Muay Thai Elbow Strike Instructional

Elbows have a reputation for being a dirty, but highly effective technique used to end a fight. Inherently, they're powerful strikes, but a common misconception in the MMA and mauy thai communities equate the size of the muscle to the power of the elbow. On the contrary, muscle mass has little to do with contributing to the overall power behind the elbow strike.

Instead of throwing your elbows as if you would a ball, concentrating you power in the upper arms and shoulders, think of the throwing the elbow strike with your entire body. Think rotational force, so instead of relying on arm strength alone, you're levering the rotation of your entire body, from the pivot on your feet, to the drive of your hips, and your entire upper body. The key is to learn to throw your muay thai elbow strikes with your entire body moving as one. Take a look at the little instructional video I did on the basic mechanics of the muay thai round elbow for your own training purposes.

RUMOR ALERT: California to Allow Elbows in Amateur Muay Thai Bouts

Last week California Muay Thai blog let it out that elbows will soon be allowed in amateur muay thai fights. The California Athletic Commission currently allows elbows only in sanctioned professional muay thai fights. Unfortunately, most pro muay thai fighters in the US rarely use their elbows in fights, and it shows. The elbows I've seen in fights stateside, they're usually thrown from way outside their effective range.

If this alleged easing of the regulations does come to pass then I'm optimistic about American muay thai fighters' and the overall improved quality of elbow use in future fights. This should also create a ripple effect in how muay thai camps and MMA schools throughout the Golden State treat the elbow as part of a fighter's arsenal. My hope is that there will be a widespread improvement in regards to attention paid to technique and an increase in time spent training & instructing the elbow strike and all of its variant angles and applications.

Please comment if you have any news on this subject.

So Many Bad Elbows

I'll make this quick. I know a lot of muay thai experts are posting web videos demonstrating elbow technique, but virtually all of them completely neglect their cover. I've been training muay thai for 14 years and I'm in my 12th year as an instructor, I know from experience how inneffective

If you are within range to throw an elbow then you are within range of getting hit with an elbow. Being that close, your cover is as vital as your strike. trust me, it hurts a lot when you're hit with an elbow. Watch the short demo clip I put together to demonstrate an old style muay thai elbow strike with proper cover.