Tag Archives | elbow strikes

Working in the Elbows (diary entry)

August 29, 2023 | Diary / Training Notes [ssba]
elbow strike

28.08.2023 The seventh hour of my couple client’s Muay Thai course saw us work through all the main elbow strikes and several minor ones. After a dynamic stretch warm-up we covered the following in line-work: Horizontal Elbows Slashing Elbows Spear Elbows Backward Elbows Smash Down Elbows Uppercut Elbows Horizontal Elbows Chopping Elbows Side Elbows Spinning Elbows We then sparred for 6 x 2 minute rounds, focusing the first three rounds on just elbow strikes and the last three on combining […]

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Range and Elbow Strikes (diary entry)

August 15, 2023 | Diary / Training Notes [ssba]
Elbow sparring (2)

14.08.2023 Hour five of my couple client’s Muay Thai course was a focus on better developing the sport’s unique range. After a dynamic warm-up using our specific sequence of poses, we drilled for 8 x 2 minute rounds. These rounds were all one-for-one and two-for-two sparring, focused first on kicks and then all techniques. They were kept very light to help build up confidence at the Muay Thai range. The second half of the lesson then became totally concerned with […]

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Back to Basics (diary entry)

July 12, 2023 | Diary / Training Notes [ssba]
Sarka on PadsPHOTO-2023-05-04-20-03-00

12.07.2023 Hour two of my client’s early morning Muay Thai course. Today we decided to revisit and drill down some basics. We looked at developing a stronger upper body defence, linking it with stronger counter attacks and blending punches with elbow strikes. After our dynamic stretching sequence, we began with jab/cross/cover. This progressed to jab/cross/duck/cross/hook. I highlighted better lower body engagement with the cross (rear hand straight) and using the cover offensively. When covering it is important to press forward […]

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Final Elbow Integration for Muay Thai (diary entry)

June 8, 2023 | Diary / Training Notes [ssba]
Elbow sparring (1)

07.06.2023 At the above title indicates, Wednesday night’s 1.5 hour lesson completed our current elbow strike training for Muay Thai with this particular client. Next week we are switching to the use of elbow strikes in Mixed Martial Arts. After a warm-up of muscle activation exercises and dynamic stretching we did some free-flow clinch work, looking at posture disruption and sweeps before layering on knee strikes. This was, in itself, a revision of the clinch-focused classes we did prior to […]

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Horizontal & Chopping Elbow Combinations

June 2, 2023 | Diary / Training Notes [ssba]
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01.06.2023 My client’s 1.5 hour Muay Thai class continued work on elbow strikes. After a flow dynamic stretch sequence we sparring without safety equipment for 2 x 3 minute rounds as part of the warm-up. We restricted the lesson to just two techniques, the horizontal and the chopping elbow, both of which would be part of combination tactics. Horizontal Elbow: Jab/cross/rear round kick/rear spear knee/angle off/slap-down parry/horizontal elbow Jab/cross/jab/cross to the body/angle off/slap-down parry/horizontal elbow Chopping Elbow: Jab/cross/uppercut to the […]

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Elbows to the Body (diary entry)

May 17, 2023 | Diary / Training Notes [ssba]
Cover Elbow (loose)

16.05.2023 In the first hour of my client’s new course on Muay Thai we learnt how difficult it is to land elbow strikes to the body. After a warm-up we went straight into rounds: Round 1 – Elbows to Boxing focus mitts Round 2 – Ditto Round 3 – Boxing with elbow strikes to Boxing focus mitts Round 4 – Ditto Round 5 – Power elbow strikes to Thai pads Round 6 – Boxing with power elbow strike to Thai […]

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Elbows & Spinning Heels (diary entry)

May 11, 2023 | Diary / Training Notes [ssba]
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10.05.2023 Wednesday night’s 1.5 hour lesson saw the arrival of new elbow pads so we had to test drive them in sparring before continuing our work with advanced kicks. In fact, we can expect to see this similar format going forward for a while. It has taken way too long but finally my clients are getting elbow pads. Muay Thai sparring has been somewhat compromised without the safe, full use of elbow strikes. On occasion I have brought in full-face […]

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Close Range Weapons (diary entry)

April 26, 2023 | Diary / Training Notes [ssba]
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25.04.2023 Tuesday morning’s teaching consultancy lesson on Muay Thai finished basic punches with the uppercut and introduced knee and elbow strikes. Training began with our usual warm-up but this time immediately followed by 2 x 3 minute rounds of sparring to continue coaching the Thai range of fighting. I introduce the Thai uppercut which is virtually indistinguishable from Boxing’s upward angled hook. Thai krus don’t appear to teach the traditional Boxing uppercut much if at all in basic training. We […]

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Elbow Strike Clinic (diary entry)

November 15, 2022 | Diary / Training Notes [ssba]
Cover Elbow (loose)

14.11.2022 Tonight for my client’s second hour of her second Muay Thai course we took a break from looking at southpaw strategies to focus on elbow strikes. It proved to be a deep dive into just two types of elbow strike – the horizontal and spear variations – and how they fitted into combinations. After a specific sport and muscle activation series of exercises, we isolated the two elbow strikes and looked at their delivery. This was done a shadow […]

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Basic Elbow Strikes for Muay Thai (diary entry)

September 21, 2022 | Diary / Training Notes [ssba]
elbow strike 2

20.09.2022 Hour six of my client’s beginner course in Muay Thai introduced elbow strikes for the first time. We covered the horizontal, slashing, spear and smash-down varieties of elbow strikes. These are the most common major elbow strikes in Thai Boxing. We began with our dynamic stretching flow exercises to warm-up before I moved straight into the new techniques. Elbows, although very effective knockout weapons, are largely used to create cuts to prompt referee stoppages in matches. The elbow’s tip […]

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Clinch and Elbows (diary entry)

November 23, 2021 | Diary / Training Notes [ssba]
Elbow sparring (2)

22.11.2021 The ninth hour of my client couple’s course on Muay Thai clinch brought elbows into the clinch. Our previous lesson isolated the technical aspects of the major and minor elbow strikes. Now we looked at how to set up and execute these inside the clinch. Setups included breaking posture to allow slashing and horizontal elbows over an opponent’s collar tie or uppercut and spear elbows from a fighter’s own collar tie as well as using knee strikes as distractions. […]

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Bring on the Elbows! (diary entry)

November 16, 2021 | Diary / Training Notes [ssba]
Cover Elbow (loose)

15.11.2021 The eighth hour of my client couple’s course on the clinch brought in elbow strikes. For the benefit of at least one of the two clients we isolated elbow strikes than looked at their place in the clinch or even in combinations. After our standard warm-up of sport-specific dynamic stretching, callishenics and shadow boxing, we went through the following techniques: Major Elbow Strikes Horizontal Elbow – Popularly delivered off both lead and read arms from mid and close range. […]

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Marching Knee Switch-Hitting (diary entry)

August 17, 2021 | Diary / Training Notes [ssba]
Screen Shot 2021-08-17 at 20.04.20

16.08.21 Monday night brought my clients up the sixth hour of their 10 hour course on switch-hitting my Muay Thai. Tonight we looked at using marching knees to set up a mirror-side attack. After a warm-up of specific callisthenics, mobility and dynamic stretching exercises, we moved onto switch-hitting drills using shuffles and direction changing. I then taught two set-ups using marching knees. Both used a rear leg teep stepping into a mirror-side stance (typically southpaw), followed by two marching knees […]

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Shadow Boxing, Virtual Pad-Work & Heavy Bag (diary entry)

November 20, 2020 | Diary / Training Notes [ssba]
third workout cover 2

19.11.20 My client’s third hour of a 10 hour Muay Thai course was a high intensity 10 x 3 minute round session. We began with isolated combinations and techniques, we had a round of virtual focus mitt training and then three rounds on the heavy bag, building up techniques. Given the client’s high level of skill and experience, this was an extremely focused lesson of explosive techniques. The shadow technique rounds were all separated into 1.5 minutes per combination. The […]

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Kingham Hill Anti-Grappling & Ground-Fighting (diary entry)

March 19, 2020 | Diary / Training Notes [ssba]
eye gouge (smaller)

18.03.20   Kingham Hill School’s Self-Protection course continued with anti-grappling and ground defence.   Continuing on from last week’s anti-grappling from against a wall, we covered the eye-gouge/head/elbow strike/palm incidental combination. Points made whilst the technique was being drilled were as follows:   Ensure you adopt a good wrestling posture before attacking the eyes, getting under the force pressing you forward into the wall. No matter how dirty your technique, if you are not a mechanically strong position the chances […]

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Four More Elbows (diary entry)

December 3, 2019 | Diary / Training Notes [ssba]
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02.12.19   Monday night saw the final lesson of my client’s second course in Muay Thai/Kickboxing. We looked at four new elbow strikes – uppercut, side, chopping and upward diagonal – and generally revised a lot of work done during this course.   The lesson began with mirror footwork. Next we went straight onto the pads warming up with punch/lock kick combinations followed by teeps and then moving onto a wider range of kicks. This gave me an opportunity to […]

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