Pong - Pud - Pid - Perd - Lo Lo - Lop Lik. The Muay Thai Defence System and its blocks should be familiar if you’ve gone through the previous blog post. In the heat of the battle, it’s often not enough to block an incoming attack. You need to counter immediately with an attack of your own before your opponent gets a chance to plan his next move. That’s why the Pid and Perd tend to be quite effective and popular in this fighting sport.  

The Pid combines defence and attack in one swift and fluid motion. Think of it like closing your position with a shield and then using that same shield to attack. It is always advisable to take extra care and watch your footwork as you close against the incoming strike, stepping away from the line of fighting and returning with a powerful counterblow. 

The Perd is equally useful and follows a somewhat similar principle, except that here you open against the incoming attack, instead of closing, and then proceed to counter. The attacking weapon is opened to disengage and in parallel the attack is pushed from the opposite side, catching the opponent off guard. 

Depending on the opponent’s moves and other parameters in the fight, the warrior must think fast, analyse the variables and choose an appropriate block to use. This level of movement speed is gained through years of practice and the resulting muscle memory can be a powerful advantage. The less time one needs to move, the more time one gets to think, plan and control the fight.  

Practise, practise and practise, and get that muscle memory activated! The next post covers the last of the blocks – Lo Lo and Lop Lik.