1.10.12 – Muay Thai

Knees and elbows.

Up knees –

crash in, get clinch.

Lift up on ball of lead foot, pull down with arms, straight up with knee.  Chest tilts back, twists slightly towards knee side, as knee comes up.

Point of performance – get up on the ball of the lead foot.  Point toes of striking leg down.

 

Elbows (Sawk!)

Combinations:

10 – Jab, Cross, Left Elbow

11 – Jab, Cross, Hook, Right Elbow

12 – Jab Cross, Left Elbow, Right Elbow

13 – Jab, Cross, Hook, Right Elbow, Left Elbow, Right Elbow

Points of performance

Footwork – as with standard strikes, stepping in to close the distance.  Really need to torque the lead foot over to get proper rotation on hips and shoulders.

Striking arm – try to fold hand under armpit to make elbow a sharp point.  For now, flat strike, then pull back through same arc as hard as possible.

Non-striking arm – fist to cheek, elbow tucked into ribs.  Primary counter is a knee from that side, so defend against it.  Can bring hand to forehead to defend counter elbows, but that’s not the point of performance for now.

 

Notes

Drill at end of class was a pyramid of elbow strikes and jump lunges.  Which, after a morning of box jumps and back squats, was interesting. 

Footwork is the major issue right now.  Need to really step out, point toes, stay on balls of feet.  Think about opening the hips with each step.

Muay Thai 1/5/2012

Worked knees from the clinch.  Was the only true noob in the class.  Trained with Rene, who was patient.

Basic clinch – keep elbows inside, on collar bones.  Back straight.

Half clinch – One arm in clinch, the other controls the bicep or the wrist.  Throw knees.  Again – back straight, head tight to their head, their forehead on your shoulder.

If they lift their arm, duck under, stand on tip toes.  Non clinching hand goes accross shoulders to far shoulder, clinching hand drops on top.  Head is on their shoulder, their arm should be pushed up in air by your shoulder.  Knees.  Back straight.

If they duck down, push their head down.  Arm across their front comes out, down on top of the head.  Knees to face.  If they pull out, soccer kick to head.

Notes –

I need to shadowbox more.  I think that’s the only way I’m going to feel less awkward.

10/26/2011 – Muay thai

So, this wasn’t my first (or second, or third) muay thai class, but it’s the first one I wrote anything down.

A few notes about Muay Thai.

1.  It does not come naturally to me – at all.

2.  Holding pads and focus mitts is just as important as throwing combos.  But, see number 1.

3.  This was the first class where I felt even marginally competent or, more accurately, that I have a shot at eventually becoming marginally competent.  Which is nice.

Trained – Combination 8 and combination 9

Combination 8

jab, cross, long lead uppercut, cross, jab out

Tips:
a.  Kru Mel emphasized that your shoulders should be smacking your cheek, esp. on cross, long lead uppercut.  Easier when you tuck your chin, which I really need to work on.
b.  The long lead uppercut feels odd.  key is not to lean too far into it – centered over feet at all times.

Combination 9

step jab, overhand right, left uppercut, right uppercut, left uppercut, right cross, jab out

Tips:

a.  idea on the overhand right is to keep the elbow parallel to the ground, arc it over, gently
b.  footwork on the overhand right – BIG step to the outside foot of oponent.  Want to end up next to him, so you have to turn into him.  If you take too short a step, you’re going to take a knee.  And that will suck.
c.  Elbows tight on uppercuts.  John suggested thinking that you have a tennis ball trapped between your bicep and your chest, and it has to stay there.
d.  footwork on uppercuts – thrust with lead foot on lefts, trailing foot on rights.  Really crouch and then pop up, with energy coming from your toes, through your hips, up into and through your fist.

Notes:

1.  John suggested rolling the shoulder forward when holding the focus mitts.  It really helps to keep the elbow from being bent back.  Keep doing that.
2.  Feed and return – need to remember to clap gloves before throwing focus mitt