How To Do Thai Kickboxing

Thai kickboxing, also known as Thai boxing or Muay Thai, has grown massively in popularity over the last five or ten years. One of the reasons for this is that cage fighting, UFC, mixed martial arts, all these types of sports use Thai boxing as a basis of their stand-up game. The reason is because you can pretty much do anything you want in Thai boxing.

You can knee. You can elbow. You can kick.

You can grapple. You can punch. You can pretty much do anything.

In Thailand, Muay Thai is known as the art of eight limbs because you have one - punch, two - weapons, elbows - three, four - two knees and two feet, so eight weapons to strike your opponent down. Now, some things you can do if you're already familiar with boxing and kickboxing, some things I can teach you which kind of progress it towards Muay Thai or kickboxing are as follows. Elbows.

Step forward. Rotate. Forward.

Rotate. And step back. Now, you're very powerful.

In a street fight, a self-defense situation, this one here, they're knocked out. Next, front elbows. Stepping in, extending the elbow.

Stepping in, extending the elbow. Pointy bit goes straight forward towards your opponent. Next, you've got the overhand elbow.

Dropping down. Drop the elbow. Chop.

Other way down. And then, you've got the spinning elbow. Against the bag.

Side elbow, over, around. Spinning elbow. Next, you have your knees.

The main knee strike in Thai boxing is from the hip, driving up. You look at my heel; it stays close to my bum. I'm pointing my toe down, thrusting forward and I'm leaning back.

This maximizes power. So, rather than just sliding up like that, I really strike forward. It's very, very powerful.

So, let's recap. We have a lot of different elbow moves you can do. We have knees and also, we have punching and you have kicking, a whole range of weapons available to you.

If you're interested in learning Muay Thai, go to a Muay class or go to a Thai boxing clinic or class in your local area. |If you're already familiar with kickboxing, this video demonstrates a few moves to start you on your way to Thai kickboxing, otherwise known as Muay Thai. For more advanced training, join a class in your hometown.