Muay Thai Kickboxing: The Ultimate Guide To Conditioning, Training, And Fighting Paperback – May 1, 2002

Excellent book

Great book for beginners

A really good book. Easy to understand with good pictures.I suggest it for people interested in Muay Thai and KickBoxing.

This book provides the tools to improve your Muay Thai (aside from working with a qualified instructor). It provides a nice mix of technique, drills, conditioning and tactics. All important to improving your stand-up. The illustrations are helpful and well organized. For someone who already has some basics, the best part is Boykins combinations and pad drills which will help your workout, and ultimately when you spar or fight. Nothing replaces a solid instructor, but this is a great book to reference and have on your shelf.

The emphasis of this book seems to be conditioning more than technique. However, that doesn't mean it isn't good. There are five full chapters on physical fitness, and it's probably the most complete program I've seen in a martial arts book. The conditioning covered is everything from calesthetics to weight training to stretching to cardio. For those who are wondering what fitness has to do with fighting, well, it's a lot easier to defeat a person of equal skill and greater size if you have superior conditioning. Anyway, I found these chapters easy to follow, and very insightful. As far as the techniques go, they are described fairly well, and following a single offensive move are the defenses against it. Punches are given the most detail, with sidebars providing extra tips for each punch. Just for the record, pgs. 15-70 are devoted to these techniques. There's also a chapter on training drills, which covers equipment and different drills to do based on what skill you want to emphasise. On the down side, the "self-defense" section was kind of baren, the history chapter seemed a little rushed, and many combinations seemed to favor no-holds-barred contests instead of Muay Thai, in that there were throws and chokes. Overall, a very good book, I just don't think it truly presented Muay Thai. MMA/NHB atheletes might find it useful, as well as folks who are trying to spruce up their self-defense/full contact training. Also, anyone who wants to use a Kickboxing-based workout program.

Chad Boykin writes a solid book on kickboxing technique and tactics. The book has plenty of illustrative and high contrasting photos to demonstrate his concepts. The book layout is logical and covers a wide variety of bases (those already familiar with weight training and aerobic training may want to skip it). The real value of the book, I believe, is in his use of combinations and pad drills. These parts provide a great reference and empower the intermediate fighter in making his/her own favorite personal combinations. Too few books provide such detail and examples for this important material... As in any case this provides a good supplement and/or refresher of muay thai, though people truly wanting to learn this great style of fighting should start with a qualified instructor. More advanced fighters will not get too much out of this manual; there is very little material on the culture of Muay Thai and how it is practiced in Thailand, very little coverage of principles and mechanics of the style (which should also be addressed for true beginners) and very little on fighting strategy. Boykin provides a solid book for those interested in tactics which ideally suits advanced beginners and intermediate practitioners of the martial sport.

I am a novice at Muay Thai kick boxing. My trainer turned me on to this book and it has helped me considerably. The book steps you through moves and conditioning that are easily understood. The pix (with the assistance of my trainer)are helpful in ensuring the proper technique is used and injury is is avoided.I believe the proper training with instructors is the only way to properly condition yourself in Muay Thai but this book enhances my chances of success. I highly recommend it

This is a wonderful, straight forward, hands on book - teaching and explaining, without mysticism, and giving the bare bones , down-and-dirty facts about striking and improving your fight game.the illustrations were very helpful and the unadorned text gets you to the point quickly.I've got a lot of books on my shelves, but this one will stay in my work out bag for a long time! I recommend it to beginners and advanced students alike!Now go work out!

Great book! This is a really comprehensive guide to training, covering techniques and drills for striking, defence, counters, and clinching, plus there's lots of info on strength, cardio and flexibility too. It's got all you need to know!

This book is an excellent buy. For me its a kick boxing book with Thai techniques rather than a classical muay Thai book as anyone who has spent time studying either or both styles will more than likely think the same. However this is in no way to the detriment of what it offers inside to the reader. Inside is a wealth of information on techniques, combinations, session outlines, supplementary circuit training and weight training methods and plans to work from. This is just a small part of what the author offers. It is only my opinion but I personally find this book fantastic. I have made use of it and still do even now. Anyone into striking arts won't be disappointed with the purchase and I'm sure will have as much joy with it as I have. There is always something to be learnt and I'm certain that your training sessions will be enriched as a result.

A fairly comprehensive book on Muay Thai with some good training ideas and explanations. However, I cannot fathom why the Kindle version is so expensive (£51.84 at time of writing; about $70). The book is just not good enough to warrant that price.

Good

the book was delivered within 3 days, free of charge.. well done Amazon!the book itself is excellent.. written in clear, easy to understand English with a lot of pictures and illustrationsit was a birthday gift for my son and he loves it