As muay thai is also called the Art of 8 Limbs, punches are a major part of muay thai together with knees, elbows and kicks.
Muay thai punches are used to damage opponents, score knockouts and knockdowns, counter opponents techniques and to set up your own techniques.
All of the punches found in Western boxing are found and used in muay thai as well.
Thai boxers who emphaisze heavy hands in their style are known as muay mat.
Famous muay mat fighters known for their hands include:
- Ramon Dekkers
- Sagat Petchyindee
- Coban Lookchaomaesaitong
- Porsanae Sitmonchai
Although the execution and posture may differ slightly, the punches used in boxing, kickboxing and muay thai are essentially the same. Though there are some major differences.
Muay Thai Punches VS Boxing Punches
Although the punches are essentially the same punches in muay thai and Western boxing, there are some unique and quite important differences between the styles.
This is mainly due to the techniques used, muay thai uses punches to set up kicks and knees, and posture and tactic of the two sports.
i) Differences in Stance & Posture
The mauy thai posture tends to be more upright (still with the chin down and shoulders raised) with the guard more splayed out than the tight ‘elbows to ribs’ guard of boxers.
This inherently makes muay thai punches ‘longer’ and some would argue, also les powerful than typical boxing punches thrown from a more grounded and lowered stance.
ii) Muay Thai Clinch and Elbows
Punches in muay thai are generally longer range than in boxing. Short sharp punches in boxing especially in close range are extremely effective.
However in muay thai in the close range distance Thai boxers would prefer to use clinch, elbows and knees to cause more damage and score more.
iii) Much Less Emphasis on Pivoting
Pivoting the same foot as the punching hand especiall on hooks is taught as foundation in WEstern Boxing.
In muay thai thr pivot is less empahiszed as pivoting the foot make sit tougher to throw a kick off the opposite leg as pivoting closes your hips and makes it harde to bring the kicking leg back across again toward the opponent.
Different Types of Muay thai punches
Below are the fundamental muay thai pucnhes. All Thai boxers will learn and train each of the punches detailed below from a young age and througout their professional careers.
1.The Jab in Muay Thai
The jab is the lead straight punch. It is the closest punch to be able to reach or touch your opponent as it is thrown with the lead hand.
The Jab is commonly referred to as the ‘Left Jab’ but this is only because most people are Orthodox or right handed with the left hand at the lead and right hand at the power or back side.
But for a Southpaw or left handed fighter, the Jab is actually thrown with the right hand.
The Jab also offers a relatively protected position when thrown to defend counters to the Jab and requires minimum movement or weight transfer in order to throw.
This reduces the chances of telegraphing your Jab or giving it away before you even throw the Jab through excessive movement and weight transfer.
As power shots require a more weight transfer and loading to throw, the Jab can be thrown very quickly in comparison to other muay thai punches. However it is rarely ever a KO punch.
Thus the Jab can be used to annoy an opponent and distract them, test their rection and to set up many other powerful techniques.
2.Cross
The cross or Rear straight is a power punch thrown with the rear hand.
As with Western boxing, muay thai commonly uses the 1-2 combination of Jab, Cross.
The cross unlike the jab can be a knockout punch with power generated from loading and turning the hips and shoulders to initiate and release power into the rear punch.
The target for the rear punch is usually the chin, nose area of the opponent though it can also be thrown at the opponent smid section.
The rear straight in muay thai is a common counter to a kicking opponent and when timed right can knockout your opponent while they are in the action of throwing a kick.
3.Lead & Rear Hook
Hooks from the rear or lead hand are punches thrown from the side and ‘hooking’ in toward the target.
As discussed earlier, in comparison to Western boxing, muay thai requires less emphasis on pivoting the foot to generate force into the hook,
The common target is the side of the opponents head from the jaw line up to the temple.
Circular or round punches are excellent techniques to use to get around your opponents guard when they cover up to protect from straight attacks.
Hooks can be thrown from either hand through the most common combination used in muay thai as with boxing is the 1,2,3 or Jab, Cross, Lead Hook.
The hook is executed with either the palm facing down or facing toward you but importantly, the elbow and fist need to be in a straight line and parallel to the floor in order to drive through the target with power.
4.Hooks to the body
Hooks to the body are commonly used in muay thai to wear down and damage an opponent as well as to set up attacks to the head through ‘changing levels’.
By varying attacks high and low, this helpos to keep your opponent guessing and off balance and forcing them to switch between defending high and low to se tup your power shots.
Hooking to the body generally is easier with the palm facing toward you and making go duse of hip and shoulder rotation in order to damage the opponent.
In boxing the hook to the body is also known as the ‘body rip’.
5.Lead & Rear Uppercut
The lead or rear uppercut are closer range punches.
The uppercut is thrown by first loading your weight onto the punching hand side (lead or rear) and driving the force up and inward in a round motion to the target.
The target can be the opponents chin or body area as well.
The uppercut is effective in causing your opponent to to move ‘back and up’ or ‘lifting’ the opponent which can off balance them effectively for a fight ending follow up technique such as right uppercut – left hook.
6.Uppercut to the body
Forceful punches driven up and into the body in an uppercut motion can be extremely devastating.
The liver shot in boxing is a common target for the uppercut to the body. A well placed uppercut to the liver will cause an opponent to buckle and drop to his knees.
In comparison to the uppercut to the head, the uppercut to the body is more of an inward angled shot rather than straight up. Though the motion is still up and in, the angle is more closer to parallel than the uppercut to the head.
