The art of Muay Thai have evolved over the years. To master this sport, it’s important to understand the techniques used for offense and defense. Originally, traditional nak muay would exchange blows for blows but now in the international circuit, that is no longer desirable. Over the years, western boxing techniques have been adopted as a part of Muay Thai and as a result increased the range of defensive and offensive options available to a fighter.

PUNCHES (chok)

• Jab
• Cross
• Straight
• Hook
• Spinning Back Fist
• Superman Punch

The punch is the most basic technique that is taught in Muay Thai. Having good punching techniques can help you dominate your opponents and land you that winning shot.

Initially, Muay Thai punches were limited to only cross and arm strikes using the palm. As western boxing techniques were adapted, jabs, overhand, hooks, spinning back fist,  and uppercuts became available to the fighters.

A good general rule of thumb to delivering a good punch is to rotate your wrist at the end of your punches. The extra twisting motion allows your body to rotate along with your wrist, resulting in increased power and accuracy. Note that these movements do not apply to all punches, especially the spinning back first and superman punch. Another thing to note is when you punch, always pull retract your arms quickly. You don’t want to be leaving yourself wide open and exposed for counter-attacks.

KICK (Te)

• Straight kick
• Roundhouse kick
• Diagonal kick
• Half-shin, half-knee kick
• Reserve roundhouse kick
• Downward roundhouse kick
• Axe heel kick
• Jump kick
• Step-up kick

Muay thai kicks are considered one of the greatest offensive moves because of their power and versatility. It’s one of the most commonly used technique in matches because of its ability to generate a lot of power and knock out the opponent in one shot. The main difference between other martial arts and Muay Thai is that fighters use their full body weight as a leverage for power and the shin is used more often than the foot.

The basic movement that is applicable for all kicks is thrusting and pivoting your hips toward the direction of your kicks. Power is generated from the movement of your hips, so you want to aim it in the direction you want to send it.

FOOT-THRUST (teep)

• Straight foot thrust
• Sideways foot-thrust
• Reverse foot-thrust
• Slapping foot-thrust
• Jumping foot-thrust

Teep, foot thrust, or push-kick is distinguished by the bending knee, followed by a quick leg extension using the foot or heel to hit the target. The push-kick is mainly used either to ward off the opponents from a distance or to knock the opponent off-balance to follow up with another technique. Because you are leaning back and using your body as a leverage to deliver a powerful teep, you should be careful that the opponent don’t grab your leg while you’re off balance!

ELBOW (sok)

• Elbow Slash
• Horizontal elbow
• Uppercut elbow
• Forward elbow thrust
• Reverse horizontal elbow
• Spinning elbow
• Double elbow chop
• Mid-air elbow strike

Elbow techniques is one of the difficult and most dangerous moves in Muay Thai because the point of contact is the pointed tip of the elbow. Small surface area means that more force can be produced within the given area. The flexibility of the shoulder allows the elbow to move in many different directions, which makes it very versatile in attacking and defending. Keeping the angle of the movement narrow will help increase accuracy, speed, and leave less opening along your body.

KNEE (kao)

• Straight knee strike
• Diagonal knee strike
• Curving knee strike
• Horizontal knee strike
• Knee slap
• Knee bomb
• Flying knee
• Step-up knee strike

Knee thrust is one of the harder techniques to master in Muay Thai, but if executed properly can be made into one of the most lethal moves. The knee thrust is used in close-combat and often times require the fighter to clinch and grab onto your opponent. This move can be difficult for beginners to master; the desired motion is an upward thrust of the knee, which requires good balance.

A proper knee thrust should travel straight and not waver. You should be able to easily extend and have your foot pointed up all prepared to transition into a kick. The hips must thrust forward to drive the teep towards the target, which is generally the chin area down to the stomach.

Now that you are familiar with the techniques used in Muay Thai, always remember to practice, practice, and practice. Fighters practice these moves tens of thousands of times and even then, they still have to fine tune little things here and there. Make sure to practice the fundamentals to build a strong base, and only perform moves you are comfortable with to prevent injuries. Be safe, train hard, and chok dee!