Kickboxing Images Article
Why Your Muay Thai Technique Probably Isn't Authentic And How To Correct It!
The further on you read, you'll begin to understand that Muay Thai technique is unique in it's style and simplicity. You may have been taught kickboxing style technique in the past but if it was in any way difficult to learn then it probably wasn't Muay Thai.
The first ever martial art I did was a Korean art called Hap Ki Do and it boasted that it had over three thousand techniques in the syllabus. The problem with that is when you have to use such an art in the street or ring you have to think about which technique you will use and this time thinking will get you killed. Muay Thai, however, is called the "science of the eight limbs" which refers to the eight parts of the body used as weapons. These are the hands, elbows, knees, and feet.
Using only eight parts of the body makes it easier for you to just react to a situation rather than think about what should be done. This simplicity in technique allows for more creativity in how they are delivered because the ways in which these weapons are put together are almost limitless. Muhammad Ali had only four punches in his arsenal and never punched to the body but the way he put them together was masterful.
All Muay Thai technique is delivered from the Muay Thai stance. If you’re right handed then put your left foot forward pointing at your opponent and your right foot pointing right at forty five degrees (Left handed people just reverse everything). Put your right hand up beside your right cheek/eyebrow and your left hand slightly forward in front of your face about level with you left eye. Keep your elbows in but not as much as western boxing. This is the basic stance. Click on the play button on the image on the right to see a short video explaining the stance in detail.
In the next 2 minutes you are going to learn some of the offensive techniques of the upper body.
Muay Thai punches are similar to western boxing but there are some important differences. Hold your hands in fists with your thumbs wrapped around the outside of the knuckles. Don't put your thumbs inside your fists. You have the jab, straight, hook, and uppercut.
The jab is delivered by the left hand straight out to the opponents nose.
The cross is delivered by the right hand and you must turn your body and hips so that your right shoulder is now closer to your opponent. The fist usually hits the face but sometimes the front of the body is a target.
The hook punch is delivered by either hand and the fist draws an arc in the air to the side of the opponents body or head. You must twist your body and keep your arm bent to throw a hook properly.
The uppercut looks the way it sounds and is delivered up towards the head or body. You don't dip down with your knees before you throw the uppercut because of the risk in Thai boxing of getting grabbed behind the head and kneed in the face. Again keep your arm bent at about forty five degrees and the punch goes up and forward towards the opponents head or body.
When you're thinking of Muay Thai boxing technique you probably think of elbows.
Muay Thai elbows are considered very dangerous weapons and can cause your opponent great fear as well as damage. The elbows are delivered with an open hand as this reduces tension in the arm which greatly increases speed and therefore power. The elbow can and does knock people out but it is mainly used to cut the skin around the eyebrows and cheeks and finish fights early.
I call the elbows (and also knees discussed in a minute) "the great equalizer" as the person throwing them does not have to be very big or powerful to really hurt someone. This makes them good for women or anyone up against a bigger attacker.
Elbows are thrown in three basic directions; horizontal, upwards, and downwards (at an angle or vertical). The hand is kept close to the body to make the striking area of the elbow more pointed and therefore sharper to cut with. The body should be twisted quickly into the direction of the strike and you should be on the balls of the feet. Your non striking hand should be up high at all times to protect the face.
The horizontal elbow action resembles a hook punch in the way you use your body.
The uppercut elbow, of course, resembles an uppercut.
The vertical elbow kind of resembles a straight right except it comes downwards in motion
There are other jumping and spinning type elbows that are used to great effect but these are much more advanced. The spinning elbows involve turning your back to your opponent for a second as you spin and as a beginner you should never turn your back on your opponent.
Knees are the next techniques in the "science of eight limbs" and they are another powerful weapon to have at your disposal. They are another "great equalizer" as small people can develop a lot of power against larger attackers. There are three basic types of knees determined by the direction they take.
Muay Thai Front Knee
The front knee comes upward and forwards in a forty five degree angle into your opponents stomach or head. You must lean backwards and drive your hips forward to get proper power. Point the toes of the kneeing leg and extend up onto the toes of the support leg.
The slap knee is usually delivered when close to your opponent and facing each other in the clinch (holding on to each other). You raise your knee to the side and then strike the inside of your knee into your opponents ribs. This is the least powerful of the knees but it still hurts if you get a good pendulum swing action into your leg.
The side knee is sort of a mix between the other two as in goes up and forward but is also thrown to the side of the ribs of your opponent. The knee comes up at a 45 degree angle. It can be done in the clinch or free standing. For a detailed description and video explanation of Muay Thai side knee technique click here.
There are other jumping or flying type knees but again these are for advanced students.
The kicks of Muay Thai differ a lot to other martial arts in the amount of types there are and how they are delivered.
Basically there are two types; the front or push kick, and the roundhouse kick. The reason for only two types is because again simplicity and greater balance. Other kicks like side or hook kicks put you in positions where it is easy to be knocked off your feet.
The push kick is so called because that is the action involved. It's also known as a foot jab because you use it the same way you use you jab. Bring your foot up and push forward whilst leaning back, using the ball of the foot on your opponents hips, legs and stomach, and the base of the foot on your opponents chest and head.
The roundhouse kick is usually performed with the back leg which is swung around to the opponents side area like a baseball bat. The shin bone of your leg is used to smash into your opponents leg, body, neck or head. In fact this technique is so devastating that even if it's blocked you can still do damage. Keep your hands up whilst performing the technique to protect yourself but twisting of the upper body and arms in the opposite direction of the kick can increase power.
The last basic technique used in Muay Thai is the clinch hinted at earlier.
This is also sometimes called standing grappling and isn't usually seen in other striking arts for a good reason; it can double the impact of a strike. Think about it, if you can pull your opponent towards your strike you effectively double your power.
The basic principle is to get your arms on the inside of your opponents and grab the back of his head. From there you pull him into your strikes at will. You can also throw or kick his legs out from under him from the clinch position which makes this part of Muay Thai different and more lethal than most striking arts.
