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Elbow Strikes at All Ranges in Martial Arts Teacher Training

16.01.2026


Martial Arts Teacher Training


My Martial Arts Teacher Training client returned for the fifth hour in this particular course. The head of Cotswold Karate School in Chipping Campden, this client books me to not only increase his martial arts skills but also to consult on improving his teaching syllabus and curriculum. As a martial arts cross-trainer, it's always very encouraging to see teachers reaching out in the consistent drive to better their knowledge and the skills of their students.


Man practises elbow strikes, overlay photo of two men with martial arts shirt design. Text: Teacher Training: Isolating Elbow Strikes.

Elbow Strikes


This particular course is entirely focused on integrating elbow strikes into live practice. Despite elbows being a part of practical karate bunkai, very few clubs spar with them. To be fair, I often see this element being missed out on a regular basis in many Muay Thai and MMA gyms, even those who turn out fighters! My clients and any martial arts clubs who take my recommendation in the safe integration of elbow strikes into regular spar notice immediate changes to tactics and strategies. A lot of Muay Thai's mid, close and clinch range fighting takes on a whole new perspective when you can give and receive elbow strikes.


I often introduce elbow strikes from the clinch and only to the body and arms. If elbow guards are not available at the time, I bring in head cages. This type of protective equipment has its own advantages and disadvantages. However, as with this lesson, we wore elbow guards. We used the following structured rounds.


Elbow Striking Rounds -- Elbow Boxing


  1. Elbow boxing with no gloves - This is type of training totally isolates the elbow strike. Above all else it exposes how much elbow strikes need support and set-up tools.

  2. Elbow boxing with MMA gloves - The small layer of protection on the hands encourage greater engagement whilst not sacrificing space in the same way that boxing gloves do.

  3. Elbow boxing with Boxing gloves - Now much more engagement with elbow strikes is favoured. However, this did little to improve the success rate of landing elbow strikes.


Elbow Striking Rounds - Trapping & Clinches Ranges


  1. Elbow strikes with trapping - We wore MMA gloves again. The trapping allowed for better datum setting, removing obstructions and pinning limbs.

  2. Elbow strikes within the clinch - Again, we wore MMA gloves. Clinch was, by far, the preferred range to score with elbows.


Next lesson we will expand upon this, using Boxing gloves and layering on knee strikes, punches and kicks.





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