I've read in forums that sport/Olympic TKD and specific scoring systems indirectly encouraged the dropping of the hands and focusing on kicking and TKD purists think it's idiotic.
Acually, Muay Thai does, their just better at defending kicks than tkd you can find just as much video as tkd head kicks also with more power
The rules contribute too. Its sort of like flopping in soccer and basketball. Its not really good technique but the rules make the reward out weigh the risk. Things like sport TKD and sport Judo are not really meant for self-defense or fighting and are sports bound by rules and a play area as much as playing basketball.
I've seen some Muay Thai matches and have tried some myself and from what I saw there are far fewer shots aimed at the head as TKD and none of the axe kicks or high kicks that take you off balance like in TKD. I've seen high kicks but its not the bread and butter of Muay Thai like it is in TKD. Also even in Muay Thai some of the high spin kicks require dropping the hands as the physics of how the human body works its hard to keep your hands up and head down to execute a high spin kick.
Just to add I'm not disagreeing with you about how well Muay Thai defends just pointing out why TKD is the way it is. I think in head to head with rules that are even to both Muay Thai is better. <object width="480" height="385"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/VL5Cy33RWLo?fs=1&hl=en_US"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/VL5Cy33RWLo?fs=1&hl=en_US" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="480" height="385"></embed></object>
And here's a video with the Muay Thai fighter getting his ass whooped: <object width="480" height="385"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/fL9ZXos8LfQ?fs=1&hl=en_US"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/fL9ZXos8LfQ?fs=1&hl=en_US" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="480" height="385"></embed></object>
I honestly think Muay Thai/ kick boxing is the best for MMA, but having TKD also in your arsenal of a MMA fighter is also a very good thing
Roy Jones Jr. gets the most stylish knock outs <object width="480" height="385"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/UDWnMXzgeZo?fs=1&hl=en_US"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/UDWnMXzgeZo?fs=1&hl=en_US" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="480" height="385"></embed></object>
Yeah, he is pretty funny on free radio. Nope, I'm not Vietnamese. I'm a half and half. :grin: My dad is White/Korean and my mom is French/Korean.
