Integrating Elbows (diary entry)

09.09.19   My Monday night client completed their penultimate lesson in this first course in Basic Muay Thai/Stand-up Fighting. We looked at integrating elbow strikes into the clinch and outside fighting combinations.   We warmed up with shadow boxing, including some basic advice on getting the most out of shadow boxing. This was followed by dynamic stretching and mirror footwork. We then did some revision on the focus mitts and belly pad. We went through sets ups using teeps and the long guard. We put together punch-kick combinations and then moved onto the clinch. Then we went back over the elbow strikes.   Next we began integrating the horizontal, spear, slashing and smash-down elbow strikes into punching combinations. These were eventually mixed in with punch-kick and knee strike combinations.   The lesson finished with 3 x 3 minute rounds of sparring. The first two rounds consisted of the fighters wearing full-face head cages to allow for elbow strikes to the head. The first round was restricted to the clinch, the second round was full Thai rules and the third round was normal sparring (no knees or elbows to the head).