Muay Thai Striking Techniques of different techniques
Throughout Muay Thai there are a range of different techniques available to learn, depending on your own personal ability level and training level. Techniques in Muay Thai range from boxing style techniques all the way through to other grappling techniques used only in Muay Thai making it a broad spectrum, close-contact Mixed Martial Art that has spread in popularity throughout the Eastern and Western world. Muay Thai, whilst employing a lot of offensive and defensive techniques, also uses a range of striking techniques that don’t only include punching and grappling, but also defending and protection of yourself during a fight or training match.
Whilst learning, the Muay Thai striking techniques will increase in difficulty as your experience in Muay Thai progresses along with your own ability level and confidence, with some of the most important basic Muay Thai striking techniques to learn including hand wrapping, shin conditioning and choosing appropriate Muay Thai gloves. Hand wrapping not only functions as a protective cover for both your hands and wrist, but also functions as a way to improve hand striking techniques with increased power, enhanced stability and movement. All of these elements play a key role in Muay Thai striking techniques, enabling you to perform accurate methods that will ultimately lead to you succeeding in any Muay Thai fights or training routines.
It is important to consider that since Muay Thai was originated as way to utilize your body as a weapon, that striking techniques don’t only involve the use of your hands and upper body techniques. Many of the most important Muay Thai striking techniques involve kicks, low body attacks, elbow and knee strikes and the use of your shins to weaken an opponent, due to this, many of the Muay Thai striking techniques involve training such as shin conditioning, elbow conditioning and sparring, with some of the most powerful Muay Thai techniques including low body, kicking style striking attacks that are not only preferred by fighters themselves, but Muay Thai judges as well.
Muay Thai was originally designed several hundred years ago as a way to employ your entire body as a weapon using close combat techniques during war and other adverse circumstances, and over the years Muay Thai has remained true to its origins whilst evolving some of its techniques to be used within a sport environment. This evolution has meant that some of the traditional Muay Thai striking techniques are still original to their true form today, whilst some have been adapted to cope better with the more modern day use of Muay Thai within a professional fighting environment. The history of Muay Thai as a close contact Mixed Martial Art and now today as a professional, recognized sport has allowed some of the Muay Thai training techniques to fuse together to create a dynamic fusion of authentic Muay Thai defence and offence strategies alongside more traditional movements.
Striking techniques throughout Muay Thai training will utilize an entire range of your body from your arms, legs, shins and elbows to create a flurry of techniques that can confuse and beat an opponent during any Muay Thai or professional Mixed Martial Art fight. These techniques are unique and typical of Muay Thai in order to apply your entire body as a weapon and overpower your opponent completely in accordance with the Muay Thai history and origins. Some of the most common Muay Thai training techniques used in the modern day fighting ring include roundhouse kicks, spinning back fists, Cobra punches, elbow slash and axe heel kicks. Whilst these techniques can sound somewhat unpleasant and difficult, these techniques will range in difficulty for more advanced and beginner Muay Thai fighters.
Not only do striking techniques in Muay Thai employ the use of your entire body in both offensive and defensive strategies, they also vary depending on your own personal level of ability and confidence in your Muay Thai training. Early Muay Thai training for anyone will mainly consist of basic striking techniques that teach you how to strike effectively, efficiently and appropriately without causing any injury or harm to yourself, this element of training is important in any Muay Thai journey as minimising injury to yourself throughout any fight is one of the most important things to consider to ensure you can continue throughout your Muay Thai training, with no ailments there to hold you back. Early Muay Thai striking technique training paired with excellent teaching and the use of appropriate hand wrapping and shin conditioning are both key elements in performing some of the more basic striking techniques throughout your Muay Thai journey.
As you progress throughout your Muay Thai training and develop more confidence and understanding of the techniques used, including hand wrapping, many of the Muay Thai striking techniques will begin to progress in difficulty, making any Muay Thai training a dynamic, progressive experience that will ultimately lead to one of the most close-contact fights available in modern day sport.
Traditionally Muay Thai is known as the ‘Art of 8 Limbs’ which include two hands, two feet, two knees and two elbows. Muay Thai is unique in its techniques due to the aspect in which offence techniques are deployed against opponents, using strategies and styles to afflict the best use of your power against your opponent. Authentic Muay Thai fighters in Thailand will generally use their legs, knees and kick style strikes against their opponent to not only gain more points within a Muay Thai fighting ring, but also to demonstrate their sense of balance to Thai judges, an important aspect in any Muay Thai strike technique training. Generally attacks on your opponent using both your arms and legs are allowed within a Muay Thai fighting ring, but the ability to demonstrate your balance, power and skill are some of the most important attributes in any Muay Thai training. Whilst punches and hand style striking techniques are an important aspect of any Muay Thai training, generally, kicks and low level style techniques are more technically recognized throughout Muay Thai and thus gain more points from judges in a professional Muay Thai fight.
Considered to be one of the most purest Martial Art forms available to the modern world to learn today, Muay Thai places much of its focus on striking techniques that don’t only focus on the vulnerable points in their opponents body, but using all of their power and strength to over-power their opponent and maximise the attack and striking techniques used in Muay Thai.
Over the years, although Muay Thai has developed its techniques to create a dynamic fusion between classic Martial Arts and Mixed Martial Arts, its techniques and striking styles still remain as powerful and concrete as they were in the original days of Muay Thai.
Muay Thai places a lot of importance on the strength of not only your muscles and the level of your peak physical fitness, but also the strength of certain bones in your body such as your elbows and your shins. These two components play a key role in any Muay Thai striking techniques offering new ways to strike your opponent with maximum power and efficiency, according to Muay Thai rules. Many Muay Thai fighters will spend extended lengths of time conditioning their shins and other appropriate parts of their body for the intense striking techniques used throughout Muay Thai fights and so during any Muay Thai training, fighters will be trained in specific striking techniques over a long period of time to ensure maximum power and efficiency against their opponent in the Muay Thai fighting ring.
Whilst some of the Muay Thai striking techniques have evolved over the years due to the global spread of Muay Thai and its teachings, many of the Muay Thai techniques are the same as they were originally several hundred years ago. This is mainly due to the effectiveness of the original teachings of Muay Thai, and thus no need to change or alter them.
The main aim of any Muay Thai striking techniques is not to pinpoint the most vulnerable area of your opponents body and focus your energy on that area, but to make your opponent vulnerable in every aspect of their movement, allowing you to use your full power and strength to weaken your opponent and consequently win against them in a professional Muay Thai fighting ring.
This unique way of fighting within Muay Thai makes it an appealing sport and art form to learn across the globe, with several Muay Thai fights including Muay Thai vs Muay Thai fighters, and Muay Thai vs other Mixed Martial Arts. By utilizing the eight parts of your body that are most important in Muay Thai striking techniques and training to the best of your ability in order to overpower and weaken your opponent, you can succeed in any Muay Thai training.