Muay Thai Combos

Muay Thai utilizes a full range of striking which makes the possibilities for combinations almost endless. That being said, some Muay Thai combos are more effective than others.  Check them out below

Jab Set-Up

A jab is a punch that isn’t designed to do great damage but can be used in fighting to:

1. Gauge striking distance
2. Keep your opponent busy
3. Help open your opponent’s guard
4. Distract him from a more powerful attack

This is why usually a jab is the fight punch thrown in the fight and why jabs are often the opening to a combo. Let’s look at some popular Muay Thai combos that open with a jab.

• Jab + jab + cross
• Jab + cross + hook
• Jab + cross + left hook + cross
• Jab + right uppercut + left hook + cross

Mixing in KICKS

So far these basic combinations have only involved punching. But what makes Muay Thai a true martial art, is its diverse range of attacks.  So let’s look at some more advanced Muay Thai Combos that involve the lower body.

• • jab, jab, cross, left knee
  • jab, right overhand, left inside leg kick
  • Left inside leg kick (switch kick), cross, left hook
  • Jab, cross and right leg kick
  • jab, cross, left leg body kick, cross

If you’re a beginner you might feel very awkward mixing in kicks with your punches with any real speed. Start slow, making sure you keep your balance and power with each strike. As you become more comfortable then work on building speed and fluidity.

Throwing Elbows

To complete the assault, let’s not forget about the brow-busting elbows. The unprotected elbow is sharp, hard, and very effective in close range situations that don’t allow for the full arm extension needed for a punch.  Adding these Muay Thai combinations with the elbow will help make you a complete Muay Thai fighter:

• • left hook, right uppercut, left elbow
  • jab, cross, left knee, right elbow
  • left jab, right leg kick, left knee, right elbow
  • fake teep (front push kick), lead hook, reverse elbow

For The Badasses

We’re starting to get pretty advanced now, but if you want to be a real Muay Thai badass, try these combinations.

Catch a Teep + Spinning Elbow

As your opponent throws a teep, catch it with one hand under the foot, and then secure it with one hand on top of the foot. Now that you have the foot secured, and your opponent is on one leg, use your grip to pull your opponent into you, as you spin away and deliver a spinning elbow to the head.

If done correctly, your opponent should be falling into your elbow, making it much more powerful. Timing is critical on this one, both for the teep catch and delivering the elbow as your opponent is falling forward onto the lead let you just pulled.

Roundhouse + Spinning Heel Kick

This one assumes that your roundhouse kick doesn’t land solidly or at all. You follow through with the miss, spinning your body around and immediately throw a spinning heel kick.

For this one, balance is paramount. Make sure to keep your feet under you to maintain your balance as your spinning.

Also be sure to snap that neck around so you can see your target early, lock on, and then deliver the kick.

Jab, Shuffle Knee, Post Out

Often times, especially early on, fighters will trade jabs. Meaning that if you throw a jab, more often than not, your opponent will jab right back at you. This combination takes advantage of that.

After you throw your jab, wait for your opponent to jab back. As soon as he does, you should do 3 things almost simultaneously;  1) Parry to deflect the jab with your rear hand 2) Reach behind your opponent’s head to secure them with your lead hand 3) Shuffle your feet to get your knee ready to strike.

After striking, post out by pushing your opponent away from you to clear yourself from any possible counter attacks.

Practice Makes Perfect

So no matter what your level is, these Muay Thai combos will take your fighting to the next level. But the combos themselves are only as good as the fighter delivering them.

You need the practice to make these effective in real combat. Write down two or three combos that you want to work on, bring that to the gym, and drill those until you’re seeing it in your sleep.

Once they become fluid and the pattern is second-nature, then move onto more advanced combinations. But the list doesn’t end here. The possibilities are endless.

Find out what feels most comfortable for you and what works best in the ring. You could even make your own combinations or mix and match from the list above. There is no single “best” combination for all fighters. So you need to try them all and see what is best for you. So get practicing.