How to Perform Muay Thai Vertical Elbow Strikes

Muay Thai, also known as Thai boxing, is the current martial art and national sport of Thailand. It should be emphasized that this is primarily a competitive sport rather than a method of real combat. It evolved from a very ancient and diverse combat style called Muay Boran. Where Muay Thai focuses on inflicting powerful close quarters blows with the elbow, fist, shin, foot and knee, Muay Boran focuses on crippling and killing an opponent in the most efficient manner possible. As unsavory as this sounds, we should be thankful then that it is illegal to teach Muay Boran to anyone who is not a citizen of Thailand. Vertical elbow strikes, known as sok ngud, are typically used as a powerful attack to the head to finish a tired opponent.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

1. Adopt a Thai boxing stance. Plant your left foot forward by roughly two feet and at shoulder width’s distance from your right foot. While your right foot should be turned outward at a 45-degree angle, your left foot should be pointing straight forward toward your opponent. Keep your knees bent and your weight on your back foot. Ball your fists and raise them up to the sides of your face so your knuckles are level with your eyebrows.

2. Extend your right fist, keeping it in the guard position, but moving it away from your face so it will not get in your way. Raise your right arm straight up, keeping your arm bent in the guard position and moving only the ball and socket joint of the shoulder.

3. Rise up to the ball of your right foot and push off, transferring your weight forward. Keeping the fist and lower forearm bundled tightly against the inverted bicep, bring the elbow straight down in that narrow vertical alley between your opponent’s raised fists to strike the top of his skull with the boney portion of your lower forearm just below the elbow. Try to bend at the knees and waist just prior to impact to add the full weight of your body into the strike.

4. Remember to follow through past your opponent’s skull, coming to rest with the elbow pointing level at the center of the chest. Once you've stopped, immediately reverse the motion, pulling your arm back in an upward arc that mirrors the downward stroke. This is a seondary strike aimed at the underside of the chin. Once you've impacted with or passed by the chin, roll your arm up and backward, raising it back into your defensive stance.

Tips & Warnings

• These instructions detail performing the vertical elbow strike with your right arm. Simply reverse left and right to perform the same attack with your left arm.
• This is an aggressive strike. However, it is slow and easily blocked, so it’s best to be used near the end of a match when your opponent is tired or distracted.

Resources

• Video Demonstration

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