Muay Thai or Thai Boxing, is a very effective striking art that originated in Thailand.  This form of kickboxing employs the use of the hands, feet, elbows and knees to attack the opponent.

 

Here are a few things that Muay Thai training will do for your MMA game...

 

· Gives you powerful weapons to use in long range fighting - A kick can inflict more damage than any other strike that you can throw.  By using the Thai front kick, you essentially have the stiffest jab imaginable.  Use it to keep your opponent at bay or do damage by aiming it at the solar plexus or head.  A Thai style round kick is probably the most powerful kick in all of martial arts.  Land just a few of these kicks to the legs or body and the opponent will be hard-pressed to continue the fight.  Connect with a round kick to the head and you are almost guaranteed a knockout.

 

· Learn to use elbows and knees for close range and clinch fighting - These are two of the best weapons for you to use when you are close to the opponent.  Muay Thai training shows you how to use them in the most powerful and efficient way.  When you consider that in almost every MMA fight there will be some time spent in the clinch, you see how important it is to know how to strike from there.

 

· Teaches you how to attack the legs - Using round kicks to take out your opponent's legs in a MMA fight is a very effective strategy to employ.  This is true for a very simple reason.  If you can't walk and/or stand properly while in a fight, you'll have an extremely hard time fighting effectively.  A Thai style round kick can achieve this effect on the legs with just a couple of shots.

 

· Learn additional ways to control your opponent in the clinch - Control from this position is not just trained in wrestling.  The Thai Boxing clinch gives great control of the opponent's body by controlling their head and neck.  From this position you learn how to pull the head to keep the opponent off balance.  You can also use this pull to bring them into a hard knee to the body or head.

 

· Teaches you how to defend against a wide array of strikes - Because of Muay Thai's vast arsenal of attacks, that come from so many different weapons, learning to defend against them gives you a very well-rounded defense.  Learn to defend each one individually, then master what you have learned by applying your defense while sparring.

 

 

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Muay Thai in MMA