The most basic, yet most effective muay thai block

Whether you train muay thai, MMA, krav maga, or any of the myriad close quarter combat / self defense systems out there, this technique is a must have for your personal arsenal. Remember, you saw it here first.

I'm gonna get straight to the point here. The defensive technique I demonstrate in the video below is one the easiest to learn and apply. I call it the 45 degree block because of the angle at which you hold your arms. Its amazing how effective it is in stopping elbows, hay maker punches and even high kicks.

As you'll see, when you step in with the 45 degree block, you end up in knee or elbow striking range. Its a great entry technique to counter off of a strike. Once you're in close range you choose to use hard techniques or soft techniques such as head control or joint lock take downs, depending on the situation. Oh, it also works well in a multiple opponent situation. With that block you can control (while softening him up with knees) while creating a barrier between you and the other attacker(s).

Historically, this block comes from muay chao cherk (muay chao churd), the ancient form of muay thai forged in the battlefield. After a soldier lost his sword, his best form of defense was to get deep inside the strike range his attacker where he can, yep, disarm his opponent, and use his body as a shield from the fray. Modern Thai military forces have also integrated the 45 degree block into the lerdrit system.