Sweep and Oblique (diary entry)

15.08.18   Tonight we continued with my clients series of lessons on Muay Thai revision. We are going right back to basic combinations, boiling movement concepts down and looking at certain patterns. This is part refinement of techniques, part layering of new information.   The warm-up consisted of a series of specific exercises designed to promote better body mechanics, speed, muscle memory and general strength conditioning for Muay Thai. We began with mirror and line footwork, along with a little bit of reaction training. Then we progressed onto a series of punching exercises – speed-work, dynamic stretching and muscle activation. This moved onto the basic 1-4 punching combinations that set up all the other techniques we have been covering in this informal course. Then we progressed onto isolating knee-strikes and kicks with calisthenic movements such as lunge and spear-knee, and squat and teep.   Next we revised all the add-ons to the 1-4 combination using rear leg teep, round kick and spear knee as well as the switch front leg versions of these techniques. This was then followed by the clinching versions of this combination set up. Here the lead hand is used to pull from a necktie position rather than jab. In the first combination a horizontal elbow is thrown. In successive versions the rear crossing hand is used to complete the plum position and pushes. We used switch-spear knee on combination two and rear diagonal knee on combination three.   We then brought in a sweep for combination three, using the pivoting action that comes from what was the lead hook and then a rear diagonal or round knee strike to follow on.   I then introduced the oblique kick, which was thrown to the opposite side leg as well as the spleen and liver from the 1-4 punching combinations. This will continue in the next lesson.   The class finished with two rounds of sparring.