Muay Thai kickboxing is also known as simply Muay Thai. It is a martial art that is practiced throughout the world, but originated in Southeast Asia. Muay Thai is also known as the “art of eight limbs” because it uses hands, elbows, shins, and knees to strike opponents. Originally, Muay Thai incorporated the use of the head, but as the martial art has developed, the use of the head has declined.

Muay Thai kickboxing has become very popular in the United States since the mid 1990’s when mixed martial arts hit the scene, particularly in the Maryland, Virginia, and Washington DC. With the popularity of the UFC, the Ultimate Fight Championship, mixed martial artists became convinced of the importance of learning and mastering Muay Thai kickboxing. Being competent in Muay Thai gave a mixed martial artist a distinct advantage over someone who wasn’t.

Muay Thai kickboxing is a full body contact sport that is different from other striking sports in that it utilizes the entire body in the striking movements. The fighter rotates from the hip, using the rotation to create power in his strike, using his hands, elbows, shins, or knees.

There are two primary kicks in Muay Thai kickboxing, the Teh and the Teep. The Teep is a foot jab. It is mainly used as a defensive technique to gain distance between a fighter and his opponent. The Teep is also used to ward off attacks and to try to get an opponent off balance. These Teep kicks, or foot jabs, are designed to be thrown quickly and to be short, powerful bursts designed to throw an opponent off balance.

The Teh is an angle kick, which is help by most martial artists to be the most powerful kick in any martial art. The angle kick uses the rotation of the entire body to create power. It’s similar to a roundhouse kick in karate, but it doesn’t have the extension of the leg from the knee. Most Muay Thai kick boxers combine this move with a counter-rotation of the upper body to increase the power.

In order to block the Teh kick, a fighter will use his shin. This shin is the strongest part of the leg for a Muay Thai kick boxer and a well trained fighter will use it to block instead of his foot or his ankle. Both the foot and the ankle have more moving parts and are more elaborate, and more prone to breakage or damage. Other fighting kicks are used by Muay Thai kick boxers such as an axe kick or a spinning back kick. 

Training in Muay Thai kickboxing is intense. Since it is a full body contact sport, conditioning is an important factor in the success of a fighter. A highly conditioned kick boxer will outlast and be more successful than a kick boxer who is not in good shape. Muay Thai kickboxing is an integral part of mixed martial arts and so when doing mixed martial arts training, it’s important to become an accomplished kick boxer. Learning Muay Thai kickboxing takes dedication and perseverance.

If you live in the Maryland, Virginia, Washington DC area, and are keen on taking up Muay Thai kickboxing, you can check out Lloyd Irvin’s, Mixed Martial Arts Academies. They offer a 30 day free trial program on any of the mixed martial arts programs. So, why not take advantage of this offer now!!