Average Reviews:
(More customer reviews)Mark Hatmaker series on submissions have been brilliant, practical, and informative. Unfortunately with this "Kicking Bible" he has crossed into a realm that he intellectualized but does not teach very well. Having trained under powerful kickers like Malaipet, Kongtalanee Payakarun, and grappling under Gokor Chivichyan, I think this book will cost many to develop bad habits in low kicks. He modifies the trademark low Muay Thai kick to lessen its power in the hope of increasing speed and avoiding over-rotation. Sounds good conceptually. However, looking at Cro-Cop, Anderson Silva, Chris Horodecki, Bas Rutten, Duane Ludwig, and other Muay Thai based fighters in MMA, they may modify the stance a bit to facilitate level changes in takedowns and takedown defenses, but they deliver the Muay Thai kick for the substantial power as intended.
Why does Hatmaker do this? I don't know the true reasons. Perhaps he felt the need to modify a proven technique in order to: (1) "originate" it or (2) to make it fit his paradigm of "non-Eastern-thus Western" form of fighting. Since without modification, Muay Thai is Eastern and doesn't really fit with what he describes as his "ESP" (i.e., his concept of a Western-art only system). (3) Perhaps he felt the need to improve what is already proven in order to emphasize his contribution. Some people are just like that. Whatever the case is, when people modify a proven technique, they should prove their new form in actual competition, and not just in the form of scientific analysis with countless demos on their students.
I share Hatmaker's views on many of the wrestling principles from previous books and DVDs, which he understood very well. Unfortunately, with this one, I'd go with the more proven kickers and learn the low Muay Thai kick as it was intended. Check out Anderson Silva's book, Duke Roufus' very detailed instructional DVD, or other fine books available from proven strikers if you want to learn it in the context of MMA or Muay Thai. Leave this book alone - you will cheat yourself of necessary power and learn a very bad habit (which once learned will be hard to correct; hence, the saying "old habits die hard.") On the plus side, there are some useful coverage of foot stomping.
To be fair, I must admit that this review was based on my opinion and experiences only. I am not a Hatmaker hater; in fact, as I said before, his previous works were brilliant. I am upset with this piece of work. In fact, I really disagree with this one. The low kick is one of the few subjects that I really understand. After all, would you learn how to run from a decathlete or a runner? Sometimes you just have to pick the expert over the jack of all trades when you want to improve a certain skill. Hatmaker tried too hard with this one to be a jack of all trades. At this pace, he'll probably come out with an encyclopedia on combat in fighter jets next.
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