Note that a Muay Thai kick cannot travel this long path since it’s suppose to hit with the shin, and it doesn’t chamber so it can’t sling shot. Thus it can’t generate the same momentum.
What the MT kick has in its favor is more efficient speed to power ratio. The bone density of a shin his higher, so they can move slower and still get good power.
But it can never compete with the highest level of a TKD kick in terms of top power output.
In Physics, Power can be calculated by multiplying force with velocity. Knowing from Newtons 2nd Law that force is mass times acceleration, the expression for power can also be written as: Mass x Acceleration x Velocity .
The key here is that it’s the acceleration you want to gun for. You do not need to be great at take-off. A kick that accelerates towards the end is much more dangerous than a fast one which doesn’t change speed.
An advantage with a regular take-off is that the opponent won’t be impressed, so you throw a kick that level pace. Maybe you intentionally make him block it.
Then you throw it again and this time crank it up towards the end. He HAS to block it this time. And you lulled him into false security.
The reason flexibility is emphasized in TKD is because when you increase the swing, you (potentially) create more room for acceleration. It’s a numbers game.´I say potentially because there are times when you mess it up and the bigger swing steals momentum…
Imagine if I threw a soccer kick instead. I can still accelerate on it, and it will do damage, but I don’t allow myself the long trajectory to accelerate more and more.
It’s also why haymakers are the most powerful punches. They travel like roundhouse kicks…
Another thing on hands. Fast twitch runs through both hands and legs. The reason you see shitty punchers in TKD is because they just don’t bother to get good with them. So they panic punch whenever you pressure them because they never actually applied punches.
No they don’t. They revert back to instincts because they lack experience handling pressure from punches… They don’t punch the way they are trained on pads.
