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By Kru Hemanth Kumar Published on: Wed Mar 9, 2022
There are 12 basic variations of elbow strikes in Muay Thai. For the downward elbow, picture the motion of dropping an axe. That’s the direction of force. In the side elbow, the force of the blow is directed in a side angle towards the jawline, whereas in the uppercut elbow it moves upwards from the inside angle, aimed at the chin.
Seasoned Muay Thai fighter and 3-time bronze winner in the world championships, Kru Hemanth Kumar has also perfected Self-Defence techniques targeting vulnerable pressure points. He has spent three decades teaching and training in multiple styles of Muay Thai.
There’s a saying in Thai that a soldier who has lost his sword in battle can still survive with his elbows and knees. That should give you some idea of the kind of power your elbows pack, provided you know how to use them in a fight that is. Elbows are often equated to knives in Muay Thai and hold great destructive power, being even denser than your fists.
To use your elbow effectively, bind the arm and forearm firmly and ready your weapon, making sure it is tight. That one protruding bone that’s clearly visible is what we’ll use in all our attacks. When combined with the right footwork, elbow attacks can be particularly devastating in a fight. They are quite versatile too and can target various parts of the human body simply by varying the angle.
There are 12 basic variations of elbows in Muay Thai. We’ll look at the first three – downward elbow, side elbow, and uppercut elbow.
This is quite similar to the motion of dropping an axe. From a higher position, drop the elbow on to targets like the head, shoulder and trapezius of your opponent. It can also be aimed at the lower limbs which you’ll discover as you progress in this fighting sport.
The side elbow is quite capable of knocking your opponent unconscious. Direct the force of the elbow in a side angle, towards the jawline. It can also be aimed at the head or even used to attack the midsection of the opponent’s body.
If you’ve gone through the previous posts, you would appreciate the power an uppercut punch holds. Now imagine how much more deadly it would be when you use your elbow to deliver it. In the uppercut elbow, the force moves upwards, from the inside angle aimed at the target’s chin. Because of its short-range, it’s very difficult to escape this attack and it can potentially damage the whole jawline and mouth structure of your opponent.
Apart from these three elbow strikes, there are 9 more which you can read about in successive posts. Keep practising these for now to achieve better control, swifter movement and greater power. The next post will cover slash 45-degree elbow, spinning side elbow and spear elbow.
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