Over the last two blocks of 10 lessons, we narrowed the focus to elbow strikes. We covered the main elbow methods found in Muay Thai, then used mixed martial arts training ideas to test them against movement, clinch pressure, grips, and resistance. Then we came back to karate. More specifically, we came back to naihanchi.

My client from Cotswold Karate School has been taking several months of Muay Thai cross-training lessons. The aim has not been to replace karate with kickboxing. The aim has been to use kickboxing and Muay Thai as attribute training, so certain ideas already present in karate can become more alive under pressure.

Muay Thai Personal Training When a karate teacher from Cotswold Karate School approached me to continue training elbow strikes in Muay Thai, I saw a unique opportunity. He wanted to use Muay Thai techniques as attribute training to improve his karate skills. We are now in the third hour of this focused course, and the progress is clear. This blog post shares insights from our sessions and explains how Muay Thai personal training can enhance karate performance, especially thro

Elbows are natural weapons in close combat. Their short range and bone structure make them ideal for quick, powerful strikes that can break through an opponent’s guard. Traditional Karate bunkai often includes elbow movements, but these are usually practiced in solo kata or pre-arranged drills without resistance. This leaves practitioners unprepared for real sparring or self-defense scenarios where timing, angles, and counters matter.