Bringing out the elbows (diary entry)

22.06.17   Bringing my client up to the four and a half hour mark of his course in basic Muay Thai for Martial Arts Cross-Training, we focused specifically on elbow strikes. Elbow strikes are by no means unique to Muay Thai, but their diversity is pretty impressive. We covered horizontal, slashing, diagonal, chopping, uppercut, smash-down, spear, side, backward and spinning elbow strikes.   Training began with a warm-up of muscle activation and mobility exercises, including Indian press-ups and single leg raises whilst maintaining a fighting stance. We then revised footwork, focusing on rhythm to gain momentum for striking. Then we went back over basic punching combinations, teeps and round kicks. Shadow-boxing, technique placing and pad-work were all used to confirm the revised material.   Elbow strikes were also trained in this fashion, but we put the vast majority onto the Thai focus mitts. Techniques were roughly divided into slicing and stabbing strikes with exceptions made for techniques that mirrored one another i.e. diagonal elbow and chopping elbow. Emphasis was placed on using the point of the elbow and avoiding scuffing techniques. Each elbow technique was isolated and confirmed before being integrated into a unique combination or combinations. Elbow strikes were performed together and also with punches and kicks. We looked at setting up for rear elbow strikes and also the use of different elbow strikes as counter-techniques. More material on elbow strikes: Muay Thai Fighting (Elbow Strikes) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y_1OEIx3b7Y