massage.
Are traditional martial arts, such as tae kwon do, karate, kung fu, etc., useful/effective?
Opinions on this subject vary. Just know that this has already been debated ad nausea in this forum.
What moves would/have you use/used in a street fight?
This topic has been done numerous times and often encourages bogus stories. If you want to start or revive it, please do so in the Wasteland forum.
What should I take, boxing or muay thai? Which is better?
This is subjective and contingent upon what you want to get out of your training. The debate is ongoing and essentially redundant at this point. The consensus seems to be boxing is the way to go if you want excellent hands. However, if you want more weapons, muay thai is superior. Muay Thai hands are very similar to western boxing hands but because more time is dedicated to training all the weapons (knees, kicks, elbows, etc.) the hands are theoretically not honed and refined to the level they would be for someone who purely focuses on boxing. That's it in a nutshell but the bottom line is this subject has been done many times and there are many variables involved and no definitive way of knowing which is superior.
I don't live near a gym/school/dojo and I don't have anyone to train with, what can I do?
You will have a very difficult time becoming proficient without the benefit of an experienced trainer and sparring partners. There are no substitutes for these things. You can watch instructional videos to learn techniques, and get in shape (running, jumping rope, shadow boxing, swimming, lifting weights, doing situps, bagwork, etc.) but you will most likely pick up bad habits - without anyone to correct them - and you will not be able to get the feel and experience of fighting an actual opponent. If you are very serious about training, you need to move and join a school.
Advice on fighting a taller opponent?
Being short SUCKS!
Tactics against a 6 ft 5inch Giant ?
Lanky fighters unite!!
Leg Kicks Against a Taller Fighter
vs fighters with reach
problem landing puches (not much reach)
Fighter bigger and taller guys with longer reach?
I got owned in the clinch, need advice.
Thai Clinch: How to counter this defense?
Fighting shorter guys
What are some good combinations for the heavy bag or sparring?
Use the keyword search or view these threads for member recommendations. Keep in mind that these suggestions are each person’s personal preferences. You have to discover what works best for you through experimentation and trial and error. Also consult your trainer.
What is a McDojo?
The equivalent of martial arts fast-food, schools which teach ineffective or unproven martial arts are often referred to as Mc Dojos.
Are links to McDojo web sites funny?
Not really, because they’ve been posted many times before. It’s an old joke.