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Styles Make Fights – Clincher vs Out Fighter – Saen Paranchai

There’s an old saying in combat sports that “styles make fights.” Fight aficionados and martial artists have long sought to answer the eternal question of which system of strategies, tactics and techniques provide the greatest likelihood of victory.

Historic Precedents

Hailing back to the Romans, gladiators were divided into different classes, each equipped with specific sets of weapons and armor and trained in distinctive fighting styles.  One classic match up is the Retiarius, a lightly armed gladiator with equipped with a trident, dagger and net, and Secutor, a heavily armored short range fighter with a gladius and rectangular shield.  This pairing was designed to weigh the advantages and disadvantages of an agile lightly armored long range fighter has against a strong but immobile heavily armored in fighter effective at close range. Roman Gladiators: Retiarius vs Secutor

Boxing and Muay Thai Styles

Although not endowed with different equipment, unarmed combatants still tend to fall into a few classic fighting styles based on physical endowments and personal proclivities.  Style classifications are generally based on a fighter’s preferred range of combat, favored techniques, and whether they like to lead or counter.

Boxing analysts use three major archetypes to classify fighters: the out-fighter (boxer), in-fighter (swarmer, pressure fighter), and the brawler (puncher,  slugger).  Roughly translating this to muay thai styles, an out-fighter would be a muay fimeu / muay classic, an in-fighter a muay bouk / muay khao, and a brawler a muay maat.  It is often thought that out-fighters tend to beat brawlers, brawlers overcome in-fighters, and in-fighters prevail over out-fighters in quasi rock paper scissors hierarchy.

Grappling with the Out-fighter

In a couple earlier articles, we took an in depth look at Panpayak Jitmuangnon, a multiple time Lumpinee and Rajadamnern Champion and Sports Writers of Thailand Fighter of the year for 2013 and 2014.  He is a brilliant out-fighter with a prodigious rear round kick.

Muay Fimeu vs Muay Bouk

Although the conventional wisdom is that in-fighters tend to prevail over out-fighters, Panpayak was able to deal with the pressure from skilled muay bouk like Wanchalong and Prajanchai because of his ability to attack while moving forward, backwards or standing in the pocket.  His ability to manage distance and attack off the back foot ensured that their relentless forward progress did not hinder his offensive output. Panpayak Jitmuangnon vs Prajanchai PK Saenchai

Muay Fimeu vs Muay Khao

In Panpayak’s June 5, 2015 Lumpinee Featherweight title defense, he was paired with Saen Paranchai, a different type of in-fighter known as a Muay Khao (มวยเข่า). A muay khao is a clinch specialist who often attack with knees (khao in Thai).  It can be a very stifling and frustrating style to deal with.  If a Muay fimeu is unable to stop the muay khao from initiating the clinch, his opponent will be stuck on him like a wet blanket for the duration of the match. Saen Paranchai (แสน พรัญชัย)

“You should not have any special fondness for a particular weapon, or anything else, for that matter.” ― Musashi Miyamoto, The Book of Five Rings

The key difference between Saen and other in-fighters Panpayak previously fought, is that Panpayak’s primary weapon, the rear round kick, is rendered useless at clinch range.  Panpayak failed to prevent Saen from initiating the clinch and his defense against clinch attacks was ineffective. In a shocking 50-47 upset, Saen was able to smoother Panpayak, pin him up against the ropes and knee him with relatively impunity.

Clinch Attacks

Saen appeared the more physically stronger fighter in this fight.  Saen often forced Panpayak against the ropes and bludgeoned him with straight knees.  Panpayak was unable to reverse the position or match Saen’s offensive output. In the middle of the ring, Saen often pulled down on Panpayak’s neck with his bodyweight, breaking Panpayak’s posture pulling him into knees strikes. When Saen achieved double underhooks, he would often lift, twist and dump Panpayak to the canvas. For these throws, Saen relies more on power and effort rather than flawless technique and timing like Superbank. Clinch Entry

The Muay Khao primary objective is to quickly intiate the clinch while minimizing the damage while getting into range.  Fights begin at striking range and referees will often break up a clinch due to inaction. Thus, the clincher needs a diverse repertoire of clinch entries to avoid becoming too predictable.  Saen initiates some of these clinch entrances while others are cued off his opponent’s actions.


One simple but effective clinch entry is to simply walk forward and tie up your opponent’s arms.  Slowly shuffling forward can sometimes be more effective than a rapid advance; any fighters will cue off fast forward movements to fire a reactionary push kick.  The chances of success a slow advance tends to be higher in the early rounds when the fighters are still feeling each other out. Saen’s advance becomes much more aggressive in the later rounds.  To facilitate rapid clinch entry, he takes a quick switch step (right foot forward) into a temporary southpaw stance instead of methodically shuffling forward in an orthodox stance.  When he is in range, he quickly grabs a collar tie with his lead arm to prevent Panpayak from firing off more punches. Uncommitted Strikes

One way to reduce the perils of clinch entry is to feint or throw uncommitted strikes.  This gets your opponent reacting defensively and less prepared to strike back.  Saen will often throw an uncommitted punch or knee to get Panpayak to raise his guard and / or move back.   This buys him a precious moment of safety during which Saen grabs a collar tie or under hook to bring the fight to the clinch.

Here we see Saen throw a couple crosses with no hope of landing.  He is, however, able to illicit the desired defensive reaction from Panpayak.  This enables him to rush forward and tie up without absorbing any damage. Saen also likes to walk forward with a tight closed guard and launch knee strikes in Panpayak’s general direction.  Even if they don’t land, Saen usually comes close enough to tie Panpayak up in the clinch where he can attack with more knees. Evade and Clinch

There is a brief moment after an missed attack in which a fighter is vulnerable and out of a position to attack.  Saen takes advantage of this by waiting for Panpayak to attack, then evade and clinch.  Here, we see him leaning back from round kicks and ducking under punches before tying up.  While it would be safer to pull back completely, his use of head movement allows him avoid the attack, stay in range and more easily initiate the clinch. Block / Catch and Clinch

If Saen unable evade an attack, he will block or catch Panpayak’s kicks and knees and continue to move forward to clinch. Rush Forward, Absorb Attack and Clinch

In the more hotly contested rounds, Saen will simply rush forward with his arms extended to grab a collar tie.  While this may seem reckless, there is some method to the madness.  As established earlier, Panpayak’s favored weapon is his rear round kick.  Even though Panpayak is capable of throwing round kicks while retreating, Saen’s charge doesn’t give him enough time and space to set his feet and kick.  By simply charging forward, Saen essentially neutralizes Panapayak’s most dangerous weapon. Panpayak resorts to throwing short hooks, some of which do catch Saen but fail to him from initiating the clinch.  A hook is a also poor choice of technique against a charging opponent as it only effective at a very specific distance.  As seen above, Panpayak often throws too late and his arm harmlessly wraps around the back of Saen’s head, missing his jaw and temple.  He also misses his opponent entirely when he throws too early.  As we’ll see later, linear attacks into the opponent’s line of advance are far more effective at stopping the clincher.

Boxing the Clincher

Based on what we’ve seen thus far, one might think the muay khao will always dominate the muay fimeu by simply suffocating him in the clinch.  However, there are many occasions where out-fighters, using appropriate strategies and tactics, beats the clincher.  One good example of this is Saen’s bloody decision loss to Yodthongthai Kiatcharoenchai on 30th September 2014.

“Those skilled in war bring the enemy to the field of battle and are not brought there by him.” Sun Tzu, The Art of War

Yodthongthai had a great gameplan to deal with Saen’s aggression.  He played wily matador to Saen’s raging bull.  Whenever Saen came forward to clinch, Yodthongthai kept him at distance with straight punches, evasive movement and bloodied his face with sharp uppercut elbows.  Even when Saen was able to initiate the clinch, Yodthongthai neutralized Saen’s knees and throws with the knee shield and defensive clinching and broke away when the opportunity presented itself.

Thwarting the Clincher

Clinchers need to come forward to grab onto their opponent and this means they movement patterns will be quite linear.  The only real variable the clincher can play with is the speed of his advance.  As we saw earlier, Saen alternates between creeping forward slowly and bull rushing opponent.

Arcing strikes like hooks and round kicks have the potential to miss when an opponent penetrates rapidly and moves past their effective range.  Saen tends to skip forward with the knee of his lead leg raised.  This creates a barrier and also makes leg kicks and teeps less viable weapons to stop his advance.  The most effective strikes are therefore short linear attacks, like straight punches and uppercut elbows, thrown into the path of the clincher’s advance.  They can split the guard and damage the clincher regardless of whether he advances quickly or slowly.

The Matador’s Cape

As Saen advances, Yodthongthai peppers him with light jabs and crosses while backing away from his quarry.  He uses his gloves like the bull fighter uses a cape to distract his charging quarry and uses footwork to keep his body at a safe distance.

Even though Yodthongthai doesn’t put to much power in these punches, he is able to snap Saen’s head back on a couple occasions because of the momentum from Saen’s forward movement.  Further, Yodthongthai’s evasive footwork prevents Saen from grabbing ahold of him even after he makes it past the punches. The Matador’s Sword

Throughout the fight, Yodthongthai makes masterful use of the uppercut elbow to split Saen’s guard and cut his forehead as he comes forward to clinch.  Yodthongthai’s timing is impeccable.  He waits for Saen to come into range and launches forward with the elbow just before Saen grabs ahold of him.  Attacking with the elbow at the last possible moment makes it difficult for Saen to slip away from it.  The fact the both fighters move forward make the impact of these elbows all the more devastating. Over the course of the fight, Yodthongthai was able to inflict 4-5 separate cuts over the course of the fight and transformed Saen’s face into a bloody mess.  After hitting Saen with the elbow, Yodthongthai diligently pushed his opponent away to prevent him from clinching most of the time. Interestingly enough, Panpayak was also able to score an uppercut elbow on Saen and cut him open in one of the later rounds.  However, this was too little to late for him to win the fight.

Clinch Defense

“One defends when his strength is inadequate, he attacks when it is abundant.”  Sun Tzu, The Art of War

Although Yodthongthai punished Saen every time he came forward, Saen absorbed the punches and elbows and still clinched up with him a number of times.  In the clinch, Yodthongthai wisely decided not to go knee for knee with the knee specialist.  Rather, he neutralized Saen’s offense with the knee shield and tight double underhooks grips and waited for the ref to break up the clinch.

Knee Shield

When Saen has him in the clinch, Yodthongthai will often grab a single collar tie, stick his right knee against Saen’s left hip bone and hook his right knee inside Saen’s left thigh.

Knee Defense

With this tight upper and lower body control, Yodthongthai denies Saen the space he needs to generate power for clinch knees. Putting forward pressure on Saen’s left hip reduces the stability of Saens left leg, making it difficult for him to attack with the right knee.  In this position, Saen resorts to attacks with the left knee but they are unable to reach Yodthongthai’s body because of the distance created by the knee shield.  Yodthongthai neutralized Saen clinch knees with this relatively simple defensive position. Ineffective Use of Knee Sheild

Panpayak also attempted to use a knee shield to defend against Saen’s knees in his fight.  He often transitioned to this position after landing round kicks.  You may notice that Panpayak’s foot is on the outside Saen’s hip rather than hooking the inside of his thigh. While this is still a viable defensive position against clinch knees, Panpayak failed to establish good control over Saen upper body.   This means there is very little pressure on Saen’s torso from Panapayak’s knee.  Saen is able to simply come forward, push past the knee shield and initiate the clinch.

Preventing Throws

Here we see Saen attempt a turning throw by pushing on Yodthongthai’s shoulder with his left hand, pulling with his right arm and turning his body clockwise.  If Yodthongthai didn’t have the knee shield in, Saen would also sweep Yodthongthai’s right leg with his left foot to eliminate a post and create a weak plane on Yodthongthai’s right side. However, with knee shield in place, Yodthongthai substitutes the support from his right leg with that of both of Saen’s legs.  By gluing himself onto Saen’s upper body, he has effectively created a tripedal base of support.  Pushing into Saen’s stomach with right knee also allows him to keep his left foot far away from Saen, putting it out of danger from being sweep.  In sum, with the knee shield in, Yodthongthai is actually in a more stable position than if he were standing on his own two feet and this nullifies Saen’s attempts to sweep and throw him.

Defensive Clinch

As the fight progresses, Saen becomes more desperate and reckless.  Again, Yodthongthai, playing the wily matador is able to avoid the bulls horns by holding Saen close and denying him the space he needs to land effective clinch knees.

It is very difficult for Yodthongthai to prevent Saen from clinching when he is cornered or has his back against the ropes.  Yodthongthai makes the best out of a bad situation by lowering his posture and grabbing a double underhook grip.  After stabilizing the grip, Yodthongthai straightens his posture to further reduce space between their bodies.  This makes it difficult for either party to initiate any offense and the referee will quickly break up the clinch. Yodthongthai will also grab a tight collar tie with the crook of his elbow behind Saen’s neck.  He uses his bodyweight to pull Saen down, break his posture and wait for the referee to separate them. Escaping the Clinch

Although Yodthongthai usually waits for the referee to break up the clinch, he occasionally broke away on his own by pulling away / pushing off his opponent or attempting throws.

Push Off, Pull Away and Strike

In the arm clinch, Saen’s opponent’s were able to simply retract their arms and land parting shots from the clinch.  Note that Yodthongthai and Panayak pull their entire body back to engage the leg and back muscles in the movement.  Walking back also creates some distance which makes it more difficult for Saen to reinitiate the clinch. When Saen has a firm grip of the arms, a quick shove of the biceps or knee to the stomach can help create enough separation to pull away. Clinch Throws

Pushing away becomes more difficult when Saen has a collar tie grip.  In these situations, Yodthongthai attempts a clinch throw.  Even if he isn’t successful in tossing Saen to the ground, he creates enough separation to break away from the clinch. Parting Shots and Random Thoughts

“What is of supreme importance in war is to attack the enemy’s strategy.” – Sun Tzu, The Art of War

If the clincher’s objective is to avoid damage while initiating the clinch, the out-fighter should take a pound of flesh every time they come forward.  If the clincher wants to attack with knees and sweeps from the clinch, the out-fighter should neutralize their offense and break away whenever possible.  This is the essence of attacking the opponent’s strategy.

When comparing Saen’s fight with Panpayak and his fight with Yodthongthai, we see one match where the muay khao style was clearly dominant and another where Saen was beaten and bloodied.  This does not necessarily mean that Yodthongthai is a more skillful fighter than Panpayak.  In fact, Panpayak is a multiple time Raja and Lumpinee Champion and Yodthongthai is currently unranked in those stadiums.  Rather, this illustrates the importance of deploying the right strategy over raw technical skills.

“Tactics without strategy is the noise before defeat.” – Sun Tzu, The Art of War

While Panpayak may possess a faster and more powerful round kick, Yodthongthai’s straight punches and uppercut elbows turned out to be far more effective against a clincher like Saen.  It makes little sense to use a long range weapon on a short range target.

“So in war, the way is to avoid what is strong, and strike at what is weak.” – Sun Tzu, The Art of War

While Panpayak tried to exchange knees with Saen in the clinch, Yodthongthai focused on nullifying Saen’s offense and wait for the break.  It is foolhardy to engage with an opponent in their area of strength.

Panpayak failed to make the adjustments to deal with Saen’s clinching style.  However, his loss is not an indictment of the out-fighter but rather, his inability to adapt and strategize.  As I wrote in an earlier article, Panpayak success comes from technical excellence, but not strategic brilliance.  His extraordinary technique and timing has allowed him to employ the same simple game plan of repeatedly attacking with his rear round kick for most of his fights.  However, if he wants to defeat clinchers like Saen, he will need to adapt and heed the blueprint for fighting the muay khao laid out by Yodthongthai.

With the right strategy, an out-fighter can defeat a clincher, and a clincher can beat an out-fighter.  I would contend that there is no dominant fighting style per se.  Rather, there are adjustments you need to make to ensure you dominate a given match, whatever your fighting style.

Fight Videos

Panpayak Jitmuangnon vs Saen Paranchai – June 5, 2015

Yodthongthai Kiatcharoenchai vs Saen Paranchai – 30th September 2014

Videos courtesy of Muay Ties. Landing Elbows from the Muay Thai Clinch – Famongkol vs Bpeemai

I’m experimenting with a new format of a short narrated video breakdown, as inspired by Jack Slack’s Ringcraft.  I would much appreciate your feedback on whether you prefer this short video format or the regular article format.  Please let me know with a comment below or via email at email@example.com.  Feedback is always welcome.

Muay Thai Elbows

Elbow strikes are some of the most feared weapons in muay thai arsenal. Strikes with the tip of the elbow can cut open your opponent’s forehead. Elbows to the temple and the jaw both have fight ending potential. The most common offensive clinch techniques are knee strikes and sweeps.  However, it also possible to land elbows in the clinch even when your arms are engaged,  In fact, you can take advantage of certain clinch positions to trap your opponents arms and create openings for elbow strikes. Famongkol vs Bpeemai

There are some good examples of sneaky clinch elbows in the April 19th, 2915 Channel 7 Stadium fight between Beemai Jitmuangnon and Famongkol Sor Jor Danrayong. Famongkol Sor.Jor.Danrayong (ฟ้ามงคล)

They are both very large fighters by thai standards, each standing over 6 feet and weighing in at 165lbs.  There are few fighters at this weight class competing in Bangkok circuits.  They are often matched against foreign fighters in promotions like Thai Fight. Bpeemai Jitmuangnon (ปีใหม่)

Channel 7 Muay Thai Program

Thai Channel 7 broadcasts a very popular Muay Thai program every Sunday afternoon with some action packed exciting fights.  They take place at Chanel 7 Stadium, across from the Chatachuk weekend market, and admission is free of charge.  It is certainly worth a visit if you are in Bangkok over a weekend.

Muay Thai Clinch

Some people mistakenly think of the muay thai clinch as a static position consisting only of double collar ties.  Many fight fans were first introduced to Muay Thai clinch techniques via Anderson Silva’s fights with Rich Franklin.  Silva was able to grab double collar ties and brutally knee Franklin for the finish because he didn’t know to neutralize or escape this clinch grip. It is actually quite rare to see muay thai fighters achieve and maintain such a dominant clinch position against other opponents skilled in clinch fighting.  The clinch is in fact a very dynamic position where the combatants are always fighting for different grips and hand positions.  It bears some similarities to pummeling in wrestling. The clinch is one range of combat where reach and size can be more easily neutralized by superior skill.  It is not uncommon to see Thai fighters with a 50lb+ weight disadvantage tying up and rag dolling foreign fighters in the clinch during training.

Hand and Arm Position in the Clinch

Good hand and arm position is key to dominating the clinch. Different grips serve different purposes. Some are used to control or immobilize your opponent and others to set up sweeps or throws.  They can also be used to pull your opponent into knees and create openings for elbows. Famongkol’s preferred hand position in this fight is to cross face his opponent with his right hand.  The cross face is an effective tactic to use when your opponent grabs a collar tie grip (hand behind your head).  Pushing against his face is one way to prevent him from pulling your head downwards and breaking your posture.  With a cross face grip, you can also squeeze your opponent’s arm inwards and effectively immobilize one side of his upper body.  By palming Beemai’s face and pushing it to the side, Famongkol obscures his vision, disturbs his balance and potentially obstructs his breathing. The saying is where the head goes the body follows. If Beemai head is pushed to the side, he’ll have difficulty bringing his weight forward in the clinch. Beemai’s force production is also signficantly reduced when his spine put out of alignment.

Framing and Striking

Famongkol uses the cross face with his right arm as a frame. When striking with the right elbow, he collapses the frame, bends his arm and strikes his opponent with the tip of his elbow.  With his arms entangled, Beemai is unable to defend the elbow. Before striking with the left elbow, Famongkol also cross faces with his right glove. This is to measure distance and keep his opponent in place. Finishing Sequence

In the finishing sequence Famongkol first lands the right elbow to the temple from the clinch. With Beemai stunned and pinned against the corner, he steps back and measures him for a more powerful slashing left elbow.  Famongkol frames with his right glove and follows up with a left uppercut elbow and left horizontal elbow. This coup de grace drops Beemai to the canvas This knockout was made possible by a sneaky right elbow from the clinch. While the short right elbow alone wasn’t enough to finish Peemai, it gave Famongkol the time and space to land more powerful elbow strikes from close range.  This fight highlights how to use a cross face grip to immobilize and strike your opponent and create opportunities for damaging strikes.


Beemai Jitmuangnon vs Famongkol Sor Jor Danrayong – Channel 7 Stadium, April 19, 2015

Jongsanan vs Sakmongkol, The Elbow Fight

Yodthongthai Kiatcharoenchai vs Saen Pranchai – New Lumpinee Stadium, Sept 30, 2015

Tetsuya Yamato vs Kevin Ross – Lion Fight 21, March 27, 2015

Chanajon PK Saenchai vs Saiyok Pumpanmuang – Thai Fight – Apr 6, 2014

Pokkaew Fonjangchonburi vs Muangthai PK. Saenchai – New Lumpinee Stadium Aug 29, 2014

Petchboonchu FA.Group vs Kongsak Sitboonmee – Rangsit Stadium, Apr 27, 2015

Superbank Mor. Rattanabundit Muangthai PK. Saenchai – Rajadamnern Stadium, Jan 8, 2015

Erik Paulson’s CSW Essentials Attacking while Advancing, Retreating, and Standing Toe to Toe – Panpayak Jitmuangnon

In the Book of Five Rings, Miyamoto Musashi sets forth three methods to preempt your opponent’s attacks and gain the upper hand. “The first is to forestall him by attacking. This is called Ken No Sen (to set him up). Another method is to forestall him as he attacks. This is called Tai No Sen (to wait for the initiative). The other method is when you and the enemy attack together. This is called Tai Tai No Sen (to accompany him and forestall him)…”

Musashi states that the method you use will depend on your assessment of your opponent and his strategy. “You must make the best of the situation, see through the enemy’s spirit so that you grasp his strategy and defeat him…. In these three ways of forestalling, you must judge the situation. This does not mean that you always attack first; but if the enemy attacks first you can lead him around…”

In an earlier article, we explored 2013 and 2014 fighter of the year Panpayak Jitmuangnon’s successful out fighting tactics. Namely, his ability to manage distance, land hard round kicks and defend / escape caught kicks. In this article, we will see how Panpayak is able to get the better of his opponent whether he advances, retreats or fights toe to toe.

Attacking while Advancing

“Ken No Sen – …advance with as strong a spirit as possible, and when you reach the enemy move with your feet a little quicker than normal, unsettling him and overwhelming him sharply…” – Miyamoto Musashi, Book of Five Rings.

One definitive advantage of attacking while advancing is that you are able to harness forward momentum into your strikes. A rapid advance not only increases weight transfer in your attacks, it usually causes your opponent to retreat. Without the opportunity to plant their feet and shift momentum, it is more difficult for your opponent to hit you with meaningful strikes. So long as you are able keep your opponent defensively focused, quickly advancing can also make it less risky for you to open up offensively.

Panpayak generally lands a higher percentage of kicks when he steps them up with his hands. He often starts his assault with a few light punches before throwing the powerful rear round kick. Punches provide “covering fire” putting his opponent in a defensive mindset, prompting them to retreat, and making it difficult for them to attack as he advances.

Panpayak will occasionally break this pattern and use his kicks to set up his punches.  One of his signature combinations is the rear round kick to a lunging cross.

Jab, Round Kick

One simple and effective set up for the round kick is the jab. It forces Panpayak’s opponent to close the guard, obstructing their vision and drawing their attention away from the kick. Jab, Hook, Round Kick

When Panpayak wants to penetrate deeper, he uses a longer combination of punches. Here, he uses both the jab and the hook. Edging forward with each punch gives him more forward momentum to throw the kick and makes it more difficult for his opponent to fade away. If you can get your opponent to move backwards, he is usually in a less favorable position to counter. Here, Luknimit manages to throw a left round kick as he’s backing up but Panpayak also makes first contact with his kick. Even though Luknimit’s shin grazes Panpayak, the kick doesn’t have any force. Luknimit doesn’t get a chance to plant his feet and shift weight forward while he’s retreating and he’s also knocked off balance by Panpayak’s kick.

Skip, Jab, Roundkick

Here, Panpayak uses a skip step get closer into range before delivering the jab and round kick. Even though Trakunpet expects the kick and attempts to retreat, he is unable to get of range because of Panpayak’s penetration.

Uppercut, Hook, Cross, Head Kick

Here, Panpayak first delivers a uppercut, hook, left straight combination. Trakunpet defends and backs away. He mistakenly thinks he is safely out of range and drops his guard. The rangy Panpayak throws a head kick and catches him right on the jaw for the knock out. Trakunpet only expects a boxing attack. He mistakenly thinks he is safe once out of range of Panpayak’s punches. With his back already against the ropes, Trakunpet circles to his right to get away. However, his just puts him deeper into the power arc of Panpayak’s kick.

After the punch combination, a further forward advance by Panpayak would indicate a follow up attack. So instead of pursuing Trakunpet, Panpayak makes a couple of adjustments to his round kick technique to extend his reach. He uses a bit more foot rotation and opens the his hip more for more range. Instead of keeping his usual upright posture, he leans his upper body back slightly to allow him to bring his leg up higher to target the head..

Teep, Round Kick

Another classic set up for the round kick is the front teep. You can handily disguise the footwork of the round kick in the teep. After finishing the lead teep, instead of returning your lead foot its starting position, place your left foot on the a slight outside angle. Shift your weight forward onto the lead foot and deliver the rear round kick. Even though Panpayak misses Prajanchai’s thigh with the push kick here, the teep disguises the footwork for the round kick, allowing him to attack with minimal telegraph.

Stutter Step, Roundkick

As Panpanyak edges forward, the wily Sam-A raises his right knee shield, anticipating Papanyak’s rear round kick. Instead of fruitlessly kicking Sam-A’s shin, Panpayak takes a couple stutter steps towards him. This puts him in a position where he can more easily land a kick above Sam-A’s knee shield. He waits for Sam-A’s knee to dip before firing off the kick and catches Sam-A in the stomach. Also note that Panpayak doesn’t approach directly but circles ever so slightly to his right. This makes it more difficult for Sam-A to land a front teep with his raised right leg.

Rear Round Kick, Lunging Right Cross

One of Panpayak’s favorite follow up attacks to the rear round kick is a lunging left cross. This is a highly effective pairing as the opponent rarely expects a cross to come this quickly after the kick. Panpayak’s body kick draws his opponents attention downward. This often causes them to lowering their guard, opening their face to the cross. Panpayak will even add another round kick after the lunging cross on occasion. Here is an example of Pakorn successfully landing this combination on Liam Harrison from an orthodox stance. Mechanically, this lunging cross is quite similar to a superman punch. Much of the power for a regular cross is generated by pushing off the back foot. Power for this lunging cross is generated by kicking the rear leg backwards while it’s still in the air and hurling the torso forward.

To maximize the speed and power of the lunging cross, do not commit too much weight and power to the round kick. A light kick will more easily allow you to pull your leg back and propel your upper body forward.


A commonality amongst all of Panpayak’s forward attacks is the speed and ferocity of his attacks.  His commitment to the assault well embodies Musashi’s concept of Ken No Sen.

Attacking while Retreating

“Tai No Sen – When the enemy attacks, remain undisturbed but feign weakness. As the enemy reaches you, suddenly move away indicating that you intend to jump aside, then dash in attacking strongly as soon as you see the enemy relax…” – Miyamoto Musashi, Book of Five Rings.

Fighters who do not practice attacking while retreating tend to do poorly against aggressive fighters who like to pressure and blitz. If you are unable to attack off the back foot, your opponent can nullify much of your offense by simply swarming and charging you.

As alluded to above, there are some inherent disadvantages to attacking while retreating. If you are in a reactive mode, you cede control the range and pace of the fight. With momentum against you, you need a little time and space initiate effective attacks. You will need to plant your feet for linear attacks (e.g. cross, teep) and pivot for circular attacks (e.g. check hook).

An advantage to attacking while retreating is that your opponent’s forward momentum will amplify the force of your strikes. Thus, speed and placement are of the essence, and power is secondary.

To successfully attack while retreating, you need to have a good read of your opponent’s tendencies to time him accurately. Correctly anticipating your opponent’s attack will allow you to preempt it with your own. Some things to look out for include cues for when they advance, how quickly they come forward, weight distribution, when they attack, and if they over commit.

While retreating, Panpayak never succumbs to pressure and calmly plans ways to punish his advancing opponent. He is able to land some of his best round kicks while moving back against the ropes. His advancing opponent is usually pretty heavy on their front leg. This makes it more difficult for them to block kicks.

Panpayak is also quite adept loading his weight on his rear foot by lowering his hips while backing up. This allows him explode forward into a rear round kick at the opportune moment. He also likes to time his kicks to match his opponent’s punches, catching them at the moment they expose their ribs.

Hit and Run

A feigned retreated is a time tested military tactic made famous by the mongols. Panpayak also likes to bait his opponents forward, ambush them with a round kick and back away before they can counter. When Panpayak chooses to retreat on his on accord, him has more control over the time and place of the attack than if he were simply reacting to his opponent advance. Here, Panpayak voluntarily retreats as Prajanchai advances. Panpayak suddenly plants his feet and steps forward with a hard body kick to his opponent’s ribs. Panpayak smartly backs away from Prajanchai before he can respond with a right straight. This hit and run tactic requires good footwork, distance and timing.

Kick and Clinch

As Lukminit surges forward, Panpayak plants his feet, pushes off the back foot and delivers a snappy round kick to his opponent’s exposed ribs. Panpayak keeps a high guard and ties up Lukminit’s arms before he can land the right hook. This is a nice sneaky kick that can make your opponent more hesitant to rush forward later in the fight. You may also notice that Panpayak lifts his right knee as Luknimit comes forward. By doing this, he creates a barrier while also threatening with front teep. This causes Luknimit to hesitate every so slightly, giving Panpayak a precious moment to prepare his attack. Panpayak also generates a little momentum by stepping forward on his right foot after lowering the knee shield.

Corner Kick

As Sam-A shuffles forward to deliver a one two, Panpayak explodes forward with a round kick that catches his opponent on the arms. The force of the kick is enough to knock Sam-A’s cross off course. Even though he’s backing up, Panpayak is still able to deliver a powerful kick. Again, this is because he lowers his stance and explodes off the back foot. Sam-A’s forward movement also amplifies the impact of the kick.

Being backed into a corner can has some advantages. Even though you cannot avoid attacks with lateral movement, it also forces your opponent to come towards you from one predictable direction. The ropes work like a funnel which limit his offensive options and protects your flanks, allowing you to only focus on only timing his attack.

Retreating Jab, Round Kick

Wanchalong shuffles forward, backing Panpayak into the corner. Just as Wanchalong reaches the edge of his range, Panpayak snaps off a quick jab followed by a round kick. This is an excellent example of how to keep a shorter opponent at bay. He easily times Wanchalong’ s slow methodical advance and punishes him before he’s close enough to do any damage.

Fade and Knee

Wanchalong comes in more aggressively in this exchange attacking with a round kick. Panpayak fades back to evade. Wanchalong then attacks with a right straight. Panpayak extends his arms to tie up Wanchalong’s punches. He catches Wanchalong with a hard left kneein the solar plexus as he comes forward. Jab, Elbow

Although Panpayak is best known for his prodigious round kick, he also has good power in his hands.  Here, Panpayak throws a couple jabs while sliding back.  Wanchalong loads up and whiffs a left hook. With his opponent off balance and over committed, Panpayak steps forward with a jab and left horizontal elbow and catches Wanchalong square on the jaw for the knock out.  Wanchalong also turns into him at the moment of impact while attempting a left hook and this amplifies the force of the elbow.


Panpayak is as dangerous retreating as he is advancing.  His ability to lure his opponent forward and time their advance is key in preempting their attacks.  Panpayak’s tactics well exemplify Musashi’s concept of Tai No Sen.

Simultaneous Attack

“Tai Tai No Sen – When the enemy makes a quick attack, you must attack strongly and calmly, aim for his weak point as he draws near, and strongly defeat him.” – Miyamoto Musashi, Book of Five Rings.

When Panpayak either advances or retreats, the exchanges tend to be relatively short. He usually knocks his opponent back with a round kick, giving him a short break before they reengage.

However, there are points in some of his fights where Panpayak and his opponent stand close and engage in extended exchanges. These tend to occur in the more hotly contested rounds (namely 3 and 4) where Panpayak might be looking to establish or solidify his lead.

In these exchanges, his opponents tend to attack with punches while Panpayak still relies heavily on left leg for his offense. He does a good job of tying up thier arms while attacking their exposed midsection. He throws rear round kicks and knees with speed and ferocity until he knocks opponent out of range. Panpayak never attacks blindly and keeps a close eye on his opponent’s strikes to defend and find openings.  His fight IQ allows him to win a high percentage of these exchanges.

Shin for a Shin

In this exchange with Lukminit, Panpayak absorbs a round kick so he can deliver a counter round kick. He cross blocks Luknimit’s subsequent right round kick before stepping away. In thai style muay thai scoring, the party who lands the last strike in an exchange will be deemed to have won the exchange. This makes it important to land the last kick before disengaging.

Kick, Cover and Kick

This intense exchange with Prajanchai begins with two round kicks from Panpayak. Although Prajanchai gets hit in the arms, he stays in close to deliver a series of punches.  Panpayak see the flurry coming and covers up to weather the storm.  He throws another round kick as Prajanchai backs away. Panpayak is the aggressor in this exchange and surges forward with a round kick.  Prajanchai eats the kick but manages to catch hold of the ankle.  He uses his grip to pull Panpayak forward into with a flurry of punches. Panpayak absorbs a couple shots but eventually ties up his opponent’s arms by hand fighting and knocks him backwards with a hard round kick. Kick, Clinch, Knee, Kick

Panpayak will switch from kicks to knees when his opponent is in close.  Here, Prajanchai moves in to attack with another series of punches.  Panpayak is able to catch him with two round kicks before he’s even in boxing range.  He extends his arms in attempt to tie up Prajanchai’s hands.  Even though he is unable to secure collar ties, the hand fighting disrupts Prajanchai’s punches and enables Panpayak to land two hard knees and a kick before Prajanchai decides to back away. Here is a similar exchange where Panpayak also uses his kicks and knees to disrupt Prajanchai’s punches.  We can see that Panpayak never stops attacking with the left leg but switches between kicks to knees based on where his opponent is. Although Panpayak’s does put himself in harms way by standing toe to toe with his opponents, he doesn’t absorb a lot of damage and is usually able to get the better of the exchanges.  As his opponent moves in, he punishes them with hard round kicks to the arms.  As they throw punches, he ties up their arms and knocks them off balance with knees.  Panpayak’s ability to read his opponent’s attack and disrupt it by targeting their weak points is a good demonstration of Musashi’s concept of Tai Tai No Sen.


With this deeper exploration of Panpayak’s fighting style, we can see that his style of out fighting goes far beyond stick and move tactics.  He is very capable in all three of Musashi’s methods to preempt this opponent’s attack.  He Is successful when leading, countering and trading.  This versatility gives Panpayak the ability to dominate the entire fight, regardless of whether his opponent comes to him or backs away.

Conventional boxing wisdom states that out-fighters like Panpayak tend to dominate slower powerful brawlers but do poorly against the pressure of swarming in-fighters.  However, Panpayak’s skills allow him to be successful against in-fighters like Wanchalong and Prajanchai, out-fighters like Sam-A and boxer-punchers like Luknimit.  Aspiring muay thai fighters should take note of Panpayak’s example and learn to be proficient in all phases of combat.


Panpayak vs Sam-A: March 6, 2015, 123lbs Lumpinee Championship

Panpayak vs Luknimit: January 8, 2015, 120.5lbs

Panpayak vs Prajanchai: December 9, 2014, 118lbs

Panpayak vs Wanchalong: June 6, 2014, 116lbs

Panpayak vs Trakunpet: September 11, 2013 A Blueprint for Fighting on the Outside – Panpayak’s Prodigious Round Kick, Caught Kick Escapes

Panpayak Jitmuangnon is one of the most accomplished young muay thai fighters today.  At the age of 19, he’s won the Sports Writers of Thailand’s Fighter of the Year award in 2013 and 2014.  He is also a 2 time Rajadamnern champion and 2 time Lumpinee champion and current holder of the Lumpinee featherweight title.  At the time of writing, Panpayak has a record of 204-31-2 with notable wins over tough veterans like Sam-A, Prajanchai, and Wanchalong. Panpayak Jitmuangnon (พันธ์พยัคฆ์ จิตรเมืองนนท์)

Panpayak considers himself a technician and wins most fights by decision.  He is a classic out fighter, who prefers to keep some distance from his opponent and land long range strikes.  His fighting style fits his physical attributes quite well. He is a lanky southpaw who enjoys significant height and reach advantage over most opponents.

Panpayak doesn’t really change his approach opponent to opponent and does well against both orthodox fighters (Luknimit and Prajanchai) and southpaws (Sam-A and Wanchalong).  He is able to force his opponents to fight his fight because of his ability to control the range and pace of a fight.

Panpayak’s success is built more around technical excellence rather than strategic brilliance.  His offense is relatively straight forward, consisting of a few core techniques.  Despite being somewhat predictable, he is consistently able to score with superior timing and distance management.  He picks his opponents apart from a safe distance, keeping them on the end of his range where they have difficulty reaching him.

This is the first of a two part series where we will first examine Panpayak’s distance management, prodigious round kick and his tactics for defending and escaping caught kicks.  In part two, we will look into Panpayak’s attacks while advancing, retreating and standing toe to toe with his opponent.

Managing Distance

While Panpayak can also be effective at punching and clinch range, he prefers to contest the fight at kicking range.  He has a number of tools to keep the fight at his preferred range of combat.

Tactical Retreat

Panpayak’s primary means of keeping the fight on the outside is to read his opponent’s advances and retreat before they can close the distance.  Here, Lukminit advances quickly attempting to penetrate deeper.  If he gets in close, it will difficult to Panpayak to fade from his round kick. As Luknimit shuffles forward, Panpayak already begins sliding out of range.  Luknimit sees his opponent is too far away for the kick and abandons his attack.

Teep to Reset and Reengage

Panpayak will also employ the front teep when he finds his opponent a little too close for comfort.  Further, when his opponent develops a good offensive rhythm, he will also use the teep to disrupt their flow, forcing them to reset and reengage. Here, Sam-A gets into a good rhythm and is close enough to land round kicks.  Although Panpayak easily blocks this kick, he decides to reset the range and forcing Sam-A back to a distance where he can fully exploit his reach advantage.

Circling Jab to Escape Corners

When backed against a corner, Panpayak will often circle to his right while peppering his opponent with jabs.  Here he fires a series of jabs at Wanchalong’s face.  He snap his head back in the process which makes it difficult for Wanchalong to see his footwork and cut off his escape. Here, Sam-A shuffles forward with a series of pawing jabs to push his opponent back into the corner.  Panpayak he parries the jabs and fires off a stiff jab of his own.  After snapping Sam-A’s head back, he safely circles out of the corner. Panpayak’s Rear Round Kick

Like many out-fighters in muay thai, Panpayak’s favored technique is the rear round kick.  It forms the cornerstone of his offense.  Of the half dozen or so of his matches I’ve reviewed, I cannot recall him attempting a round kick with his lead (right) leg.  Despite having a rather uni-lateral offense, he is able to successfully land the rear round kick because of his superior timing and varied set ups.

His kicking technique itself is fast, fluid and without telegraph.  He keeps his muscles relaxed through out the strike, prioritizing speed over raw power.  His long limbs give him a lot of leverage, allowing him to hit hard without having to “muscle” the kick. As a tall lanky fighter, the range of his round kicks can often surprise his opponents.  Here, Trukunpet drops his hands as he backs away, thinking he is safety out of range.  However, Panpayak is still able to catch him with a stiff head kick through the guard. Defending Caught Kicks

One of the most vulnerable positions in muay thai is to have your kick caught.  It leaves you susceptible to embarrassing sweeps and damaging counterstrikes.

With the high number of rear round kicks thrown, Panpayak inevitably has a number of them caught in the course of a fight.  However, he rarely gets swept or countered because he has a number of good defenses and escapes from this compromising position.

Punch and Duck

Just as Sam-A catches his left leg, Panpayak peppers Sam-A’s face with left hooks.  This forces Sam-A to defend this face with his left hand which prevents him from striking with  his fists and elbows.  This leaves Sam-A’s legs as the sole remaining threats. Panpayak anticipates Sam-A’s left kick as Sam-A swings his leg to the side.  He smartly ducks under and evades the counter round kick.

Escape by Pushing Off with the Shin

Here, Sam-A catches the leg with a relatively loose grip.  Panpayak throws a left hook to force Sam-A to guard his face with his left arm once again.  He then bends his left leg pulling Sam-A towards him. As Sam-A comes forward, Panpayak pushes off his torso with the shin, breaking Sam-A’s grip and creating distance.  This is a very elegant and technical escape from a bad position.

Block the Counter Round Kick

Here, Wanchalong catches Panpayak’s left ankle with both hands.  Panpayak waits to see what Wanchalong will do before reacting. Wanchalong swings his leg to the side to off balance him and clear the way for a counter round kick. Panpayak stops the rotation by hooking his left foot on Wanchalong’s right hip.  He defends the counter round kick by turning his left shin torwards Wanchalong’s left thigh, blocking the kick before it can reach his body.

Catch Opponent’s Kick and Counter with a Round Kick

Sam-A catches Panpayak’s kick with a loose grip.  Panpayak turns his shin defensively towards his opponent to obstruct Sam-A’s advance. Panpayak is unable to turn his shin enough to cross block Sam-A’s counter left kick and catches the kick instead.  With Sam-A’s leg in hand, Panpayak then pulls the leg downwards to off-balance his opponent and to pull him forward into a hard counter round kick.


The ability to manage distance, land hard round kicks and defend / escape caught kicks are mutually supporting pillars of Panpayak’s success.  Controlling range allows him to keep the fight on the outside where he can attack with the round kick.  The ability to prevent sweeps, defend counters and escape caught kicks and allows him to throw the rear round kick with relative impunity.

In part 2, we will further examine Panpayak’s set ups and timing for attacking with the round kick.  We look at how he uses it while advancing, retreating and standing toe to toe with his opponent.



Panpayak vs Prajanchai: December 9, 2014, 118lbs

Panpayak vs Wanchalong: June 6, 2014, 116lbs

Panpayak vs Trakunpet: September 11, 2013 Top 5 Supplements for Muay Thai

As Muay Thai athletes, we put tremendous demands on our body throughout training and in the ring.  Supplements can play an essential role in your progress by allowing you to train harder and longer and recover faster.  They can confer a number of benefits ranging from enhanced endurance, more explosive power, quicker decision making ability and sounder sleep.

These supplement recommendations will differ significantly from bodybuilding mainstays.  Muay Thai has very different athletic and metabolic demands.  Sport specific supplementation should be focused on improving performance, not just appearance.

1. Cordyceps Mushroom – Supplement for Aerobic Endurance

Endurance is one of the most important athletic qualities of a Muay Thai fighter.  A good aerobic base helps with all the road work, pad work and clinching during training.  It also helps you recover quicker from damage in the course of a fight.

One of the best supplements for increasing energy, enhancing endurance and reducing fatigue is the cordyceps mushroom.  Cordyceps sinensis is a parasitic fungus that grows on caterpillar larvae harvested from the high mountainous regions of China, Tibet and Nepal.  It has been used for thousands of years in traditional Chinese and Tibetan medicine to treat ailments of the lungs and kidney as well as fatigue and cancer.  Cordycepes first came to prominence in the sports world in 1993 when several Chinese female athletes broke 1500 m, 3000 m, and 10k running records during the world track and field championships. Photo Credit: Wikipedia

Personally, I’ve been taking Cordycepes for several years.  Within the first couple weeks, I felt a definite increase in stamina.  Light cardio like easy running, shadow boxing, jumping rope, etc… began to fell almost effortless.  I find cordyceps helps me breathe deeper during aerobic activity.  This results in a lower heart rate and reduced perceived effort.  Over time, it has also helped me recover faster from more intense glycolytic activity like hard pad work.

Research Overview

A 2004 study in the journal Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise found that cordyceps improved athletes’ oxygen utilization by as much as 50 percent. A 1999 study from the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that elderly people taking a daily 3g does cordyceps experienced a nine percent increase in aerobic capacity. A study in the Chinese Journal of Integrative Medicine found that cordyceps significantly improves Vo2 Max, oxygen uptake, aerobic capacity, and resistance to fatigue.

Product Recommendation: Shroomtech Sport

Shroomtech Sport from Onnit contains organic cordyceps sinensis as well as a number of other complimentary adaptogens like Rhodiola, Green Tea Extract, Astragalus, Ashwagandha, Chromium and B-12.  These are energy enhancing compounds in their own right and provide  synergistic effects when combined with cordyceps.

2. Beta Alanine – Supplement for Muscular Endurance and Explosiveness

Most of us had days in the gym where our mind wants to push harder but the body simply won’t obey.  You want to finish those 20 kicks at the end of a round but simply can’t lift your leg.  Or, you have difficulty keeping your hands up because your shoulders are burning from smashing pads.  Strenuous anaerobic activity can causes a build up of hydrogen ions which make your muscles acidic and cause them to burn.  This can make difficult to press on and maintain good form and composure.

Although we can increase our body’s muscular endurance through training, we can also facilitate the process with smart supplementation.  Beta-alanine is an amino acid found naturally in foods such as chicken, beef, pork and fish.  It has been shown to enhance muscular endurance, explosive strength and improve moderate to high intensity cardiovascular exercise.  Beta-alanine is a pre-cursor for carnosine, a molecule which acts as an acid buffer in the body. Supplementing with beta-alanine helps increases your muscle’s carnosine stores which help the body buffer exercise induced acidosis and maintain an optimal pH level. Photo Credit: wikimedia.org

I find taking beta alanine 20-30 mins before muay thai training sessions gives me a couple extra gears.  I’m able hit harder and more often.  Within 10 minutes of taking it, I get a nice tingly feeling which helps wake up me up for the coming rigors.  This is a harmless side effect (called paresthesia) which feels similar to applying thai linament oil.  I’ve also found that beta alanine increases vasodilation, increasing blood flow and causing my veins to pop even before training.


Beta-alanine is a highly researched supplement.  A 2012 study in the International Journal of Sports Medicine and Exercise Metabolism found beta alanine to increase punching power and frequency in study of amateur boxers.  A 2014 study found beta-alanine supplementation improved explosive and repeated jump performance in alpine skiers.  A 2013 study found beta alanine significantly improved 2000m rowing times and was even more effective when combined with salt.  Another 2014 study showed beta alanine improved power output during repeated high-intensity cycling trials in both non-trained and trained individuals.

Product Recommendations: Muscle Pharm Assault, Onnit’s T-Plus

Muscle Pharm Assault is a dedicated pre-workout supplement designed to provide explosive energy and mental focus.  It contains 2000mg of beta alanine, B vitamins, a number of amino acids, creatine, minerals, beetroot extract to increase blood flow, cinnamon extract to balance blood sugar, and choline to increase focus, etc…

T Plus from Onnit is designed to help increase strength and power and improve athletic performance.  A 2014 clinical study at Florida State University revealed that the athletes taking T+ improved overall max weight lifted 36% faster than placebo group over 4 weeks.  T+ also contains Longjack, Luteolin and BCAAs.  Longjack helps restore optimum testosterone levels.  Luteolin has anti-oxidant, anti-inflammatory and anti-estrogenic effects.

3. Tumeric – Supplement to Reduce Inflammation, Speed Recovery

While Muay Thai training is a great workout, it can often leave you with achy joints and sore muscles, especially as you age.  If you don’t keep chronic inflammation in check, it will lead to sub-optimal performance in the short term and injury and muscle wasting down the line.

Turmeric is a root native to India and a central ingredient in curries.  It has been used for thousands of years in Ayurvedic and Chinese medicine to treat digestive, heart, skin and liver problems, aches, pains, wounds, and sprains.  Curcumin, the active polyphenol found in Tumeric, has been shown to exhibit strong anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, antiviral, antibacterial, antifungal, and anticancer activities.  It has the potential to be used against various malignant diseases, diabetes, allergies, arthritis, Alzheimer’s disease, and other chronic illnesses. A review of research studies showed curcumin to be even more effective than pharmaceuticals in the treatment of certain cancers.  For athletes, curcumin has been shown to decrease exercise-induced inflammation, muscle soreness and increased the rate of muscle repair. 
Curcumin modulates in the body’s inflammatory response in several ways.  Cyclooxygenase (COX) are enzymes responsible for formation of prostanoids, molecules involved in the inflammatory response.   COX-1 is present in most cells and tissues, but COX-2, primarily present at sites of inflammation.  NSAIDs like Ibuprofen inhibit both COX-1 and COX-2, leading to unwanted side effects like ulcers, prolonged bleedng time, kidney problems.  However, curcumin inhibits only COX-2 while not affecting COX-1, keeping inflammation in check without side effects.

Cytokines are small groups of proteins important in cell interaction and communication. Pro-inflammatory cytokines tend to make a disease worse by producing fever, inflammation, tissue destruction and even death.  Reducing their activity can significantly improve a patient’s condition.  Curcumin acts by down regulating the expression of inflammatory cytokines (TNF, IL-1, IL-2, IL-6, IL-8, IL-12) which helps the body with many inflammatory conditions.

Research Overview:

A 2014 study found curcumin increases the blood’s antioxidant capacity, thus reducing exercise-induced oxidative stress and ultimately inflammation.  Another 2014 study showed curcumin reduces perception of fatigue and can prevent DOMS (delayed onset muscle soreness).  A 1999 mouse study found curcumin significantly stimulates the repair of muscle tissue.  Subjects treated with curcumin showed levels muscle regeneration after 4 days normally seen 2+ weeks without supplementation.

A 2002 study demonstrated that curcumin substantially suppresses systemic inflammation markers MMP-3 by 48% to 99%, and MMP-13 by 45% to 97%.  A 1980 study of arthritis patients found curcumin was significantly better than corticosteriods in relieving morning stiffness and joint swelling, and improving walking time. A 2008 study found curcumin better reduced levels of inflammatory cytokines and markers of oxidative stress in diabetes 2 patients in comparison to statin drugs.

Product Recommendation: Thorne Research’s Meriva-SR

Curcumin is fat-soluble and experiences poor absorption when not consumed with fat.  Thorne Research’s Meriva-SR uses a patented form of curcumin named Meriva which binds curcumin to a naturally occurring lipid, phosphatidylcholine.  A 2011 study showed bioavailability is 29x higher in Meriva in comparison with ordinary curcumin.

4. Nootropics – Supplement for Focus, Reaction Time

Muay Thai is both a physical and mental game.  Feeling alert and focused can give you the winning edge in a fight.  It can also improve the quality of your training.  Although good sleep and nutrition can go far in keeping you sharp, some days you can’t help but feel a little foggy or distracted in the gym.

Nootropics, also know as “smart drugs”, can help improve focus, reaction time, and memory.  There are many different types of nootropics.  There are prescription stimulant drugs like Provigil and Adderall, which are also used “off label” by silicon valley types.  There are also a number of safer over the counter nutraceuticals which also provide cognitive enhancements.  These are made from earth grown nutrients, mostly plant extracts. Photo Credit: phpagencyblog.com

Neurotransmitters are the chemical messengers which transmit signals between neurons (nerve cells), synthesized from amino acids in the food we consume.  A number of nootropics work by boosting the levels of a very important neurotransmitter called acetylcholine. Acetylcholine is responsible for learning, memory, thought, attention, synaptic plasticity and muscle activation.  In fact, alzheimer’s and other disorders linked to cognitive decline are linked to low levels of acetylcholine.  Increasing acetylcholine levels can result in improved perception, concentration, memory, verbal fluency, etc…

Alpha-GPC is a choline source synthesized from soy lecithin.  It enables greater production of acetylcholine in the brain by supplying it with more raw materials.  Its estimated that 90% of the population of the USA is believed to not get enough of the acetylcholine precursors in their diet.  Supplementing with Alpha-GPC is known to improve memory function, make it easier to learn new concepts and it keeps your brain healthy by relieving oxidative stress.

Huperzine A is extracted from a southeast asian plant called firmoss.  It boosts acetylcholine levels by inhibiting the enzymes which break down acetylcholine.  It is known to increase memory retention, improve reasoning and enable a higher rate of cognitive activity.

Anecdotally, I do some of my best writing and fight analysis after taking a nootropic.  The words seem to flow from my fingers and my focus is undivided.   During training, I think less with my conscious mind and act more on training and instinct.  I become better at anticipating the movement and attacks of my trainers / training partners, and seeing new openings and creative solutions.  While the results are a little less fantastical than Hollywood may portray, they are still very noticeable.


A 2013 study found concluded Alpha GPC has significant cognitive enhancing capabilities improving both memory and attention.  Another 2013 study found Alpha GPC to be useful in treating cerebrovascular or neurodegenerative disorders and suggests using it in the treatment of such diseases.

A 2005 study found that Huperzine A has various neuroprotective effects and relieves memory deficits in the elderly, Alzheimer patients and people with vascular dementia.  A 1998 and 2011 study found Huperzine A is the most-promising Alzheimer’s drug candidate amongst various acetylcholinesterase inhibitors.

Product Recommendation: Onnit’s Alphabrain

Alpha Brain is a nootropic stack with contains Alpha GPC and Huperzine as well as a number of other anti-oxidant and mood balancing compounds.  A pilot study has shown that Alpha Brain provides some significant improvements in verbal memory and executive function.

5. Magnesium – Supplement for Sound Sleep

Its often difficult to get a good night’s sleep after an intense training session.  After getting home from hard sparring or clinching, you still feel amped up and your mind races as you toss and turn.  Poor sleep will hinder recovery and leave you feeling tired and achy before your next trip to the gym.  Sleep is also critical in the formation of myelin, a protective coating around nerve fibers that is critical for learning new skills.  Thus, poor sleep patterns can also make it difficult to master new techniques and tactics in your muay thai training.

One natural remedy which can improve sleep quality is magnesium.  Magnesium is used in over 300 functions in the body including muscle and nerve functioning, bone development, energy production, heart rhythm, regulating blood pressure, etc… Research suggests that only around half of US adults reach the recommended daily amounts.  Everyday stress and exercise stress also depress magnesium levels.  Low levels are linked to high blood pressure, diabetes, metabolic syndrome, osteoporosis, heart disease, etc…  When supplementing with magnesium, some people experience vivid dreams, an indicator of slow wave or “deep” sleep. Photo Credit: askiitians.com

I find taking a magnesium supplement 30-60 mins before bed reduces the amount of time it takes to fall asleep and provides deeper and more restful sleep.  Sleeping pills can make you feel groggy and sluggish the next day, but with magnesium, I wake up feeling refreshed (relatively) ache and pain free.


A 2012 study shows that magnesium supplementation improves sleep efficiency, sleep time and sleep onset latency and mitigates insomnia in the elderly as measured by serum renin, melatonin, and cortisol.  A 2013 study also found similar insomnia reduction benefits and even noted an increase in physical activity and decrease in calorie consumption from magnesium supplementation.  A 2011 study also found the administration of nightly melatonin, magnesium, and zinc improve the quality of sleep and the quality of life for people suffering from insomnia.

Some researchers have found restless leg syndrome to be cause of insomnia.  A 1998 study found that magnesium significantly decreased the frequency of limb movements and significantly improved sleep efficiency.  They recommended magnesium as an effective treatment for restless leg syndrome induced insomnia over conventional drugs.

Product Recommendations: Natural Calm, Onnit’s New Mood

Each serving of Natural Calm contains 325mg (or 80% of recommended daily intake) of a highly absorbable form of magnesium (ionic magnesium citrate).

Seratonin is a powerful neurotransmitter which helps regulate mood, appetite and sleep.  In addition to magnesium, New Mood from Onnit contains seratonin precursors, L-tryptophan and 5-HTP, to boost seratonin levels and enhance mood and sleep quality.

Honorable Mention, Protein

I find I struggle to eat enough food to support my physical activity during particularly hard phases of training.  I also tend to lose my appetite after training making it difficult to properly refuel for the next day.  Taking a protein shake can help supply your body with an easily digestible  calories and keep your energy levels are topped off. Photo Credit: Onnit

Product Recommendation: Onnit’s Hemp FORCE

Hemp FORCE utilizes a rich and complete protein isolated from raw, organic hemp seeds. It contains all of the essential amino acids, all three BCAAs, and both Omega-3 and Omega-6 and CLA.  Cocoa and maca root not only enhance the natural flavor of the hemp, but also contain several antioxidant and bioactive compounds beneficial for peak performance.

Which supplements have you tried?  What effect have they had on your muay thai training?  Please let me know in a comment below. Pakorn vs Pornsanae (Part 2) – Fists of Fury, Jaws of Steel

This second part of a two part series on the epic fight between Pakorn and Pornsanae on March 5, 2010 at Lumpinee Stadium.  Please see here for part 1 on Pakorn’ s systematic dominance of Pornsanae in the early rounds.

The Calm before the Storm

During the first three rounds, Pakorn nullified Pornsanae’s offense with steady forward pressure.  He intelligently defended Pornsanae’s punches with the modified cross arm guard and countered with hard and well timed knees.  He could have cruised his way to a clear decision victory with more of the same.  However, Pakorn choose to bite down on his mouth piece and trade leather with an ever dangerous Pornsanae in the fourth round.

The reason for his change in tactics is not apparent.  It’s possible he wanted to make it a more exciting fight or prove a point by beating Pornsanae at his own game.  He could have been caught up in the moment and his instinct to brawl could have taken over his better judgement.

Whatever the reason, it resulted in one of the most exciting rounds in all of combat sports – the climax in this symphony of violence.  I recommend watching round 4 in its entirety to fully appreciate the intensity and ferocity of the battle.

While this may seem like a wild brawl at first blush, well trained fighters don’t lose all technique and tactics amidst the chaos.  Within the maelstrom of punches, there are discernible patterns which explain why Pakorn gets the better of Pornsanae in some exchanges and vice versa.

A Quick Descent into Madness

The fourth round begins with Pakorn pressing forward.  Pornsanae catches him with a right uppercut snapping his head back.  The consummate finisher, Pornsanae turns up the intensity of his onslaught after sensing he’s hurt Pakorn.  Failing to initiate the clinch, Pakorn raises the modified cross arm guard to weather the storm. Fists of Fury – Overhand vs Cross

Pakorn begins to strike back and lands successive overland rights while Pornsanae simultaneously attacks with right crosses.  Pornsanae’s punches miss their mark but Pakorn catches him flush a number of times and snaps his head backwards. The reason why Pakorn scores while escaping unscathed is the overhand right technique incorporates a inside slip.  Pakorn’s head moves down and to the left, off the center line and away from the trajectory of Pornsanae’s cross.  As Jack Slack attests, “the brilliance of the overhand is that it is a hybrid technique… the overhand is an evasion and a power punch.”

Pakorn Errs – Stuck on Repeat

There are several moments in round 4 where Pornsanae is able to get the better of the action.  They come when Pakorn repeatedly attacks with the same technique, without setting it up or breaking up his rhythm.  The old adage of “don’t fix it if it ain’t broke” doesn’t apply here.  Unless you can get a quick finish, even a less skilled opponent will eventually come up with good counter attack given enough time.

Repeated Overhands

As we saw earlier, Pakorn had great success throwing the overhead right against Pornsanae’s cross.  However, he quickly becomes a victim of his own success.  Not only has he become utterly predictable, he also begins draws his right hand to the side to load up subsequent overhands.   While this gives him a little more rotational force, it also exposes the right side of his chin. After a dozen or so exchanges, Pornsanae catches him a left uppercut as Pakorn loads up for another overhand.  The uppercut snaps his head back and the overhand lands short.

Repeated Hooks

Shortly thereafter, Pakorn scores four successive left hooks on Pornsanae.  In the heat of battle, Pakorn begins to drop his right hand and keeps it at chest level, exposing his chin. Pornsanae absorbs Pakorn’s punches and explodes up with a hard counter left hook.  The hook lands flush on Pakorn’s chin, knocking him back and causing his punch to miss wide.  Once again in the heat of battle, Pakorn begins to neglect basic defense, becomes far too predictable and gets lambasted with a hard shot.

Repeated Body Kicks

Pornsanae backs him against the ropes, overcommits and misses with a couple wild punches.  Pakorn catches him with three solid body kicks.  The kicks hurt and stagger Pornsanae but he presses forward nonetheless. Once in punching range, he catches Pakorn with a hard right hook.  His knees wobble and he falls back against the ropes.  When a hardened brawler like Pornsanae advances, it is rarely a good idea to prioritize offense without a plan of escape.

Pakorn’s Succeeds – Controlling Range

After a furious first minute, the pace slows a little and Pakorn begins to employ more disciplined and methodical tactics.  He is gets the better of Pornsanae when he controls range by attacking and fading, hitting and running, framing and using long range attacks.

Attack and Fade

Pakorn dominates boxing range when he makes a point to avoid Pornsanae’s attacks with head movement.  Leaning his head back without moving his feet back allows him to stay in range to deliver quick punishing counters. In this sequence, Pakorn lands a left hook and fades back from Pornsanae’s counter left hook.  He then throws a right hook, leans back to avoid Pornsanae’s uppercut and counters with a hard right cross to the chin.  By attacking and fading, Pakorn is able to land three successive punches while avoiding all of his opponent’s counters.


Pakorn is also quite successful when he decides to move in and out of range.  As Pornsanae stalks him against the ropes, he leaps forward with a flying knee.  He pulls down on Pornsanae’s head for leverage and to keep him from backing away.  To prevent immediate counterattack, he maintains a loose clinch grip as he lands. After disengaging, Pakorn springs forward with a hard uppercut elbow which finds its way past Pornsanae’s long guard.  He smartly backs out of range to avoid Pornsanae’s retaliatory uppercut.  Hit and run guerilla tactics can be used effectively against a flat-footed power punching tank like Pornsanae.

Frame and Attack

In the latter part of round 4, Pakorn extends his lead hand to create a frame against Pornsanae’s head and shoulders.  The frame allows him to measure distance, clear a path to the target and keep his opponent at bay.

This exchange begins with both combatants framing.  Pornsanae “beats him to the punch” in the first instance and Pakorn’s cross misses low.  Pakorn frames again, catches Pornsanae with a right hook to the temple and fades back from the counter left hook.  The frame sets up the right hook while preventing his opponent from penetrating deeper with his counter.  Even though Pornsanae overcommits on the left hook, Pakorn easily slides out of range.  Pakorn frames again and scores a crisp right cross, forcing Pornsanae to skip backwards. In this exchange, Pakorn also frames but his arm is not fully extended.  The frame helps him keep Pornsanae in place to land a cross and a right uppercut.  However, the bent lead arm does not create enough distance to stop Pornsanae from landing a counter left hook. Here, Pakorn frames with both arms and shoves Pornsanae away.  He steps forward and pulls his opponent into a hard right knee.  In this instance, the frame creates distance and puts his opponent on the backfoot, making it safer for him to come forward with a long knee. Long Range Attacks

As discussed in part 1, Pornsanae is most effective from boxing range but Pakorn has well-honed weapons at all ranges of combat.  When Pornsanae reengages from the outside, the cost of entry is a hard head kick.

Here, Pornsanae ambles forward with hands low and absorbs a left head kick on the jaw.  The kick knocks him to the side, scoring well.  Pakorn follows up with a series of jabs to keep him on the outside. Pornsanae learns from his earlier mistake.  This time, he keeps his right hand by his chin, casually shrugs off the head kick and attacks with a right hook. After a couple minutes of unabating fury, both fighters are dazed, exhausted and holding their hands low. Pornsanae casually shuffles to the left and Pakorn catches him with a beautifully placed right head kick. It looks like Pornsanae is able raise his hand at the last possible moment to protect his chin.  However, the kick still knocks him to his side and scores well for Pakorn.

Jaws of Steel

It is a wonder that both men are still standing after this round.  Although Pakorn landed a higher volume of strikes, he still absorbed some devastating punches from an ever dangerous Pornsanae.  He has a gritty look of triumph and thumps his chest, but is so disoriented he walks to the wrong corner.

Pornsanae has a look of pure elation as he skips away.  Win or lose, he is a warrior who thrives on chaos and is invigorated by mayhem. Both men showed incredible toughness, courage and will to win.  It is easy to see why this was selected as the fight of the year.

A Return to Sanity – Out Fighting

With a solid lead on points and having proved that he can stand and trade with one of muay thai’s most dangerous beserkers, Pakorn adopts a more conservative strategy in the final round.  He keeps Pornsanae on the outside with inside trips, evasive footwork and leaping rear teeps.

Inside Trips

A power puncher like Pornsanae keeps most of his weight forward to increase weight transfer in his punches.  This means carrying most of his weight on his lead leg when he advances and attacks.  If Pakorn is able to disturb this supporting column, he can send Pornsanae falling forward.

The target for the inside foot sweep is the inside of the opponent’s ankle.  Generally, the lower the point of contact, the more your opponent’s foot will move and the harder he will fall.  Dorsi-flexing the foot of the kicking leg (pointing toes upwards) also gives it the shape of a hook. This usually helps you to better catch on opponent’s ankle and results in a more disruptive sweep.

Here, Pakorn attacks with the sweep after Pornsanae jabs.  Although the foot catches him slightly below the knee, he is still able to knock the foot to the side and off balance his opponent. Here, Pakorn hand fights with Pornsanae to distract his attention and delivers a beautiful inside foot sweep to the ankle.  It sends Pornsanae stumbling forward and he needs to take a couple steps to recover his balance.  Pakorn exploits this opportunity with a quick switch kick to the body. Pornsanae is more tentative later in the round and puts less weight on his lead foot.  Although Pakorn makes good contact with the ankle, with more even weight distribution, Pornsanae regains his balance faster after this sweep.  Pakorn follows up with a couple crisp jabs while he circles away from the corner. Evasive Maneuvers and Footwork

Pakorn also uses footwork to avoid Pornsanae’s advance in the final round.  Pakorn parries Pornsanae’s right cross and circles to his left while pushing him away.  Note that Pakorn circles out after immobilizing Pornsanae’s right hand to avoid moving into a power punch. Pornsanae has Pakorn on the ropes again.  Rather than wait on Pornsanae’s attack, he peppers his opponent with a series of pawing jabs.  This forces Pornsanae to raise his guard which prevents him from attacking as Pakorn circles left. Leaping Rear Teeps

A leaping rear teep is one of the most effective techniques for pushing back an aggressive opponent.  Timed well, you can even knock your opponent to the mat.  As with most leaping attacks, a miss can leave your flank exposed.  Set up and timing is key.

Pakorn likes to set this up by skipping forward and backwards.  This performs the dual function of inviting Pornsanae to advance when he hops back while loading his legs to explode forward into the teep.

Here, Pornsanae backs away slightly after he skips forward.  To bait him, Pakorn relaxes his posture, drops his hands and backs up against the ropes, inviting him forward.  He then takes a quick step back with his right foot, pushes off explosively and launches it forward to Pornsanae’s midsection, sending him back. At the end of the round, Pakorn casually skips back and forward in the corner with his hands low while Pornsanae saunters forward.  He loads his legs as he skips back into a low lunge and launches his body forward spearing his right foot into Pornsanae stomach.  He catches Pornsanae unaware and sends his opponent tumbling backwards to the canvas, an ignominious end to the final round for Pornsanae. 
Although there was a clear disparity in skills of the combatants, there was no difference in heart.  Pakorn and Pornsanae shared a most incredible round on the hallowed ground of old Lumpinee Stadium.  Their bravery and courage allow us to share in their journey to the edge of madness; their fighting spirit and jaws of steel allowed them to endure.

After a difficult 2014, Pornsanae recently retired from fighting at the age of 34 to work as a trainer at the prestigious Evolve MMA gym in Singapore, employer of many former Muay Thai champions.  His last fight was on February 14, 2015 where he defended his Omnoi Stadium Superfeatherweight Belt with a KO victory.  A fitting end to a storied career of a most beloved fighter.

Full Fight Video

Video credit to Banana821 Pakorn vs Pornsanae (Part 1) – Intercepting the “Killer Fist”

Pakorn PK Saenchai Muay Thai Gym is one of the best muay thai fighters today and is still in his fighting prime.   He won the Rajadamnern Super-Flyweight Championship at 18 years old.   Pakorn was voted best fighter of the Year 2013 by the Sports Authority of Thailand after shortly after wining the Thailand Lightweight title from Kongsak Sitboonmee on Dec 3, 2013.  He became the Lumpinee Lightweight champion after defeating Singdam on Feb 28th 2014. Pakorn PK Saenchai  (ปกรณ์ พีเคแสนชัยมวยไทยยิม)

Pakorn is now managed by Yokkao and has began to fight outside of Thailand.  He won the 65kg Yokkao Title against Greg Wootton on Oct 11, 2014 and is scheduled to fight Liam Harrison on March 21, 2015 at Yokkao 13.

Pakorn considers himself a technician and often wins intelligently fought decisions with his superior skill set.  However, he is clearly not afraid to brawl with aggressive fighters like Seksan Or Kwanmuang and the “Killer Fist,” Pornsanae Sitmonchai.

Fight Analysis

Pakorn’s fight with Pornsanae on March 5, 2010 was awarded Lumpinee Fight of the Year for 2010.  The fight begins at a measured pace (by Pornsanae standards) but crescendos into a symphony of violence and wild pugilistic abandon in the fourth round. It is easily one of the most exciting rounds in all of combat sports.

This article the first of a two part series.  In part 1, I will cover Pakorn’s tactics for neutralizing Pornsanae’s dangerous boxing and low kicks in the early rounds and his varied counter attacks.  In part 2, I will breakdown Pakorn’s tactics for surviving and prevailing in one of the most intensely fought rounds in muay thai history.

Neutralizing Pornsanae’s Unimodal Offense

Pornsanae prefers to initiate attacks from boxing range.  He is most dangerous when he is able to make you back up.  Given room to maneuver, he will throw furious punch combinations often punctuated with low kicks.  Read more about Pornsanae’s aggressive fighting style in an earlier post. Pornsanae’s punches become much less effective when he cannot put his weight forward or doesn’t have room to fully extend his arms.  His offensive output drops dramatically when you force him to move backwards or engage him in trapping and clinch range.  This is the game plan Pakorn follows early on.  With the exception of a couple momentary lapses, Pakorn clearly controls the range and pace of the fight in the early rounds.

Pakorn keeps Pornsanae on his back foot by pressing forward using the modified cross arm guard.  When Pornsanae attacks with leg kicks, Pakorn also deploys long knees to push him back.  When Pakorn chooses to disengage, he uses leaning jabs to keep Pornsanae at bay.  During the third round Pakorn picks up the pace, smoothers Pornsanae with the clinch and punishes him with leaping knees from close range.

Pakorn’s Modified Cross Arm Guard

Pornsanae’s boxing attacks consist largely of attacks to opponent’s jawline with straight punches, hooks and uppercuts.  While it’s possible to defend these punches with a more common “peek-a-boo guard,” your vision can be partially obscured by bringing your gloves in front of your face.  Also, straight punches and uppercut elbows can split the guard if you don’t firmly hold your forearms together.  Further, you need to turn your body to block uppercuts with your elbows and this can momentarily affect your ability to counter.

Defending with the Modified Cross Arm Guard

During the fight, Pakorn often employs a modified cross arm guard to defend himself from Pornsanae’s vicious punches.  Pakorn wraps his rear arm around his jaw line with his chin tucked in the crook of his elbow.  This right glove protects the left side of his chin and temple.  His right shoulder protects the right side of his chin.  His lead arm is fully extended, similar to a long guard.  He uses his left hand to frame, maintain and measure distance and push Pornsanae away. The modified cross arm guard can be use effectively to defend against a variety of head strikes including head kicks. Closing the Distance with the Modified Cross Arm Guard

With the modified cross arm guard, Pakorn can push forward while keeping his chin in relative safety.  He walks forward to deny Pornsanae the space he needs to attack.  Pornsanae’s punches are absorbed on Pakorn’s right forearm and elbow. It is important to maintain close contact between the rear arm and the chin, otherwise your opponent’s punches can make you hit yourself in the face.

Attacks from the Modified Cross Arm Guard

A common indicator of a horizontal elbow strike is a sudden bend in your opponent’s arm.  With the modified cross arm guard, the rear arm always bent and chambered for an elbow.  Pakorn can quickly launch a rear elbow strike without this tell by simply stepping forward and twisting his body. Although Pakorn does not successfully land the elbow in this instance, you can see how naturally rear elbow flows from the modified cross arm guard.

Weaknesses of the Modified Cross Arm Guard

There are trade-offs with every guard choice.  The modified cross arm guard leaves your temple exposed on your rear hand side.  Here, Pornsanae throws a short left hook to Pakorn’s right temple.  It catches him cleanly and knocks his head to the side.  Pakorn’s right temple would also be vulnerable to overhand lefts or a well placed left head kick. The body is also fairly exposed with the modified cross arm guard.  When Pornsanae attacks with left hooks to the body, Pakorn opts to defend with the pee-ka-boo guard and brings his right elbow down to catch Pornsanae’s glove. Same Same but Different

There are a number of guards which have elements in common with the modified cross guard.

Long Guard

As mentioned above, the long guard also features an extended lead arm.  However, the rear hand is kept by the chin.  This provides better protection against hooks to the body and temple but leaves the defender more open to straight punches and uppercuts.  With the long guard, you can also frame and push your opponent back with your lead arm.

Crab Guard / Cross Armed Guard  / “The Lock”

With the crab guard, you also keep your rear arm wrapped around your chin.  However, your lead arm covers your mid section to protect against strikes to the body.  Boxing analyst Connor Ruebusch explains that this guard was more popular in the days of bare knuckle boxing during which the liver, spleen and solar plexus were especially common targets.  Premiere MMA analyst Jack Slack pieced together some nice footage of Archie Moore putting the crab guard into practice in this short video. Credit: Bloody Elbow

While the crab guard has some defense advantages for body punches, you forfeit the ability to frame and range find with the lead arm.  The crab guard is also probably less viable in Muay Thai than boxing.  Even if you cover your mid-section with your lead arm, a muay thai fighter would happily knee or or push kick you in that arm or round kick you in the ribs.

High Cross-Armed Guard

Another variation of the cross armed guard is to hold both forearms on top of each other in front of your chin, square to your opponent.  While this provides pretty solid protection for your jawline on both sides, there is often a little space under your chin which leaves you open to well placed uppercuts.  With both arms up high, you are vulnerable to body shots.  As with the crab guard, you are exposed to strikes to the temple and do not have the ability to frame and push with the lead hand.

Countering Low Kicks with Step-in Left Knees

Another one of Pornsanae’s favorite tools is his vicious right low kick.  After attacking with the leg kick, Pornsanae’s balance is momentarily compromised, making him vulnerable to counterattack.

In the early rounds, Pakorn raises his left knee shield to block the low kick, steps forward with his right foot and delivers a straight left knee into Pornsanae’s mid-section.  The step allows him to build forward momentum for additional power.  It also allows him to penetrate more deeply making it more difficult for Pornsanae to fade back and evade. Weight Distribution – Pornsanae Heavy Lead Leg

One reason why Pakorn is so successful with the step-in left knee is because it is difficult to block and / or avoid the left knee after throwing a right leg kick.  An effective defense against straight left knees is to raise your left knee shield and parry inside of opponent’s left thigh to your right with your left knee.  However, after throwing the right low kick, Pornsanae has the majority of his weight on his left leg.  This makes it particularly difficult for him to raise his left leg to parry the knee.  A heavy lead leg also makes it more difficult for Pornsanae to back away to avoid the knee.

Weight Distribution – Pakorn Light Lead Leg

The left knee is a natural counterstrike against an opponent who likes to attack with the right low kick.  Pakorn needs to be light on his lead foot to both raise his left knee shield and deliver a left knee.  Keeping the majority of his weight on his rear foot, Pakorn can easily defend low kicks and attack with the step in left knee. Here, Pakorn defends a right low kick, delivers a step in left knee, and quickly raises his left leg to defend Pornsanae’s quick counter leg kick as well.

Creating Distance with Knee Strikes

Step-in knees also provide the defensive benefit of putting punchers out of range for counter strikes.  Here, Pakorn endures a barrage of punches with cross arm guard and blocks Porsanae’s low kick.  He steps forward and scores a left knee.  Pornsanae attempts to throw a quick counter right but it falls short because Pakorn knocked him backwards with the knee. Pakorn’s Leaning Jab

When throwing a jab, many fighters will step forward with the lead foot to penetrate deeper and move their weight forward.  However, it is also possible to throw a fairly stiff jab while keeping the lead foot in place.  Pakorn employs a leaning jab several times during the fight to keep Pornsanae on the end of his range. Step-in Jabs

Conventional wisdom dictates that (i) you should keep your bodyweight over your feet to maintain balance and (ii) you should keep your lead knee bent to allow you to quickly step back after delivering a strike.  While this is true of step-in jabs and crosses, the mechanics of a leaning jab are in sharp contradiction. Mechanics of the Leaning Jab

For penetration, Pakorn fully extends his left arm and rotates his left shoulder outwards to maximize the range of his jab.  To transfer weight, Pakorn leans forward extending his bodyweight over his lead leg.  He maintains his balance by kicking back his rear leg ever so slightly, using it as a counterweight.  Pakorn also straightens his lead leg in the process.  His left leg functions as a balance point between his extended left arm and rear leg and keeping it straight also helps increase his range. Similarities with the Superman Punch

The mechanics of the leaning jab actually have some faint similarities to a superman punch.  With the superman, you also bend your upper body forward until your torso is almost horizontal.  This gives you greater range and weight transfer and you keep your balance by abruptly kicking your rear leg backwards.  The leaning jab is in a sense a scaled down version of the superman punch.

Advantages of the Leaning Jab

One advantage of the leaning jab is that it allows the attacker to extend their range beyond that of a step-in jab.  When facing opponent with similar height / reach, you will be able to touch them with a leaning jab but they will be unable to hit you without stepping forward.  This is especially useful when fighting an aggressive combination puncher like Pornsanae.

A leaning jab is often more difficult to read as well.  Many fighters cue off the forward step with the lead foot to spot and time a conventional jab.  Without the step, a leaning jab could be mistaken for a feint or frame before it makes contact.

Even if you opponent sees the leaning jab coming, they rarely expect such jabs to have much power.  They may raise a fairly loose guard to so not to obstruct their vision.  A crisp leaning jab could just slip through.

You can also try mixing step in jabs and leaning jabs to muddle your opponent’s sense of distance.  Not having a good read on range can frustrate and slow down an opponent.

Pakorn’s Smothering Pressure

Pakorn demonstrates dominance in all ranges of combat in this fight his Pornsanae.  He decides to contest the third round at close range, a wise choice given that Pornsanae is significantly less effective when infighting. Pakorn walks forward and initiates the clinch during the first half of the round.  Pakorn uses the modified cross arm guard and hand fighting to make it through the gauntlet of Pornsanae’s punches.  Once in close, Pakorn pushes Pornsanae against the ropes, secures underhooks and proceeds to attack with knees. Even when Pornsanae is able to shake off Pakorn’s grips, his smothering pressure neutralizes Pornsanae’s boxing.

Setting up Leaping Right Knees

Jumping attacks involve a high level of commitment.   You can’t really change the momentum of your body mid-flight.  If you try a jumping attack in the middle of ring, your opponent can face back to evade or sidestep and attack your exposed flank.  And so, they are best delivered when your opponent is backed into a corner.

In the latter part of the third round, Pakorn keeps the pressure on Pornsanae by walking and leaning forward without clinching.  He backs Pornsanae against the ropes and waits for him to throw a combination of punches. When Pornsanae attacks, Pakorn either blocks or fades and then counters with leaping right knees. Weight Distribution – Pakorn Heavy Lead Leg

You may recall Pakorn countered Pornsanae’s leg kicks with the step-in left knees in the earlier rounds.  A reason for this change in tactics is Pakorn’s relative weight distribution.  In the earlier rounds, Pakorn was concerned with Pornsanae’s leg kicks and stayed light on his lead foot and heavy on his back foot to defend.  In round 3, Pakorn leans and presses forward most of the time, shifting more of his weight on his lead left foot.  With less weight on his right foot, attacks with the rear leg become more viable.

Furthermore, with Pakorn pushing him around the ring, Pornsanae doesn’t have much space to set up and deliver his leg kicks.  In fact, the more Pakorn pressures forward, the less concerned he needs to be with leg kicks. Follow On Attacks

After successfully scoring a few leaping right knees, Pakorn employs some even more aggressive tactics.  Instead of waiting for Pornsanae’s punches, Pakorn hand fights and pushes Pornsanae’s hands up to expose his mid section.  Pakorn attacks with a right knee followed by a wicked head which snaps Pornsanae’s head to the side. 
In the first three rounds, Pakorn fought a very intelligent fight using his technical versatility to dominate a comparatively one-dimensional Pornsanae.  Pakorn used a guard tailor-made for Pornsanae’s aggressive combination punching style and kept him at bay with leaning jabs.  He defended Pornsanae’s low kicks and countered with step-in left knees.  He closed the distance at will in the third round, tied up and tired Pornsanae in the clinch, and punished him with leaping right knees.

Pakorn could have easily smothered and kneed Pornsanae to a clear decision victory in the later rounds.  It’s not apparent why he decided to open up and swing with reckless abandon with a dangerous puncher later in the fight.  However, it makes for one of the most epic and captivating rounds in the history of combat sports.

Please read on in Part 2.

 Round Kicks: The Good, The Bad and the F’Ugly

Not all muay thai round kicks are created equal.  There are obvious differences in the speed, fluidity and power of top rank muay thai pros and journeyman fighters.  Not only are their kicks more efficient and aesthetically pleasing, they are also far more effective in the crucible of combat.

In an earlier article, I went over some concepts to improve your round kick.  Muscle elasticity, balance, weight transfer, follow through, and timing are all important elements which determine the power and effectiveness of your round kick.

Let’s have a look at some clips of a few muay thai legends known for their kicking prowess to see how to see how these concepts apply to their technique.  We’ll then compare their kicks with a couple up and coming MMA fighters.  Lastly, enjoy a few laughs at the expense McDojo instructors and reality TV stars.


Yodsankai Fairtex

Yodsanklai Fairtex has the best round kick technique amongst active fighters.  He is nicknamed the boxing computer for his consistently flawless technique.


Yod is a 2 time Lumpinee Stadium Champion with titles at flyweight and welterweight.  He has also held gone on to hold WBC, WMC, WMPF Toyota Marathon, Thai Fight and Lion Fight titles at various weight classes.  He has fought and defeated many skilled foreigners including John Wayne Parr, Artem Levin, and Chike Lindsay.  He also has many notable wins with tough Thai opponent’s including KO wins over former teammate Kem Sitsongpeenong and Lamsongkram Chuwattana and a decision win over fellow Thai legend, Samkor Kiatmontep. Yodsanklai vs John Wayne Parr

Yodsanklai is the embodiment of perfect technical striking.  His technique is fast, powerful, balanced, and effortless.  He is a good position to defend, counter, and absorb damage at all times.

Flawless Technique

Yod is fully in control of his posture throughout the kick because mechanics of this kick are always sound and incredibly smooth.  He maintains an upright posture, a straight support leg, and is high up on the ball of his support foot.  He is able to maximize the torque in his kick by straightening his kicking leg, turning his hip and rotating his support foot. While Yod’s body may look relaxed, his round kicks are incredibly powerful.  I’ve seen him do pad work in person at Fairtex Gym and it sounds like gunshots when he hits the pads.

Power vs Balance

What I find to be exceptional about his technique is that he is always able to find the perfect equilibrium between power and and balance.  You can amplify the power of your kick with more weight transfer and muscle tension.  However, there are measurable tradeoffs.  Putting too much weight forward will leave you out of position after the kick, make it more difficult to recover your fighting stance.  Too much muscle tension will slow down your strike and may cause you to telegraph, rendering the round kick less effective. Yodsanklai vs Fady Abboud

Yodsanklai has knock out power in all of his strikes.  It is very rare that his fights to go to a decision.  From 2012 onwards, he has won all 15 of his fights with all but 4 coming by way of stoppage. Yodsanklai vs Artem Levin

He usually finishes his opponents with punches and elbows but he sets it up by hurting them and backing them up with rounds kicks.

Saenchai PK Saenchai Muay Thai Gym

Saenchai PK Saenchai Muay Thai Gym is a muay thai virtuoso and a living legend.  He is know for his fight IQ, playful and charismatic fighting style and incredible agility and reflexes.  He won his first Lumpinee championship at age 15 and is still fighting at the age of 34.


Saenchai is a 4 time Lumpinee stadium champion at Super Flyweight, Bantamweight, Super Featherweight and Lightweight.  He was named the sports writer’s fighter of the year  in 1999 and 2008.  Saenchai has also held various other titles including Toyota Cup, Toyota Marathon, WMC, WBC, and WPMF.

Although Saenchai has been taking international fights against tough and much larger foreigners, he still fights top echelon Thai fighters.  Over the last couple years, Saenchai has wins over Kongsak and Nong-O (current Raja lightweight champ).  He traded wins and losses with tough veteran Singdam (current Lumpinee super lightweight champ).  He’s also had a few decision losses to young guns Yodwicha, Petboonchu (current Raja super lightweight champ) and Petmorakot (current Lumpinee super featherweight champ).

Fluidity of Motion

Saenchai has incredibly fluid and graceful movement.  His fight footage and pad work are simply poetry in motion.  You could say Saenchai is the Marcelo Garcia of Muay Thai, just as you might say, Marcelo is the Saenchai of brazilian jiu jitsu.  Both men stand hand and shoulder above their respective peers at controlling the way their body moves through space – genius level proprioception. Saenchai is able to move and react with exceptional speed because he uses minimal muscle tension and keeps his body loose and supple.  He relies on the speed of his perfectly co-ordinated movements to generate the rotational force for his kicks.  This also helps him get good height on his kicks – crucial when routinely fighting much taller opponents. Saenchai vs Nong-O 2014

Saenchai never “muscles” any of his kicks, only tensing slightly before the moment of contact.  By keeping his muscles relaxed and elastic, Saenchai is able evade and counter with seemingly superhuman agility and even modify his technique mid-strike.

Impeccable Timing and Precision

Saenchai uses his feints and movement to frustrate and dazzle his opponents.  Whether transfixed or confounded by Saenchai’s spell, his opponents eventually offer up openings for him and Saenchai exploits them with remarkable speed and accuracy.

He often concedes both a height and weight advantage to both foreign and thai opponents.  To land a medium range strike like a round kick, Saenchai will often need to defend or evade a strike from his longer opponent just to get in range. Alternatively, Saenchai feints his entry to kicking range, often using a skip in knee. Saenchai vs Vs Tetsuya Yamato

Occasionally, he will also use lateral movement to find new angles of attack. Saenchai vs Ghilas Barache

With amazing kinesthetic awareness and impeccable timing, one might even say Saenchai a master of space and time.

Samkor Kiatmontep

Samkor Kiatmontep is known for having an unstoppable rear round kick. His left leg is like a bull whip on a hair trigger.  He fires it no telegraph, perfect form and brutal power every time.


Samkor is a 3 time Lumpinee Champion at Super-bantamweight, Super-Featherweight and Lightweight.  He has also held Toyota Marathon and WMC titles.  Dominated Thai Stadium circuit in the 90s and early oughts.  He also spent a good part of his later career fighting and defeating various Japanese champions.  He currently works as a muay thai trainer in Hong Kong.

Unparalleled Follow Through

The mechanics of Samkor’s rear round kick are a bit different than Yod’s and Saenchai’s.  His kick is very fast, hard and effective but do not look as fluid and effortless and Yod’s or Saenchai’s. Yod and Saenchai rely more on the push off from their rear foot to generate power and momentum for the kick.  Whereas Samkor relies more on a well timed explosive hip turn at the end of the kick.  This allows him to torque his body to the side and really drive his shin to his opponent’s ribs. This gives his exceptional follow through on his kicks and allows him to knock his opponents off balance even if they are able to correctly block it.

The Sledgehammer Shin

If Saenchai is a sniper, Samkor is more akin to a sherman tank.  While Saenchai uses feints and movement to set up kicks, Samkor will keep hammering at you with with kicks until you fall.

Although this may seem like a simple brute force approach at first blush, there is method.  When firing off repeated round kicks, Samkor will closely watch his opponent and break his rhythm with little stutter steps to make if more difficult for his opponent to defend. Samkor Kiatmontep vs Satoshi Kobayashi

Pain compliance and battle fatigue also plays an important role.  Defending round kicks with a knee shield will damage both the attacker and defender.  By throwing repeated round kicks, Samkor can turn the fight into a contest of pain tolerance where the one who has better conditioned shins usually comes out better off.

Samkor’s good judgement of range also allows him to consistently make contact with the thickest part of his shin minimizing the damage to his own leg.  Samkor’s superior conditioning and placement allows him to consistently get the better of these exchanges. Samkor’s relentless attack will often puts his opponents on the back foot, moving away from his kicks.  With his opponents out of position, Samkor will aggressively chase them around the ring and mercilessly bludgeons them with his shin. Samkor Kiatmontep vs Wilfried Montagne

Samkor is by no means a one dimensional fighter.  Even when his round kicks fail to land, he has many other weapons at his disposal to finish his opponents.

Apidej Sit-Hirun

Apidej Sit-Hirun is said to have been one of the hardest kickers in history.  Although he doesn’t have the prettiest kicking technique by today’s standards, Apidej broke both of his opponent’s arms with round kicks during a fight. Apidej was a legend from the golden era of muay thai and was named fighter of the century by King Bhumibol Adulyadej.  He held 7 titles in the 1960s.  After retiring from fighting, he worked as a trainer at Fairtex gym until his death in 2013.

Maximizing Weight Transfer

Apidej relies heavily on weight transfer to generate power for his kicks.  He tends to jump upwards and fling his body weight towards his opponent.  As a result, his kicks are comparatively slow and thus, do not generate as much rotational force. This is not to say that his kicks are not powerful or damaging.  Rather, in the process of force production, Apidej emphasizes mass at the expense of acceleration. Apidej Sit-Hirun vs Payap Sakhunsuk

A problem with kicking with excessive weight transfer is that it takes a long time to recover your fighting stance.  To maintain his balance, Apidjej also needs to throw his rear hand to the side thus exposing his chin.

With this technique, I’m not so sure Apidej would be a dominant champion when pitted against the best fighters of the the modern era.  Nonetheless, it is fascinating to see how Muay Thai technique has evolved over a fairly short period of time.


CM Punk (a.k.a Phil Brooks)

By now, most MMA fans have heard that the UFC signed CM Punk, a former professional wrestler with no MMA fights, kickboxing matches or jiu-jitsu tournament experience.

While skilled fighters kick with a single continuous graceful motion, Punk’s kicks on this “heavy bag” are tense, uncoordinated and herky jerky. Square Hips, Insufficient Rotation, Incorrect Angle of Attack

Although we can’t see his footwork, it is quite apparent Punk is not stepping outward and rotating his supporting right foot.  This prevents him from turning his hip inward in the latter phase of the kick.  You can see his foot is pointing upwards when he makes contact.

In a real fight, his kick would graze the opponent’s midsection with the meaty part of his calf.  Correctly executed, the kick should turn inward on a 70-80 degree upward angle, driving the hard bony blade of the shin directly into his opponent’s ribs.

Poor Posture, Lack of Hip Thrust

Square hips also prevent him from maintaining an upright posture through the kick.  His spine is rounded and bent forward throughout the movement.  This prevent him from thrusting his hips to generate power for the kick.

Open Chin, Incorrect Hand Position

To add a little snap to the kick, CM Punk jerks his left arm downwards and violently contorts his body, twisting it to the right.  He actually throws himself off balance with this jerking motion and compensates by throwing his right hand upwards and out of the side.  In a real fight, this would leave his chin very open to counters.

Loading Hips, Over-Tension

At the beginning of each kick, you can see Punk rotating his hips outwards to load them.  This is a common telegraph and an experienced opponent would be able to read him like a children’s book.

The high degree of tension throughout his body also slows down his kick and causes him to expend a lot of energy.

MMA Prospects?

I hope CM Punk’s grappling is a lot better than his kicking technique here. I can’t see him doing well in the UFC unless they decides to match him with Mickey Rouke’s last boxing opponent. Mickey Rourke vs Elliot Seimour

While professional wrestlers well trained in taking dramatic falls after slaps and glancing blows, most UFC fighters lack such advanced “diving” skills. CM Punk Christian

Duke Roufus is an excellent coach but has his work cut out for him.

The Green Power Ranger (a.k.a David Frank)

The Green Power Ranger graciously offered to welcome CM Punk to the cage soon after he was signed to the UFC. Green Power Ranger (aka Jason David Frank)

The Green Power Ranger actually has a few MMA fights and so considers himself to be more “legit” than Punk.


The Green Power Ranger’s kicks are very stiff, slow and telegraphed.  He does not push off the ground with his rear foot and relies on his hip flexor and abdominal muscles to lift his leg. Jason David Frank vs Chris Rose

Failure to Rotate

His hips also stay pretty square through the movement.  Since he doesn’t rotate in his supporting foot or turnover his hip, there is hardly any torque in the kick.

Failure to Transfer Weight

With this awkward and inefficient motion, he needs to lean back to keep his balance.  As a result, he cannot bring his weight forward into his kicks.

Failure to Measure Distance

The Green Power Ranger also has a poor sense of timing and range.  He attempts a left kick when his opponent to too far away and a right kick when his opponent is too close and gets taken down for his efforts. Jason David Frank vs Carlos Horn

Ranger Power?

Lifting your leg in air is not the same as kicking.  The Green Power Ranger’s kicks are the equivalent of arm punches.  He relies solely on the power from his extremities instead of harnessing the entire kinetic chain.  They are merely glancing blows without any “ranger power.”

The F’Ugly

Robert Weeks “MMA Fighter”

I find this “instructional video” to be particularly offensive because it can confuse and mislead earnest martial arts students.

Robert Weeks, a self-described “MMA fighter,” has some of the worst kicking technique on the interwebs.  He manages to do almost everything incorrectly, a feat in of itself.

Flat Supporting Foot Impeding Rotation and Follow Through

Where to start… There is absolutely no follow through on his kicks.  His shin barely reaches the bag and only manages to give it a gentle love tap.  One key reason for this is that his supporting left foot is always flat.   A flat support foot creates a lot of friction and impedes the rotation of your body. You can decrease friction by reducing the surface area.  And so, getting up on your toes enables rotation at a higher speed and great angle.  This in turn allows for much more acceleration and follow through in the kick.

Kicking with a flat support foot at high speed can result in serious damage the joints and ligaments of the knee.  By keeping your foot planted while twisting your body, you are effectively heel hooking yourself.

Too Much Hip Turnover, Incorrect Angle of Attack

Although Mr. Weeks does turn his hips over, he turns them too far.  This causes the angle of his kicks to be too horizontal.

The kicks from the muay thai legends above have a much more vertical trajectory, coming at around 70-80 degree upwards angle from the ground.  This enables them to maintain a balanced upright posture throughout and drive their weight forward into the kick.


To compensate for this technical flaw, Weeks twists his torso back to his left side to maintain balance.  Leaning to the side means he’s unable to put much weight forward into his kicks.  This also leaves off balance at the end of his kicks and so he takes an eternity to regain his fighting stance.

Incorrect Arm and Hand Position

Further to this, as Weeks desperately tries maintain balance through this hideous kicking technique, his arm and hand position is simply wrong on both sides. The left hand should stay by the chin to protect against counters.  However, Weeks keeps it up high and almost smacks himself on the side of the head with it when he turns his him to kick.  He may be doing this to offset the flicking motion of his lower leg – more on this later.

The right arm should always be pulling downwards.  However, given Weeks’s exaggerated horizontal lean, he flicks his right arm upwards to stop his body from falling too far to his left.

Most amusingly, he chooses a limp wrist, pinky extended pose with his right hand.  Although this has no direct bearing on kicking technique, it’s not the hand position of a man who punches people for a living.

Hinging at the Knee

Mr. Weeks also bends his kicking leg and flicks it at the end of his kick.  He cross breeds the karate roundhouse kick (mawashi geri) and the muay thai round kick in a deformed monstrosity of martial arts technique.  Even CM Punk and the Green Power Ranger know to keep their legs straight when executing a round kick.

Bending the knee reduces the rotational power of the round kick – a shorter lever means less torque.  You should only be hinging at the knee if you are striking with the ball of the foot.

Incorrect Breathing Patterns

If you look closely, you can see Weeks is closing his mouth and holding his breath when he kicks and exhaling afterwards.  Real fighters do the exact opposite.

There is much more comedic gold on Mr. Weeks’ full playlist.

Mike “The Situation” Sorrentino

Mike “The Situation” Sorrentino of Jersey Shore fame claims to be able to “jump and kick like Van Damme.” Well, let’s have a look. We have ourselves a “Situation”

From the bizarre hand position, he could be taking lessons from Mr. Weeks.  The Situation may also be getting a little of his inspiration from Daniel-San’s Crane Kick. 
But frankly, “the Sitch” looks much more like a flightless bird attempting to fly. Here, Yodsanklai demonstrates how to properly execute a jumping round kick.  The technique begins with a deep lunge which allows to you propel your body forward and rotate your kicking leg. Yodsanklai Jumping Round Kick

McDojo Instructor

This is either a hilarious comic or a pernicious imposter.  Not much needs to be said as words cannot do it justice. See the full length video here.


There is much more to a muay thai round kick than lifting and swinging your leg.  While I do not propose an “ideal” form for the round kick, we do see the range of variation is quite narrow amongst the best.  The gap between the muay thai legends and the rest is however quite sizable.  The difference one of kind, not degree.

The round kick is a complex system where errors in one part of the movement have a knock on effect throughout.   CM Punk will not kick like Yod simply with more repetition.  Practice makes permanent, not perfect.  To kick like the pros, novices will need to first deconstruct and correct mechanical flaws before solidifying and mastering this skill with practice.

50 Shades of Shin

Amongst the best kickers, the concepts of muscle elasticity, balance, weight transfer, follow through, and timing all contribute to power and effectiveness of their round kicks.  However, each fighter emphasizes these elements in varying degrees, largely dependent on their fighting style.

Yodsanklai fights with measured aggression and solid defense.  He likes to lead but is patient and methodical and so Yod prioritizes his balance and form in his round kicks.  With his flawless technique, he is always in a strong fighting stance where he can defend, counter and best absorb damage.

Saenchai is a slick counter striker and relies on his feints, movement and accuracy to score and do damage.  Saenchai prioritizes speed and timing in his round kick technique over raw power.

Samkor is an aggressive pressure fighter with a devastating rear round kick.  Although he is not a brawler per se, Samkor can choose turn fights into contests of will and pain tolerance by repeating bludgeoning his opponents with his shin.  In his kicking technique, Samkor emphasizes follow through to maximize the power and damage of each kick.

Outside of the fighters mentioned here, Are there any you feel should considered to have good bad or fugly round kicks?  Please leave a comment below. A Blueprint for Limb Destruction – Sam-A’s Deadly Leg Kicks

Leg kicks are staple weapon of the muay thai arsenal.  Properly deployed, it can severely diminish your opponent’s offensive and defensive capabilities and alter the course of a fight.

The Effects of Leg Kicks

Damage from low kicks degrades the leg’s weight bearing capability, and thus, balance and footwork.  As your mobility becomes increasingly compromised, you forfeit control of range and timing to your opponent.

Leg kicks not only diminish the effectiveness of your kicks and knees, but also punches and elbows.  With an injured lead leg, it becomes to difficult to “sit down” on punches.  With an damaged rear leg, it becomes difficult to push-off the ground and generate torque.

Properly placed leg kicks will also cause the thigh muscles to immediately swell and stiffen up.  This makes it difficult to lift your leg to check subsequent kicks and fade away from strikes.

There many major nerves running through the thigh which make leg kicks especially painful.  Even the toughest fighters will be a little more tentative and gun shy after catching a few hard shins to the thigh.

Contrary to the “wisdom” of MMA judges such as Cecil Peoples, fighters can and do finish fights with leg kicks.  A good example of a leg kick finish is the bout between Sam-A Gaiyanghadao and Dechsakda Sitsongpeenong on Jan 26, 2015 at Rajadamnern Stadium. Sam-A Gaiyanghadao (สามเอ ไก่ย่างห้าดาว) (right), Dechsakda Sitsongpeenong (เดชศักดา ศิษย์สองพี่น้อง) (left)

Sam-A Gaiyanghadao

Sam-A is a veteran of over 400 fights and widely considered to be one of the best muay thai fighters in the world.  He is a multiple time Lumpinee champion at super flyweight and bantamweight.  He won both the prestigious Lumpinee and sports writers fighter of the year awards in 2011.

He started fighting at 9 years of age and is still very active at 31, pretty long in the tooth by Thai muay thai standards.  He fought 11 times in 2014 with a notable win over Sangmanee Sor Tienpo.  He’s suffered some set backs with head kick KO losses to Pettawee Sor Kittichai and Thaksinlek Kiatniwat but has strung together a good series of wins ever since.


Although Dechsakda was given a 2lb weight advantage, Sam-A had huge advantage in ring experience.  Sam-A’s superior fight IQ, timing and reflexes really shines through in his fight with Dechsakda.

“What the ancients called a clever fighter is one who not only wins, but excels in winning with ease.” ― Sun Tzu, The Art of War

Despite spending most of the time with his back against the ropes, Sam-A dominated through the entire fight.  He easily avoided most of Dechsakda’s strikes but for a few clinch knees.  He controlled the range well with teeps and consistently punished Dechsakda with counter leg kicks.

Lead Push Kicks in Orthodox Southpaw Matches

There are some inherent difficulties to using the lead push kick in an orthodox southpaw contest.  Against an opposite stance opponent,it may be best to limit its use to a counter strike or as a reactive strike to stop aggressive forward movement.

Lead Side Obstruction

In orthodox southpaw match-ups, the lead hands tend to clash and this can diminish the effectiveness of the jab.  There is a similar dynamic for lead push kicks in muay thai fights.  Fighters can quickly raise their lead leg to obstruct the opponent’s lead leg teep. Credit: boxingscene.com

Although most muay thai fighters adopt a fairly square stance, the slight inward turn decreases the target area on the torso on an opposite stance opponent.  This also makes it a slightly more difficult to land the lead foot teep in orthodox southpaw fights.

Outside Foot Position

Another important dynamic of orthodox southpaw bouts is outside lead foot position.  An orthodox fighter is better off when his lead (left) foot is outside of his southpaw opponent’s lead (right) foot.  He has a better angle to land strikes from his power (right) side .  At the same time, he also moves away from the arc of southpaw’s power strikes. 
The problem with the lead foot teep, you risk forfeiting outside lead foot position.  To avoid an orthodox fighter’s left push kick, a southpaw opponent may choose to side step his right.   Now with his lead right foot on the outside, the southpaw is in a good position to land a counterstrike from his power (left) side.

A Tale of Two Teeps

Typically, fighters will rely on the lead leg push kicks to probe and manage distance, much like a jab.  The rear teep is more powerful, however, it is generally slower and more telegraphed.  If you overcommit and miss with the rear push kick, you risk falling forward into the opposite stance while in close with your opponent.  This can be a pretty bad position unless you are comfortable fighting from both stances.

Round two begins at a measured paced with Sam-A (red) and Dechsakda (blue) exchanging jabs and push kicks.  Dechsakda takes the center of the ring and backs Sam-A against the ropes.  Dechsakda, an orthodox fighter, almost exclusively relies on his rear leg (right) to throw probing teeps at Sam-A in this match.  This turns out to be a major strategic blunder; Sam-A lands some of his best counters off these missed teeps.

Despite being the shorter fighter and up against the ropes most of the time, Sam-A is able to get the better of the push kick exchanges with superior tactics and timing.  As the fight progresses, he becomes more and more comfortable with Dechsakda’s timing / range and increases the aggressiveness of his counters.

Fade, Feint, Lead Teep

When Dechsakda throws his rear teep, Sam-A simply pulls his hips back to evade.  He distracts Dechsakda with a couple throw-away jabs while he shuffles his rear leg forward and counters with his lead leg teep.  Dechsakda raises his right leg to parry the teep but is not fast enough.  He gets pushed back to the center of the ring. Fade, Lead Teep

Here, Sam-A easily fades away from Dechsakda’s rear teep.  Although Dechsakda doesn’t fall forward after missing with the kick but momentarily  has his right foot forward after he retracts his leg.  Sam-A takes advantage by immediately firing back with his lead teep counter and knocks Dechsakda back before he can recover his fighting stance.  With a better feel of his opponent’s timing and distance, Sam-A doesn’t wait to set up his counter teep with jabs this time round. Fade, Rear Teep

Dechsakda has Sam-A against the ropes once again and throws a hard rear push kick.   With Dechsakda so over-committed after missing the kick, Sam-A is safe to fire off his powerful rear teep.  Dechsakda is not in his fighting stance when Sam-A’s teep lands.  This makes it much easier to push him back. Countering Teeps with Leg Kicks

As Sam-A gets more attuned to the timing of his opponent’s probing rear teeps, he begins to punish Dechsakda with hard counter leg kicks.  A  typical target for rear leg kicks is the inside of the opponent’s lead leg.  However, Sam-A able to catch his opponent on the outside of the rear leg some times because he counters when Dechsakda is still in close range.

Counter Leg Kick to Lead Leg

Dechsakda scores a right cross to the body and follows up with a tentative right teep to thigh.  Sam-A steps forward and slams his left shin into the inside of Dechsakda’s inner left thigh while he backs away. Counter Leg Kick to Rear Leg

Dechsakda throws a quick rear teep to Sam-A’s thigh.  Sam-A fires back quickly with a hard leg kick and catches Dechsakda on the right thigh before he can fully retract his leg. Teep Parry, Leg Kick to Rear Leg

Sam-A gets bolder as the fight progresses and begins to parry Dechsakda’s rear teep.  He brushes the leg to the right, off balancing Dechsakda and opening up his flank. Sam-A fires a hard leg kick to the back of his opponent’s right thigh. Tee(p)ing up the Counter Strike

A lead push kick is a highly effective tool against an aggressive forward moving opponent.  Even if you do not throw it will a lot of power or weight, it can still keep them at bay.  They will impale themselves against your foot with their own forward momentum.  Once confident in your ability to land the teep, you can also use it to set up your counters.

El Matador

“Those skilled in war bring the enemy to the field of battle and are not brought there by him.” – Sun Tzu, The Art of War

Sam-A demonstrates great ring generalship throughout the fight by blunting Dechsakda’s forward aggression with lead teeps.  As Dechsakda gets more desperate in later rounds, he tries to tie Sam-A up in a clinch.  Dechsakda isn’t in a position to block push kicks when he ambles forward in a predictable linear fashion.  Sam-A is able to land three successive lead leg teeps at one point. Setting up Leg Kicks with Teeps

On many other occasions, Sam-A uses his lead push kicks to set up his rear leg kick.  There are a couple of reasons for why this combination is particular effective.  The lead push kick keeps your opponent at a predictable distance allowing you to accurately place the leg kick.  It is similar in concept to how boxers will frame with the lead hand to measure their opponent for a cross.

To execute a hard rear leg kick, you need to take a small outside step with lead foot.  This helps generate momentum and allows you to catch your opponent at the height of the power arc of your kick.  Sam-A is able to disguise the forward step for his leg kick in the teep set up, removing a common tell.  After landing the lead teep, he places his right foot slightly on the outside and smoothly turns his body to the right to deliver the leg kick. In another instance, he uses the lead teep to time Dechsakda for a counter leg kick.  Sam-A creates space with teep to his opponent’s thigh and takes a step back.  He sees Dechsakda drop his level and place weight on his lead leg in preparation for a right straight to the body.  Dechsakda is not in a position to check leg kicks with much his weight on the lead leg.  Sam-A fires off a hard leg kick to the inside of his opponent’s left thigh.  The impact is magnified by the amount of weight Dechsakda’s puts on his lead leg. Creating Openings with Teep Feints

Dechsakda backs Sam A into a corner and Sam-A gives himself a little room to maneuver with a teep.  Dechsakda predictably charges forward again.  Sam-A feints another lead teep by raising his right leg and draws out Dechsakda’s right knee shield.  Just as Dechsakda drops his right leg, Sam-A comes over it with a left body kick, landing flush in the ribs. Creating Dominant Angles with Circular Movement

As we’ve seen so far, Dechsakda has a fairly predictable linear movement patterns throughout the fight.  Although Sam-A is quite comfortable against the ropes, he uses circular movement to escape corners and to create new angles at various points in the fight.

We touched on the significance of lead foot placement in orthodox southpaw matches earlier.  If Sam-A, a southpaw, circles in a counter clockwise direction, he can move his lead right foot outside Dechsakda’s lead left foot.  This which will give him better angles for strikes from his power (left) side.  Conversely, if he moves clockwise, he will concede outside foot position and circle towards his orthodox opponent’s power side.  All things equal, Sam-A should choose to circle right.

While all the following sequences start from different ranges and end with a variety of strikes, we can see how moving counter-clockwise creates openings for a slick southpaw.

Side Step and Counter

Sam-A side steps to the right to avoid Dechsakda’s rear teep and throws a body punch.  Now with lead outside foot position, he follows up with a hard lead leg kick as Dechsakda moves forward.  Sam-A has a good angle to deliver a kick to Dechsakda’s left thigh with his right foot on the outside. Clinch Turn and Counter

Dechasakda backs Sam-A into a corner with a long right straight.  The punch falls short but Sam-A has no room to maneuver. Sam-A initiates a clinch and immediately pivots counter-clockwise.  He pulls Dechsakda into a hard left knee while escaping the corner. Feint, Pivot and Counter

Sam-A first keeps Dechsakda at bay with a lead leg teep.  He feints another teep and gets his opponent to raise his left knee shield.  Sam-A takes advantage and circling to the right while Dechsakda’s left foot is still in the air.

As mentioned earlier, a problem with raising your lead leg in an opposite stance match is it gives your opponent an opportunity to side step and achieve dominant foot position.  After placing his lead right foot on the outside, Sam-A throws a hard rear leg kick to Dechsakda’s inner thigh.  With Sam-A on his left flank, Dechsakda is not in a position to defend. Dechsakda’s Knees

While this is a pretty one sided fight, Dechsakda was able to land a few good right knees from close range.  Here he sets up the knee with cross hook, causing Sam-A to close his guard.  Dechsakda then traps his hands from the outside and pulls Sam-A into the knee. With Sam A into the corner, Dechsakda’s inches forward to a distance where Sam-A is unable to throw his lead teep.  After Sam-A drops his raised right knee, Dechsakda explodes forward with a long knee. Sometimes it pays to slowly a approach an opponent who has a fast reactive teep.  They usually cue the teep off quick forward movements.  If you methodically inch forward, you may be able to get in close enough to deliver your strike before they decide to throw the push kick.

Sam-A’s Knee Defense

Sam-A quickly adapts and begins to extend his lead hand when Dechsakda steps forward to knee.  His right glove disturbs Dechsakda’s balance, pushing his weight back, thus taking a lot of power out of the knee.  The glove also obscures Dechsakda’s vision which enables Sam-A to land a right knee of his own. Sam A’s Sharp Elbows

With Sam-A dominating the fight from kicking and boxing range, Dechsakda tried desperately to initiate the clinch during round three.  Sam-A’ s preferred close range weapon is his left elbow and he was able to land it at will from a variety of positions.  Sam-A also uses Dechsakda’s forward momentum against him to magnify the impact of the elbows.

Stand Your Ground

While Sam-A usually backs up when Dechsakda advances. he chooses stands his ground this time.  Dechsakda doesn’t anticipate this and keeps a loose guard and poor stance as he approaches.  This enables Sam-A to land a left downward elbow through Dechsakda’s guard as he continues forward. Frame and Elbow Strike

Sam-A extends his right arm and cross faces Dechsakda to halt his aggression and maintain distance.  He then loosens his right arm, allowing the frame to collapse.  Dechsakda forward pressure works against him as he falls forward into a hard left elbow. Arm Immobilization, Elbow Strike

Dechsakda walks forward with both arms extended.  Sam-A pulls down on Dechsakda’s left arm to create an opening and throws left elbow overtop.  Dechsakda’s forward lean prevents him from rolling away or fading back from the elbow. Double Hand Trap, Elbow Strike

Sam-A traps both arms from the outside and throws a hard left elbow as they disengage from clinch.  This outside hand trapping tactic is also favorite tactic of Muangthai PK Saenchai Muay Thai Gym. After all these vicious elbow strikes, Dechsakda gets a pretty nasty cut on his right eyebrow. 
Dechsakda is clearly stunned by the end of round 3.  His right teeps have been countered with hard leg kicks and his clinch knees have been met with sharp elbows.  Sam-A has been playing the role of defensive counter striker up to this point but he decides to go on the offensive with Dechsakda hurt.

He lands a hard left cross to chin through the guard.  Sam-A follows up with hard left kick to the ribs.  Dechsakda raises his right knee but is too slow to block the kick.  His inability to raise his knee shield may be a result of the leg kicks he absorbed thus far.  Dechsakda looks like he has his wind knocked out of him and he stumbles to his left.

“In battle, if you can make your opponent flinch, you have already won” – Miyamoto Musashi, A Book of Five Rings

Sam A darts forward with a flurry of punches but Dechsakda closes his guard to defend.  As he circles away to his left, Dechsakda ends up in a temporary southpaw stance (with his right foot forward).  Sam A takes advantage by throwing a hard left leg kick to the lead leg.  Dechsakda cringes in pain and tumbles to the ground for an 8 count.  The bell rings as he gets up giving him an extended break to recover before round 4 begins. We saw above that Sam-A preferred to circle to his right to get outside foot position and avoid his opponent’s power side.  However, with Dechsakda in a southpaw stance, Sam-A will no longer be moving into danger by circling left.

Moving clockwise also gives him a better angle to do damage to Dechsakda’s injured right thigh.  Although Sam-A landed some hard leg kicks before, he usually made contact with his lower shin as Dechsakda was backing away.  With Dechsakda in a static southpaw stance, Sam-A is able to make solid contact with the middle of his shin.

He manages to hit Dechsakda’s IT band just above the right knee.  This is a very painful area to absorb a leg kick.  Swelling is almost immediate and it can do serious damage to the ligaments and tendons of the knee.

A Blueprint for Limb Destruction

Dechsakda looks reenergized and recovered at the beginning of the fourth round.  He puts on his best poker face but is still hurt.  It is difficult to make sound strategic decisions after you’ve been hurt badly.  Errors tend to compound as you get farther behind in a fight.

At the same time, an injured opponent is still a dangerous opponent.  The course of a fight could still change with a lucky blow.  The veteran Sam-A takes a measured and methodical approach to limb destruction and doesn’t rush the finish.

Dechsakda throws a right knee, misses and steps forward into a southpaw stance.  With Dechsakda in southpaw, Sam-A circles to his left for a better angle once again and fires a hard leg kick to same spot.  Dechsakda skips away to regain his composure. Dechsakda pushes Sam-A against the ropes and the two exchange knees.  Sam-A hands fights with Dechsakda and proceeds to throw a sneaky left leg kick to the injured right thigh.  By engaging Dechsakda arms, Sam-A was able to draw his attention away and measure distance for the leg kick. “Opportunities multiply as they are seized.” – Sun Tzu, The Art of War

Dechsakda trying to force a right straight through Sam A’s guard and ends up in a southpaw stance as the pair turn clockwise.  Sam-A fires off yet another left leg kick to the injured area.  Dechsakda doesn’t even make an effort to block.  Dechsakda begins to neglect his defense even as his situation becomes more desperate. As Dechsakda presses forward, Sam-A forces his arms upwards.  This makes his opponent assume a more upright posture, further exposing the injured leg.  He feints a right teep drawing Dechsakda’s right knee forward.  As Dechsakda lowers his right leg in a temporary southpaw stance, Sam-A throws a soft probing leg kick to the right thigh.  As Dechsakda presses forward and Sam-A immediately disengages from the hand fight.  This allows Dechsakda to fall forward as Sam-A fires a hard leg kick to the thigh.  Once again, Sam-A masterfully controls distance and timing to set up a damaging leg kick. Sam-A stays in close and continues to hand fight with his opponent.  As Dechsakda stands tentative and flatfooted, Sam-A fires another hard leg kick to the thigh.  Sam-A sees Dechsakda stumble as the kick makes contact and rushes forward to throw a fast punch combination punctuated with another brutal leg kick.  Although Dechsakda blocks the kick with his right shin, Sam A’s kick is so hard he knocks Dechsakda’s lower body backwards and causes him to fall forward on his face. Dechsakda writhes in agony on canvas, unable to continue due to the cumulative damage to his right thigh.  Sam-A nonchalantly raises his hands in victory then checks on his fallen opponent. Parting Shots and Random Thoughts

Sam-A puts on a masterful performance throughout this fight.  He dominated all ranges and phases of combat.  At kicking range, he fades away from Dechsakda’s teeps and counters with teeps and leg kicks.  At boxing range, he hand fights to create opportunities for leg kicks.  In the clinch, he controls his opponent’s posture and position by cross-facing him and pulling on his arms.  This enables Sam-A to cut him open with a series of sharp elbows.

“You must be shapeless, formless, like water.” – Bruce Lee

Sam-A abides by the convention wisdom of circling to his right when facing this orthodox opponent for much of the fight.  However, when Dechsakda lands in a southpaw stance (after throwing over-committed knees or teeps), Sam-A circles to his left for a better angle to tenderize Dechsakda’s injured thigh.

“Invincibility lies in the defense; the possibility of victory in the attack.”― Sun Tzu, The Art of War

Sam-A took very measured and calculated risks, staying in a pretty defensive and reactive mode for most of the fight.  He waits for Dechsakda to open up and chooses his counters wisely.  When Dechsakda is stunned, Sam-A moves forward to throw aggressive combinations.  After Dechsakda had a chance to recover between rounds,  Sam-A did not rush the finish.  He methodically dissects Dechasakda’s defenses while chopping at the thigh.

History Repeating

Sam-A’s patient and methodical approach to limb destruction has borne fruit in the past as well.  On June 7, 2013, he punished Petch U Thong Or Kwanmuang with counter leg kicks off Petch U Thong’s teeps and jabs.  By the second round, the damage was so severe that Petch U Thong could not get up after being knocked to the ground. Sam A vs Petch U Thong

In his fight with Ritidej Wor. Wanthavee on Dec 8, 2011, Sam-A fades from his opponent’s round kicks and counters with leg kicks.  After damaging Ritidej’s legs throughout the fight,  Sam-A backs him against the ropes and finishes him with leg kicks in the fourth. Sam-A vs. Ritidej

Sam-A shows us that cumulative damage from leg kicks can finish fights.  One swing of the axe might not fell a sturdy tree, but it cannot withstand a multitude of blows.

Full Fight Video – Sam-A vs Dechsakda

Full fight video Courtesy of Timo Ruge at MuayTies. Tips To Improve Your Muay Thai Round Kick

The rear round kick is one of the most iconic and devastating techniques in the muay thai arsenal.  It is complex multi-phase movement which requires coordination, balance, and a certain degree of flexibility.

The divide between novice and experienced muay thai fighters is most starkly revealed in the way they kick.  Although it is one of the first muay thai techniques students learn, it is often one of the last they master. 
Why Improve Your Round Kick Technique?

“Do nothing which is of no use” – Miyamoto Musashi

Efficient technique and effective technique are one and the same.  Improving your kicking technique will allow you to kick harder and faster with less effort and telegraph.  You will score a much higher percentage of kicks with greater impact.  Better technique will also you to more easily recover your fighting stance, putting you in a position to defend counterattacks.

Round Kick Concepts

Muscle Elasticity

Muscle elasticity is key to a fast and powerful kick.  Most beginners are overly tense throughout the entire kick. This reduces the speed and impact.  The muay thai round kick is essentially a whipping motion.  The more flexible the whip, the more painful the lash. Saenchai PK Saenchai Muaythai Gym

Your body should stay loose and supple until the moment of impact, allowing for maximum acceleration into the target.  In contrast, novices tend to tense up the beginning of the kick.  The tension in their body causes them to decelerate even before they make contact.

That said, it is important to fully engage your core just before you hit your target.  If you fail to do so, you will diffuse the impact of the kick by allowing your posture to deform.  A rigid core will maximize the transfer of rotational force.

Excess tension will telegraph kicks to your opponent.  This is most often revealed in exaggerated hip movements at the beginning of the kick.  Tension also causes some people to hunch over and bend forward.  This makes it more difficult to maintain an upright and balanced posture throughout and turn over the hips to create rotational force.

Over-tension also causes you to expend unnecessary amounts of energy in the course of a fight or training session.  While good athletes can “muscle” strikes early on, they tend to slow down quickly and “gas out” in later rounds.  Efficient technical strikers can keep a high output and consistent power throughout.

Balance and Posture

“If you wish to control others you must first control yourself” ― Musashi Miyamoto

Maintaining your balance through all phases of a technique puts you in the best position to defend, course correct and counter attack.  Poor balance will leave you out of position, prolonging the recovery phase of the kick and leaving you vulnerable to counters.

To have good balance for the round kick, you must always maintain an upright posture through the technique.  If you do not keep your body straight, the rotation force of the kick will throw you off-balance whether you miss, land or get blocked. Yodsanklai Fairtex

Good balance begins from the ground up with a raised heel, a straight supporting leg, a neutral spine and a stable core.

Weight Transfer

“When torrential water tosses boulders, it is because of its momentum.” – Sun Tzu, the Art of War

While we obviously cannot change our bodyweight in the course of a fight, we can increase the amount of weight we harness in a kick with a slight forward lean.  This is similar in concept to “sitting down on your punches”  where move your bodyweight towards the target. Apidej Sit Hirun

We will very often see beginners leaning backwards when kicking to compensate for deficits in flexibility or mistakes in the angle of the kick.  This significantly decreases the force of the kick by pulling their weight away from the target.

Others may pull their head back for fear of being punched.  However, the better way to address this is with proper footwork which allows you to angle off to the side and take your head off the center line.

To ensure good weight transfer, take an outward step to generate forward momentum at the beginning of the kick and maintain good upright posture during the follow through.

Follow Through

“When you decide to attack, keep calm and dash in quickly, forestalling the enemy…attack with a feeling of constantly crushing the enemy, from first to last.” ― Miyamoto Musashi, A Book of Five Rings

At its core, the muay thai round kick harnesses the rotational force (or torque) of your entire body.  Your foot is the pivot point and your kicking leg is the lever.  All things equal,  the greater the angle of rotation, the greater the magnitude of torque.  The more your body rotates, the harder you kick. 
To maximize follow through, always think of accelerating and swinging your leg through the target.  Too often, novices will just reach the pads with their shin, pulling their leg back immediately after making contact.

When practicing round kicks while shadowboxing, develop good follow through by spinning through the kick instead of stopping your leg in mid air.  You should have enough angular momentum for a half to full turn.


“When the strike of a hawk breaks the body of its prey, it is because of timing.” – Sun Tzu, The Art of War

As a general rule, it is best to attack when your opponent in the worst position to defend.  The most common defense to a rear round kick is the knee shield.  Assuming you and your opponent are in orthodox stances, a great time to throw a right round kick is when your opponent is heavy on his lead left leg.  Putting weight on his lead leg means he will need more time to raise the left knee shield. Buakaw Banchamek

Another opportune time is when you opponent side steps to the left.  Not only is he heavy on his lead left foot, his body is moving towards the power arc of your right kick.  His sideways momentum will make the right round kick all the more devastating.

A right round kick is also a good interrupting counter to a left jab.  Your opponent exposes his ribs when he extends this left arm.  He will also tend be heavy on his lead left leg making it more difficult to raise the knee shield in time.  You will naturally avoid the jab with an outward step when you kick, taking your head off the center line.

Round Kick Coaching Cues

Raise and Rotate the Support Foot

It is also vital to get up on the toes of your support foot when you kick.  Raising up on the ball of your foot allows you to rotate your body more easily.   It reduces friction by minimizing the surface area of your foot.  This allows you to rotate at a greater angle and at a higher speed, both important factors for achieving a harder kick.  You will also find rotating flat footed quite difficult and will likely make you loose your balance. Getting up on your toes will also a couple of inches of height to your kick.  If your opponent blocks, the additional height may help you get your kick above your opponent’s knee shield and into his forearm.

Forward Step

The appropriate distance and angle of the initial step with the supporting foot will depend on your opponent’s position relative to you.  At mid range (e.g. boxing / kicking), you should take a small outward step on about a 45 degree angle.  This creates a good angle for you to land your kick in your opponent’s ribs while taking your head off the center line to avoid straight counterpunches. Yodsanklai Fairtex vs. John Wayne Parr

It is possible to land a good round kick from at fairly close range (e.g. boxing / elbow distance), however, you will need a take a even wider outward step to compensate – approximately 25-35 degrees as a general rule.  Done correctly, your shin will land in your opponent’s stomach and rather than his ribs.  A kick from this distance will likely have a bit less force as your kicking leg will rotate less before making impact.  However, it will leave you facing your opponent’s flank, in a good position to land follow on strikes.

If you take a long step to get into range, it is important to shuffle your rear foot forward so you are in a stable and balanced position before you lift your rear leg off the ground.  If you lift your kicking leg from a very wide stance, you will tend to fall forward after the kick, leaving you vulnerable to counter attack.

Pushing off the Rear Foot

Many novices rely primarily on the hip flexors to lift the kicking leg.  A common saying in the boxing world is power is generated from the ground up.  This applies to kicking as well.  In order to deliver a powerful round kick, you must push off the ground with your rear foot and harness the powerful quadricep and calf muscles on your kicking leg. 
Pushing off the rear foot will also help bring your body weight upwards into your target.  It will also put you in a more upright position making it easier to maintain good stable posture throughout the technique.

Angle of Attack

The target of the muay thai round kick is your opponent’s ribs.  For an opponent of similar height and proportions, standing straight-on in mid-range, your shin will need to move along a 70-80 degree angle to directly reach his ribs if you maintain an upright posture through the kick. Saenchai PK Saenchai Muay Thai Gym

Despite this, many novices move their kicking leg on a strange elliptic path.  They first tilt their upper body to the side to raise the leg, and then swing the leg towards the opponent along a horizontal plane.  These kicks often only reach the opponent’s hip height, and are usually quite easily defended.  This is a pretty common error. It may also be that people confuse the body kick and leg kick techniques.

As we discussed earlier, tilting the torso to the side puts you in an unstable position, further prolonging the recovery phase.  It also limits weight transfer, reducing the impact of the kick.  The kick also losses rotational force if the leg travels along an awkward elliptic trajectory (up and in from the side) instead of a more direct path.

Straighten the Kicking Leg

It is best to maintain a fairly straight kicking leg throughout the entire technique.  As mentioned earlier, the muay thai round kick relies on rotational force for its devastating power.  Your kicking leg is a lever which rotates around your support foot, the pivot point.  If you bend your leg during the kick, you shorten the length of the lever, thus reducing torque.  Coincidentally, this is also why you’ll see some fighters bend the leg to slow their rotation after missing the opponent with a kick. 
Some will bend the leg because of limited flexibility in hamstrings, psoas and glute medius. Other may bend the kicking leg because they confuse a number of similar looking martial arts techniques with the muay thai round kick.

The karate roundhouse kick (mawashi geri)  requires that you raise your kicking leg in a bent and chambered position, then extend the lower leg in a snapping motion and kick with the ball of your foot (not the shin).

The question mark (or “Brazilian”) kick is essentially a front push kick feint which morphs into a head kick mid strike.  While it can be effective in competition, it is an entirely different technique than the muay thai round kick and relies on extreme hip turnover a downward flicking motion for its power.

Hip Thrust and Turn

“Hips don’t lie” – Shakira

Correct hip movement is vital to weight transfer and good balance during the kick.  You will find it extremely difficult to walk forward, let alone kick, with your butt tucked backwards.  You must thrust your hips forward to transfer your body weight into a kick.

A complimentary movement to the hip thrust is swinging your rear hand downwards.  This arm movement help you open your hips up and maintain balance.  Some dutch-style coaches will advise keeping both hands by your the chin when kicking, however, I notice a significant drop-off in power and balance when doing so.  If you angle off correctly with your supporting foot, I find keeping the lead hand by your chin to be sufficient. 
A slight hip turn is necessary to guide your shin along its 70-80 degree path into its target.  This is however a very smooth and gradual turn.  Some people make a sharp, jerky twist with their hips to to create a sharp flicking motion at the end of the kick.  This will compromise balance and do damage your back muscles over time.

I find the hip flick to be common amongst people who either tilt too much to the side or who do not turn the hip enough.  For those who lean to the side, the movement of the kicking leg tends to lag that of the body.  And so, they require extra hip movement to reach the target with the shin.

Those who fail to turn their hips enough have their kicking leg traveling on a very vertical trajectory.  They use the hip flick to essentially course correct and bring the shin into the target.

Recovering your Fighting Stance

“In all forms of strategy, it is necessary to maintain the combat stance in everyday life and to make your everyday stance your combat stance. You must research this well. – Miyamoto Musashi”

The ability to quickly recover your fighting stance is an oft neglected aspect of round kick technique.  It is vital to defending your opponents counterattacks and launching follow on strikes.  Unbalanced novices will often fall forward into the opposite stance (e.g. kicking with the right leg from orthodox and ending in southpaw).  They be in range of their opponent’s counterattacks but may need some time to switch back to an orthodox stance before they can be fully effective. 
Good balance and upright posture goes far in expediting the recovery phase of a kick.  If you make contact, immediately relax your body and return the kicking leg along the same path / trajectory.  Stiff muscles will impede recovery as much as attack.

If you miss, it usually better to swing through to face your opponent than stopping mid-strike by tensing your body.  Although you keep your eyes on your opponent by stopping the kick, it usually takes longer to recover your balance.  Even if you get countered while spinning through, you are usually in a better position to absorb damage if your posture is balanced.

Breath Control

You will find many thai fighters shout “ooh wee,” “essh” or exhale sharply while kicking.  While this helps them make their case to the judges and spectators, it also serves a physiological purpose.  You naturally tighten your core muscles when you exhale, grunt or shout.  The tightening of the core can lead to more forceful muscle contractions throughout the body.

Anecdotally, I find exhaling after each strike also helps me stay loose and relaxed and lowers the perceived exertion of pad / bag rounds.  Sharp exhalation clears the lungs of used air, allowing for deeper diaphragmatic breaths.   This in turn, has a calming effect on heart rate.

I hope you find these concepts and cues help you on your muay thai journey.  I would love hear if they have helped you achieve a faster, more powerful and effective round kick.

If you would like my thoughts on your kicking technique, please leave a link to a video or gif in the comments below.


