Thai kickboxing is also known as Muay Thai, which translates as Thai boxing. It is the national sport of Thailand and one of the oldest kickboxing-style combat sports in the world, originating from the fighting methods of ancient Thai soldiers. Muay thai differs from normal kickboxing in that it allows strikes with the knees and elbows as well as punches and kicks. Muay thai also makes extensive use of the clinch, a kind of standing grappling where each fighter seeks to control the other in order to strike or throw their opponent.
Shadow Boxing
Muay thai uses shadow boxing to practice technique and balance. Practice moving around an imaginary ring, visualizing an opponent. Throw punches, elbows, knees and kicks at your imaginary opponent, while also blocking and checking his imaginary strikes. Focus on developing rhythm and balance, as well as throwing your punches and kicks all the way through your target. For example, when throwing roundhouse kicks, make sure that you swing your kicking leg all the way through your target. Ensure that your guard remains tight when you throw your strikes.
Technical Work
You can practice your techniques with a partner, who can either defend your strikes or wear thai pads, which are heavy, rectangular pads worn on the forearms to absorb strikes. Work specific combinations, either what your pad holder tells you or a specific combination you and your partner have agreed on. You can also practice defending or countering their shots. You can also work without your partner by hitting a banana bag, a Thai style heavy bag that hangs almost all the way to the floor. This will allow you to practice low kicks as well.
Clinch Work
Clinch work is one of the most unique features of muay thai. The clinch occurs when both fighters are within touching distance and seek to hold onto their opponent, attempting to seize them by the head or arms in order to control them, either to throw them to the ground to score points, or to deliver powerful knee or elbow strikes. This can be trained specifically, either by working clinch techniques with a partner or by doing clinch sparring where you begin from the clinch and attempt to control your partner by moving or throwing him or securing a dominant position from which to strike.
Sparring
Sparring is the best way to prepare for a real muay thai bout, but even if you have no intention of competing it is still an important part of training to test whether your technique is effective. Sparring can be done at varying levels of intensity, so agree beforehand whether you are doing light sparring or going hard. During sparring, you will need protective gear -- especially if you are going hard -- including shin guards, head guards or even elbow or knee protectors.
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