KHAN 2 PUNCHING
The use of the fist or punching in Muaythai comes in various forms, including the lead punch, the follow-up punch, the short swing, the long swing, the back swing, the uppercut and the downward thrust all of which can be applied in different engagements with your opponent. The art of using the fists is described in a variety of forms, each of which is potentially dangerous. The student should study this in theory first before applying it in practice so as to prevent possible injury and accident. Each punch is precisely described step-by-step, with animated illustrations and useful tips to ensure clear understanding and visualization.
1. Mat Trong Chok Nam
A straight forward punch or fist face punch is used to attack the opponent in a close proximity, by transferring the weight of the body from back footed foot to the front footed foot,
and transfer the force to the front shoulders to increase the power of the impact. Once the punch occurs, the weight of your body is now at the front footed foot.
It is a straight punch that starts with the wind-up right behind you, then transferring your weight from the foot up into the body, to the shoulders and then straight to the fist for the attack. Once you start Punching, your body, waist and the hips should be twisted downwards.
Also, the majority of the time your weight should be transferred to the front foot, so that your punches have firmness and power to it. A “Straight Forward Punch Follow Up” if done properly will have a greater impact to the opponent, more power than just with a regular forward punch.
3. Mat Wiang
Mat Wiang San/Short Hook Punch
A short hook punch is used when the opponent has his guards up and is defensively covering the face, you can launch a short hook punch by firming your wrists, bending your arms and in a curve motion, pass through the gap between the hands and arms to hit them in the face or chin. The motion of the punch may not be paralleled to the floor but it could be curved up or curve down, depending on the distance between you and your opponent’s chin or jaw.
Mat Wiang Klap/Spinning Back Fist Punch
The Spinning Back Fist Punch or also known as the returned punch, is used if your punches miss the targets, then go into the Spinning Back Fist Punch right after to make your opponent either loose balance or gets them to be off balance to gain back your advantage.
The Spinning Back Fist Punch goes into one direction, stops and is reversed instantly. You can reverse from many different angles, for example such as starting reverse from the bottom to the top, or go into a downwards reverse or an upwards reverse.
Mat Wiang Yaw /Long Hook Punch
The Long Hook Punch or also known as the “The Long Throwing Punch”, is to punch with a firmed stretched out arm, hands faced down and aim wide open to your opponent that’s standing far from where you are at arm’s length. The target of this punch is the chin, face and the neck.
A short hook punch is used when the opponent has his guards up and is defensively covering the face, you can launch a short hook punch by firming your wrists, bending your arms and in a curve motion, pass through the gap between the hands and arms
to hit them in the face or chin.
The motion of the punch may not be paralleled to the floor but it could be curved up or curve down, depending on the distance between you and your opponent’s chin or jaw.
The Long Hook Punch or also known as the “The Long Throwing Punch”, is to punch with a firmed stretched out arm,
hands faced down and aim wide open to your opponent that’s standing far from where you are at arm’s length. The target of this punch is the chin, face and the neck.
The Spinning Back Fist Punch or also known as the returned punch, is used if your punches miss the targets, then go into the Spinning Back Fist Punch right after to make your opponent either loose balance or gets them to be off balance to gain back your advantage.
The Spinning Back Fist Punch goes into one direction,
stops and is reversed instantly. You can reverse from many different angles, for example such as starting reverse from the bottom to the top, or go into a downwards reverse or an upwards reverse.
An Uppercut or also known as the Star Reaching Punch, is used by hardening the elbows and by turning the fist upwards. The movement starts from the bottom to the
top of the swing.
Very useful when the target in in close proximity or
if the opponent is bending downwards. The target of the punch is the chin, pit of the stomach, the chest or the face.
The cobra Punch is swinging the back of your fists in an upwards motion and swinging it quickly downwards forcefully, by using the edge of your fist hitting to the head, back of the neck, back of the face, the temple, or the chin of your opponent. It is used when your opponent is being un protective or unaware.Swinging with the shoulders and arms,
combining with gravity and using the edge of your fist can make the attacks powerful with high impact andis considered very dangerous if hitting the targets fully especially at the skull of the head of your opponent. When the opponent is hit by a Cobra Punch, normally they would be in a dazed or seriously injured.
Thoy Sud Ra Ya means to step back from the opponent like jumping back, moving backward or stepping back, but the move must take the boxer out of the opponent’s attacking range.
Therefore, the boxer should fall back at the same time when the opponent attacks. At the time the boxer is out of the attacking range, they should be in the ready position for a counter-strike.
10. Pa-Nga
Pa-Nga is used to draw oneself back from the attacking range of the opponent without jumping back or moving aside. For example, when the opponent does the Roundhouse Kick-High on the upper-part,
boxer must bend back to let the opponent’s feet pass through the body. However, this kind of dodging or movement should not be too far from the opponent in order to remain in range for a counter-strike.
Pa Ta Duay Khane is when a boxer uses their fists to defend and block all the weak parts of their body by attacking the opponent with a punch.
As they are blocking, they must also be ready to counter-attack immediately.
Phad is to swipe the attacks of the opponent away by using a wrist or an arm, and to make the opponent lose their balance which would give us the opportunity to strike back. We could possibly swipe all the attacking techniques away such as punching, kicking, kneeing and elbowing,
but this swiping technique usually works effectively with the attacks which come straight in front; straight punching, straight kicking, straight kneeing etc.
Chack Lhob is to move every part of your body out of the way or range of a strike.After evading the attack, the boxer must be in a ready position to strike back.
