How to beat a kickboxing opponent who is better than you?

Question

In many sports (especially soccer) an inferior team can play in a certain way to frustrate a superior opponent, and then if they're lucky snatch a lead at an opportune moment. Is this possible in kickboxing? Would you do things like just keep moving around so they can't reach you, wait till they're tired or off balance, then get a quick strike in?

Answer 1

just don't let yourself get scared, just show your guts to him, if you get into a fight, you'll have to think he is nothing, remember all the things you have learned, give him the best shot.

Answer 2

That is one strategy but it is a little more complex than that. They call it "not letting your opponent get set". Most fighters start their offense from a certain distance and even sometimes move a certain way before hand out of habit so if you hit them with a kick-even on the arm or shoulder, or move slightly to a different angle it disrupts them getting set or into position and they don't feel comfortable or they have to adjust and then they are spending more time adjusting. This will work on an experienced fighter only so long before he gets bored and cuts the ring in half and gives you less room to maneuver. Besides this I would also not fight his fight. If he is a heavy hitter I would avoid heavy exchanges and try to work angles so that if he hits me it is not as solid. If he is a kicker I would give him more motion and movement and close the distance moving inside his kicks as much as I could and stay inside of them and try to smother his punches. I would also target certain areas more depending on if he could not take a punch to the face and head very well or was weaker in the body. I would also make an attempt to use his fighting style against him. If he was agressive I might give way slowly and get him to follow me and then explode and try to catch him on the way in at times. I would also be watching him as he fought to see if he had any weaknesses when moving or throwing things and then try and time him on them and catch him just as he finished throwing or moving and make him pay. All of these things can help a fair fighter sometimes beat a better fighter on a given night. You may not be as lucky the next time you fight him though if he learns from his mistakes. All of this is one of the things that makes a fight entertaining as long as there is some action also. With some of the fights that is not always the case and so the audience soon becomes bored and unhappy.

Answer 3

The first guy is wrong its not called a rope a dope. Thats when you're up against the ropes and you let your opponent keep hitting you while you duck and try to avoid some shots while your opponent tires out. Ali did that to George Foreman. Like you said you should move around and avoid your opponent. Lunge and give a body shot then a head shot in quick succession. I don't whether that would work for you because you'll need some quick hands. Also (lol I saw Rashad do this and it actually works pretty good) clinch up and quickly let go of the clinch and throw elbows.

Answer 4

if this is just two kickboxers sparring, the advice above is great, if this is you verses some guy on the street who you think is better than you are, you have two options,
1 is to run FAST, or the other is to utilize all the tecnique you have actually learned in training, if you havent practiced it, it wont help, because you will slip up and give your opponent the advantage, stick to what you know.
fight how you learned to fight, dont make it up in the ring.

Answer 5

Is the opponent UNIVERSALLY better? IE better at everything? Is he stronger, faster, better conditioned, more skilled, more resistant to pain, more determined, better trained?

If so, you may be out of luck. Chances are, though, there is some area where he lags behind you and he isn't "better" across the board - he's just drawing you into playing his game.

Figure out how he beats you. Figure out where you're ahead of him. Figure out how to get him from point a to point b.

Answer 6

There are several things you can do:

Work a solid defense first, and moves that will keep your opponent away, such as front kick, side kick, and jab.

If you are faster, round around in circles, you need good cardio and conditioning to do this.

If you are bigger, or more powerful, and if rules allow, clinch alot, this is can really get irritating and frustrating.

I hope that helps

good luck!

Answer 7

If a guy is better than you that already implys that he is going to win unless you cheat, the guy might have stronger punches than you, or better kicks or more fitness or more experience than you, if he is better than you overall that jst means he will win, but if you feel they are better in a certain area you need to know what that is and exploit it, like if he has good punches but weak kicks stay back and kick him and make his legs weaker, if he has great kicks then move in close and slug it out, if he has more fitness you might have to either knock him out quickly or defend and conserve your energy

There was this one guy i was fighting and he has amazin kicks and got me in the head a few times, so now i learned my lesson and stick to him like glue and so far i havent been hit again

Answer 8

Kickboxers aren't as used to punching as boxers are, so a good strategy can be to get in close and start pounding with short hooks and uppercuts. Kicks aren't effective when you're so close to them. Be careful trying to get in though!! Make sure to time it, like right after they put their leg down after a kick, or right before you see a kick coming. That way, you catch them off guard.

Answer 9

try a fake kick in the left and kick the opponent in the right
and Eye contact, that keeps the opponent confused if your looking at the left and kick at the right.

Answer 10

Clinch knee to ribs or kidney (opponent winded) step back roundhouse. Simple