Become Fighter
Thai rounds: Muay Thai guide
Full shadow rounds with every tool: teeps, kicks, knees, checks and elbows in the air.
You now have the Thai toolbox: the teep and long guard for range, round kicks and checks, knees, and the elbows. This lesson is where you stop thinking about single techniques and start building rounds.
Thai rounds start calm and build. Find the range with the teep, kick the body, check what comes back, and only step in close for a knee or an elbow when the range is right. This is shadow work, so the elbows go in the air only.
Key points
- Start every round with the teep and the long guard to find range.
- Make kicks and knees the centre of your rounds, not just the hands.
- Check an imagined kick between combinations.
- Step in before a knee or an elbow, then step or teep back out.
- Stay tall and calm. Rhythm beats rushing.
- Elbows in the air only, unless a coach is supervising.
Common mistakes and how to fix them
- Going flat out from the first bell. Build across the rounds. The first round is for rhythm and range.
- Boxing with the odd kick. Give every round kicks, knees and checks. That is what makes it Muay Thai.
- Reaching for knees and elbows from far away. Step in first. If you have to lean, you are too far.
- Skipping the cool-down. Kicking tightens the hips. A few minutes of stretching keeps the next session comfortable.
The rest is in the app
The step-by-step breakdown, the timed drill with the coach calling the shots and the quiz are part of Become Fighter Pro, where this lesson sits in the Combinations module of Muay Thai foundations.
Coming soon to the App Store and Google Play.
More from Combinations
Combat sports training is hard on the body. Warm up, stay within your limits and check with a doctor first if you have a health condition. Practise in a clear space and stop if you feel pain or dizziness. Learn partner work only under a qualified coach.