The word “muay” derives from the Sanskrit mavya. Muay Thai is referred to as the “Art of Eight Limbs” or the “Science Of Eight Limbs” because it makes use of punches, kicks, elbows and knee strikes, thus using eight “points of contact”, as opposed to “two points” (fists) in boxing and “four points” (hands... more »
The Cross punch is a powerful straight attack thrown with the rear hand. From the guard position, the rear hand is thrown from the chin, crossing the body and traveling towards the target in a straight line. The rear shoulder is thrust forward and finishes just touching the outside of the chin. At the... more »
The curving knee kick or also known in Thai as “Kao Kowng” is used for attacking targets like thigh, floating ribs, hips, and the side of the abdomen. In this move, the used knee is raised higher above the target level. It will be brought down and round like a curving motion before impacting... more »
Double elbow chop (Sok Ku in Thai) is used in Muay Thai for such targets like head, face or collar-bone. It is more of a defensive move against a thai fighter that is aggressive and likes to charge. To enhance this technique, swing a heavy bag away from you. As the bag moves forward... more »
The Elbow Slash (Sork Tee or Sork Fun in Thai) which literally mean “elbow hit” and “elbow slash”. The targets for this technique are such as head, forehead, nose, brow bone, eye and temple. It is used for attacking by bringing the elbow diagonally downwards against the target you decide to hit. The angle... more »
A flying knee (known as hanuman thayarn in Muay Thai, and sometimes called a jumping knee) is a knee strike very similar to a front knee, except that it is performed in stand-up fighting by jumping, and often by rushing towards the opponent. A more reckless application of the flying knee strike can be... more »
Forward elbow thrust is a Muay Thai technique. Similar to the uppercut elbow, this forward elbow thrust method is like stabbing with your elbow. The technique is to raise your elbow upwards and then forwards (stab) into the target which can be anything on the face... more »
The hook punch is a semi-circular attack thrown with the lead hand to the side of the opponent’s head. From the guard position, the elbow is drawn back with a horizontal fist (knuckles pointing forward) and the elbow bent. The rear hand is tucked firmly against the jaw to protect the chin. The torso and hips... more »
The horizontal elbow (Sork Tad in Thai) is the easiest elbow move and very often used as elbow technique. How to do the move is to swing your hitting elbow parallel the floor at the shoulder level from right to left if you’re using your right elbow and from left to right in case... more »
The horizontal knee kick (kao tad in Thai) is used for targets like ribcage and trunk. The move requires the boxer to grasp and pull one side of his opponent’s neck with one fist and raise the knee to the level of the aiming target and thrust it sideways to hit the target. The... more »
A superman punch, cobra punch, jumping punch or diving punch is a technique used in Muay Thai, full contact karate and mixed martial arts fighting. The technique involves bringing the rear leg forward to feign a kick, then snapping the leg back while throwing a cross, resulting in greater power behind the... more »
Jason Chambers (mma) and Bill Duff (wrestling) travel around the world to learn new martial arts, to compete with a pro in the sport after just 1 week of training. This episode explores traditional Thai fighting arts in a modern world. From the martial arts series featured on History... more »
A jab is one of the four main punches used in western boxing. Several variations of the jab exist, but every jab shares these characteristics: while in a boxing stance, the lead fist is thrown straight ahead and the arm is fully extended. It is an overhand punch; at the moment of impact, the... more »
Knee bomb, (“Kow Yown” in Thai, “knee throw”) is a Muay Thai technique. It is used for attacking the abdomen and the solar plexus area. The boxer will raise his knee and thrust it forward to hit against the target in a sliding motion. The difference from other knee kicks is that you don’t... more »