Everything starts with stance. If your stance is wrong, you will not have a proper foundation to support your defensive and offensive techniques. In Muay Thai, your stance is squared to your opponent, meaning your core should be aimed at your adversary. This is essential for defensive checks and aggressive kicking, etc. It is key to master your stance, and key to stance is balance. If you feel imbalanced in your stance, your stance is definitely off. See your coach or subscribe to our consultation services.
Once your stance is established, the next most critical aspect of your martial art development is movement, aka footwork. Remember, if you step forward, the foot closest to that direction takes a step, and then the other foot follows. Some people consider the following foot to step, others recommend to slide. Personally, I recommend to slide rather than the stepping option. Ensure when you step or slide, you are stepping or sliding into your original fight stance. When moving side to side, never cross the legs.
This tutorial will give you a great introduction to the many types and styles of upper body blocking we have in Muay Thai. Please note, these styles of blocking like the strong front block, strong side block - you need to have the arms leaned on your head, and your head leaned on your arms. If there is no contact between your arms and head, when you are attacked, you may block it with your arms, but your arms will attack you instead.
It is essential that when checking low, mid kicks, that the leg defending or checking is pointed 45 degrees outward. Meaning the shin is pointing 45 degrees to the outside of your stance. If the checking leg is picked up straight, you will easily be susceptible to getting swept, that and your defensive check will be weak.
The long-guard is a great tool for keeping an opponent at range, and defending yourself from head attacks. You must practice the long guard practically while sparring to understand both its pros and cons. Remember, no defensive technique exists that is the solution for all offensive attacks. Study the technique, practice, and apply.
It's important to note that western boxing and Muay Thai punching have two different styles, considering that kicking, knees, etc is involved. The stance is more square rather than angled to protect yourself from lower body attacks. Note, this is an introduction to punching in Muay Thai, it is key to understand that when throwing a jab or a cross, to throw at full length but without hyper-extending the elbow. At the end of the punch, there must be a very slight bend in the elbow to protect your arm from injury.
When throwing a roundhouse kick, work on your step, turning your hips, and throwing your arm as leverage for balance and twisting. Make sure to kick with the lower part of the shin, however, as you learn and get better, you will learn the different points of contact you can make with the shin bone, sometimes even the foot. However, do not overwhelm yourself. Practice a basic round house, master it, then learn how to kick off a pivot. Speak to your coach, and slowly learn the many different types of round house kicks you can throw, there advantages and negatives, and apply.
When throwing a long knee, ensure to have the arm that is on the same side of the thrown knee is posted up against your opponent. This ensures both distance control and improved defense. When throwing a regular knee, when the knee is thrown, make sure to have the arm on the same side of the thrown knee is thrown down to the side, it will help with greater impact and power. Always step on the balls of the feet when throwing a knee, do not knee flat footed.
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