Is slipping allowed/ taught in Muay Thai? Also how do you slip properly?
 

My instructor has just taught us blocks and parries for punch defense. Do slips get you kneed in the face?

How do you slip properly do you rotate, bend at the waist or bend just one leg or something else?

If you slip properly, you shouldn't be changing your level enough to have to worry about knees. If you become too predictable or time it wrong, you can however slip right into a headkick.

In kickboxing your best bet with slipping is to only slip one punch and to return fire immediately. Trying to move your head away from several is really just setting yourself up to eat shin. (This is something I learned personally when I returned to kickboxing after several months of just boxing.)

Because the range is longer in kickboxing, I'd suggest pairing your slips with footwork rather than just slipping in place. While there will be times that you can slip and counter without moving your feet, there are even more instances when you won't be able to reach him with your counter punches without advancing.

So here are the two safest ways to "slip 'n rip" in kickboxing (that I know of).

Slip the jab, return with the cross. Because a lot of Muay Thai practitioners don't step heavy on the jab, you might want to do this coming forward so you can actually reach with your punch. Step forward slightly with your left as you slip; it'll give you a few more inches of reach.

Slip the cross, return with the hook. Take a small, diagonal step forward with your left as you slip. (If you step straight in, you'll run right into his cross. Cutting a small angle with save you.) Rotate your hips all the way through on your counter hook. Don't be lazy with it!

Slipping the cross is great because after the hook you've got so many options -- assuming you rotated enough. You could throw a cross right after, you could cut across with a springing kick since your hips are wound up, or you could pivot on the hook and throw a body kick after.

As for actual slipping technique, rotate your shoulders and hips when you're slipping a jab. Make sure your weight shifts on to your rear leg so you're primed to return with a cross. Rotate your shoulders, hips, AND rear foot when you're slipping a cross. Your weight should shift on to your lead leg, so you're primed to return with a hook.

Point the shoulder when you slip and bring your hand to your cheek. Don't try to slip like Tyson (side to side, no shoulder rotation) and don't drop your hand as you do so, in case a kick is coming.

ABSOLUTELY BRILLIANT ANSWER THANKS MATE!! I REALLY APPRECIATE YOUR TIME AND EXPERTISE!!!
THIS HELPS A TONNE!!

Yah this guy is pretty much a pro. You can tell from sparring in the gym who's recreational (myself), amateur fighters (local tournaments), and ones who are turning pro.

So KIN when are we seeing you in Bellator!

Hahaha thanks man! You prob won't see me in Bellator for a while, but hopefully one day. My manager does have some contacts with them...

That aside, I'm slated to have my pro debut November 10th. I should be more active from now on too, since I can't compete as an amateur anymore. It will remove the temptation to take 6 months off from MMA to have a few boxing matches and whatnot.

MMA forum is my first forum ever. Even though I'm not very active anymore, I still feel very connected. I'll be sure to post videos of my debut.

Also -- Curious1, let me know how you're doing pulling it off in sparring!

You sure can, just make sure to do it properly or you'll be in for a world of hurt. I like to slip the jab and hit with a hook to the body.

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Rear hand hook?

Curious, at one point do you make that transition from amateur to pro. ONE FC might be a good option. Or you can jump right into the shark tank. Jeremy/Kamikaze from here fought in Bellator. Did pretty good, but he fought against a veteran BJJ/wrestler who was way bigger.

It's amazing how much of a leap it is from the mid tiered organizations into the UFC.

Anyone can go pro any time. All you have to do is go to the state athletic commission, get a pro license, sign up for a fight, bam. Some people do it after 4 fights, some do it after 10. The amateur scene around here is very small and people don't stick around very long. Only within the last couple of years have they started doing amateur belts and rankings, which encourage people to have longer ammy careers.

I've been an amateur much longer than most fighters in my area. This happened for two reasons. The first of which was school; I wasn't able to train as hard as I'd like to during the school year, so I only fought MMA twice a year. During the school year, I competed in boxing, kickboxing, and grappling -- sports that I enjoy, but don't care about in terms of my record. (If I have an MMA fight, I'm training 6 days a week. If I can't do that, I won't take a fight.)

The other reason I wanted to take my time was because I want LOTS of experience. Boxers have 50, 80, even 100 fights before they go pro. When you see a pro boxer, you can often see that he's a pro. A lot of pro MMA fighters around here aren't so polish, since they only took like 3 fights before making the leap. I want people to be able to look at me and immediately know that I get paid to do this.

I've had 7 MMA fights, but if you include my boxing matches, kickboxing matches, and smoker fights (full contact exhibition/doesnt go on your record), I've had 18 full contact matches. I've also done 11 grappling competitions. I now feel like I've enough experience to represent myself well as a pro. Plus I wasn't able to find an opponent last time I tried to fight amateur. So I decided it was time to make the leap... November 10th!!!!

As for Jeremy, that dude is THE MAN! I really look up to him. He's awesome! As far as I'm concerned, Bellator is the big leagues. I'm pretty far from that level. I'll be doing local New England shows for a while, but I hope to someday compete in Bellator and then eventually the UFC.

You got a good mindset. Without mentioning his name one of the top kickboxers in our gym fought in a pro fight and lost pretty embarrasingly by a submission artist. Another who was a former champion lost to Bibiano Fernandez in like two minutes. There's pros then there's pros. I find so many peers who simply see the end goal, but I don't think they truly know how bumpy the road will be. Like anything in life it is TOUGH. In fact I think it's probably one of the most difficult sports. There's no best of three or five fights ya know. You get one shot and that's it. Even when you're the champ for several years, if you lose you're back down the ladder. Lose twice and you're even farther down, and three times you just went from hero to zero. Crazy!

What an exhilarating sport! Who you got this weekend! I got money on Vitor!