If you have ever wanted to learn Muay Thai? Then you need to keep in mind that your upcoming training will be extremely intensive. Furthermore, some Muay Thai fighters who had previously trained in boxing say that the training for Muay Thai is a lot more intense then they have done in boxing.
Muay Thai is known as the art of 8 limbs, the reason it has earned this name is because you will learn how to use the eight natural weapons which are;
fists
feet
elbows
knees
When it comes to destroying and dominating an opponent there is no match for the style of Muay Thai. It was created in Thailand as a self protection martial arts so it focuses on lethal strikes. Traditional Muay Thai is not for combat sports it is only for self defense. Today, Muay Thai boxing is no longer mainly used as a self defense, but is now a sporting event where willing fighters test their Muay Thai skills. These events where created to find out the who is the strongest and most skilled fighter.
The fact is that Muay Thai techniques are so effective in combat sports in dominating your opponent that the UFC and other MMA or mixed martial arts fighters are quickly adopting these techniques and strategies in their arsenal of weapons.
So, what are some kicking, punching, elbow throws, knee strikes you will learn in Muay Thai?
1, You will learn Powerful kicking technique. In Muay Thai, you will find that there are three levels of kicks. The low level targets the calf, back of the knee, and thigh. The medium level will target the ribs and torso. While the high level targets the temple, neck, and chin.
The basic kicking techniques are
sweeping kick
front kick
pecking kick
kick outside the knee joint
reverse back kick
Muay Thai focuses on power as opposed to speed. This is why you will see such devastating kicks and elbows from Anderson Silva. His kicks in Muay Thai are delivered with a full swing of the trunk and hips, but very quickly. Doing this maximizes the power of the kick and eventually maximize the damage done to his opponent.
2, You will learn how to utilize shin defense and offense. This is the one that hits the target instead of the foot. For the untrained individual, this can be quite painful but if you are already an advanced Muay Thai fighter, you will be able to strengthen your shin and pain will no longer be felt.
3, You will how to utilize the elbows. The elbow is meant to cut the opponents skin much like using a sharp razor. You will learn 8 different elbow strikes in Muay Thai, which are the striking elbow, the levering elbow, the cutting elbow, the diagonal elbow, the chopping elbow, the pull down elbow, the double elbow, and the reverse elbow.
4, You will learn how to throw a devastating punch. It's really no different from boxing with the exception of one secret. This punching technique is called "Nak Muay" where you will learn to twist the wrist a moment before the impact.
5, You will learn Knee strikes. This is considered to be the most important weapon in Muay Thai and is used often by fighters. Together with the elbow strikes, knee strikes are lethal weapons where it can really demolish your opponent inside the ring.
6, You will also learn 'the Nep'. Which is basically a nasty push kick used for defense, attack or to keep the opponent at distance. The targets for this technique are the sternum and the abdomen. This kick is also used to disturb the opponent's concentration but it doesn't really do a lot of damage.
These are just some of the techniques that you will learn in Muay Thai training. Even if you are not planning on becoming a professional Muay Thai or MMA fighter. You will find that the training for this martial art is not something that you should take lightly. Make sure you have the proper muay thai equipment which includes; muah thai shorts, muay thai gloves for the thai heavy bag, and some thai ankle supports since you will be kicking a lot. This should give you a good arsenal of muay thai gear to get your started.
Just know that the training will be intense whether or not you plan on becoming a professional fighter. And, it will really serve as a good workout and also teach you how to defend yourself in the real world.