The headbutt striking technique is as old as fighting and martial arts itself.
In the muay thai ring headbutts are illegal. But if you go back to the origins of muay thai which lie in the ‘Ancient Boxing’ combat of muay boran you will find the headbutt was commonly used.
Muay boran along with modern day Krav Maga and the other ancient fighting arts of the Asian region such as Myanmar and Cambodia all included headbutts.
This post will discuss the headbutt technique and its usefulness in fighting. We will also look at martial arts today that train and execute the headbutt in self defense but also in competitive matches.
Muay Boran Headbutts
Muay boran has its origins in the battlefield and wars of the Siam Kingdom or ‘old’ Thailand.
As a battlefield unarmed combat art and system muay boran is also known as the Art of 9 Weapons which refers to the inclusion of headbutt techniques used by the warriors of old.
As an unarmed fighting system, the Siam warriors of old made use of each of the deadly weapons of the human body.
Fights were often fights to the death of knockout in order to overcome an enemy combatant.
So the headbutt was a useful technique for a warrior to have in their arsenal together with punches, kicks, knees and elbows.
With no referees, rings or rules, ancient combat arts involved anything that would let you defeat your opponent and subdue them.
And thus the headbutt was included in the muay boran system of fighting and is trained to this day.
Bokator Khmer – Cambodia’s Ancient Fighting Art
Many of the readers of this blog and muay thai/kickboxing fans will also be aware of Cambodian boxing or Khun Khmer which I have written about before.
Khun Khmer is very similar to muay thai and is practiced throughout Cambodia with competitive ring fights held regularly and shown on national television.
Like muay thai young practitioners train from an early age and are mostly from poor backgrounds and fight as a way to earn money to support their families.
Similar to muay thai, khun khmer has its origins in the ancient battlefield arts.
The ancient combat art that preceded the regulated ring matches of khun khmer is known as Bokator Khmer and its arsenal of weapons also includes the headbutt as a effective and damaging technique.
In addition to the headbutt, Bokator Khmer even included the jaw and shoulder muscles as weapons.
This shows that a highly trained warrior in unarmed combat can use almost his entire body as a weapon and to kill or subdue enemy combatants.
Lethwei the Most Brutal Ring Sport
Similar to Muay Boran and Bokator Khmer, Myanmar’s boxing and fighting style originated from the battlefield combat arts.
However the main difference is that with Lethwei, headbutts are permitted in competition in the ring.
The inclusion of headbutts and ‘bare knuckle’ or no gloves makes Lethwei one of the most brutal combat sports in the world.
Without the use of gloves Lethwei competitive matches have the fighters using only tape and gauze around the hands.
Ancient murals in the temples of Bagan, carved more than 1000 years ago depict Lethwei fighters and their deadly fighting art.
Lethwei is also known as the Art of 9 Limbs for the inclusion of headbutts and has long been practiced and revered by the people of Myanmar’s rural hinterlands.
The headbutt technique, known as gowl tite in Burmese is very developed in Lethwei and consists of different forms of headbutt listed below:
- Thrusting Headbutt – Htoe Gowl Tite
- Upward Headbutt – Gowl Pint Tite
- Side Headbutt – Gowl Yite
- Clinch Headbutt – Choke Gowl Yite
- Flying Headbutt – Khnoe Gowl Tite
- Shooting Headbutt – Gowl Sount Tite
- Downward Headbutt – Gowl Site Tite
Headbutt in Krav Maga
As a modern martial art that is based in combat and developed for use in the Israeli Defense Force, Krav Maga also includes the headbutt in its training and techniques.
Again as purely a combat art without rules and to be applied against enemy combatants or in a self defense situation, it is useful for the practitioner to be able to use any part of the body to overcome an assailant.
Thus the headbutt technique is perfect for Krav Maga and such combat and self defense situations.
Executing the Headbutt Technique
As a weapon, the human head weighs about 5kgs and the the bone of the skull is very thick and solid. This makes the headbutt technique very devastating in a combat situation.
Which Part of the Head to Strike With
As with all the martial arts discussed here the most effective part of the head to use is the crown area. This includes around the forehead area but also the side of the top part of the head.
Where to Target the Headbutt
The target is your opponents face area at the eyebrows which is softer and can easily be cut which further can help to blind your opponent with their own flowing blood.
The nose and side of the jaw and temple area on your opponents face are also good areas to target with the headbutt.
As the headbutt was used in ancient times it is very well developed and can be used to target different areas of your opponents body as well such as the stomach, chest and torso area.
How to Throw the Headbutt
As shown in the Lethwei video above its good to get a hold of your opponents hands to prevent them from uppercutting you or elbowing you when you move in for the head butt.
Getting a hold of their hands also allows you to pull them into your headbutt strike.
You can also use the Thai clinch as it is commonly known in MMA and muay thai with both hands around your opponents head to bring them into the headbutt.
Its important to tuck your chin and thrust forward with the head on the chosen target area. After training and developing your headbutt with knowledgeable teachers you can apply the whipping action involving the neck to get further power and to cause more damage.
