How to free your leg when your kicks get caught in Muay Thai & MMA

Do your kicks get caught by your sparring partners at the gym or your opponents in fights and you don’t know what to do about it? You just want to roundhouse kick people in peace but they have to go and catch your awesome kicks and then make you look like a fool by dumping you on the ground? Or you think you have a perfectly timed teep, but then the guy turns out to be an expert Nak Muay who catches your lightning fast front kick mid air and then sweeps you?

We’ll fear no more, friends! Here are two simple techniques to free your legs from those nasty leg grabs so you can throw your Muay Thai kicks with confidence.

Ramsey Dewey is an MMA coach and fight commentator based in Shanghai, China.

Thanks to my channel sponsor:

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This video features original music by Ramsey Dewey

[bostoncorbett]

I appreciate videos about small things like this. There are millions of videos about how to punch, block, takedowns, but this is something important that isn't talked about as much, even with teachers.

[trilobite]

one of the most impressive UFC knockouts I have seen was someone that had his kick caught and turned like that to turn it into a spinning back kick.

[paulgaras]

It’s good to see technique videos where the guy teaching isn’t afraid to say “this is how I got knocked out, so don’t do this” then plays the video like three times. Peoples egos get in their own way and other peoples so it’s nice to see some humility on the internet.

[REspeKTtheVillain]

I remember a while back I typed this into YouTube and couldn't find any results

[SergeantFunkDan]

Great, great stuff. I especially appreciate your candor/humility regarding mistakes you've made. I feel I often learn more from the "Do nots", rather than the "Do's".

[talaniel]

I think the most important thing in the video: "never catch a kick using fingers" :-)

[beawarrior]

I'm so happy you made this video! I hate it when my leg is caught so this will give me a little more confidence 😉 Thanks 🙏🙏🙏

[theflyingnimbus]

Thank you for doing what you do, you focus on the broad veiw of martial arts instead of that small window that people look into.

[Tora]

I started doing MMA recently, I have 4 years and a couple of kickboxing months on my back, this will come in handy

[hellclown]

Thank you for sending me too this video! I've had some success with the clinch entry and the re-take, but I never tried the spin through method, THANKS AGAIN!🙏🏻

[nytrodralyg]

That is a very good and helpful video, thanks!

[Oguyaka.]

One of my coaches was really god with this! He could read into my opponents on a lot of occasions,
to see when they would counter grapple;
I'm cranking for the middle kick, and he's already yelling, "Escape the hold!" 🙂

[ivanguzman]

Ramsey thankyou so much man, I've been waiting for this for a while I love kicking but I would never want my kick to get caught

[frodokhunt]

Man I wish I saw this before sparring last night, my go to reaction is to close the distance and try to engage in clinching

[tomasotreasaigh]

Thanks as always, peace from Ireland mo chara.

[mothereartha]

You could use it as a trap, a feint, a way to get a hook in train to kick and punch anticipating a leg grab.

[dtibvgz]

My personal experience as Kyokushin Karate practitioner is that your not successful way to bridge the gap after your leg is caught is actually viable.
Yet what I have done multiple times is jump slightly with my anchor foot and use the one the opponent holds to pull myself closer, this way I use my full body weight to knee him in the upper body, sometimes even the head - while holding my guard up (in Kyokushin punches to the face are not allowed, for those who are not familiar, but they do happen occasionally).
Doing so you should be ready for being let go as well as making contact with the opponent, because a lot of people will just avoid it - but the result is there - your foot is free.

[LRkun]

The turn I feel is the most effective. Thanks for sharing :)

[Fightingat]

The great Ramsey Dewey, the only reason I would ever move to China. Honestly hope to find a coach or trainer as smooth talking and intellectually sound as you sir.


Idea for your next vid possibly. Was wondering about your thoughts on unorthodox styles, more specifically guys like the great Emanuel Augustus, Prince Nasim, Michael Paige, and Andersen Silva. And how you would approach coaching someone who wants to use a broken rythm style like they do. Would you embrace it and work with it, or would you try and force them into being more tight and technical or would you just suggest they find a coach that can adapt better to their style. And have you ever had a situation arise where you just couldn't coach someone based on their style or attitude even though they had a high skill level?

[ED-rjpw]

Coach Ramsey, can you do a video on guillotine defense (prevention + escape), especially when performing a takedown?