Muay Thai documentary 🔥 #muaythai

Muay Thai: The Science of Eight Limbs.

Known as the "Science of Eight Limbs," Muay Thai utilizes almost the entire body as a weapon. Trained to use their fists like Western boxers, Muay Thai fighters also rely on bone-crushing kicks and two strikes that are almost unique to Muay Thai: the knee and the elbow.

This combination of attacks makes Muay Thai a uniquely dangerous and effective martial art.

Kick.
The kick is a fundamental strike in Muay Thai.

Similar to the jab in Western boxing, the kick serves as the sport’s primary long-range weapon.

Power Angle Kick.
The power of the kick comes from the torque generated by the rotation of the hips.

This principle is the same as what cracks a whip—turning the hips just a few degrees forces the foot to travel a much greater distance, generating significant speed and force. The longer the leg and the quicker the rotation, the faster and more powerful the kick.

Unlike in karate, Muay Thai fighters are taught to strike with the hard bone of the shin rather than the foot. A well-executed Muay Thai kick generates roughly the same force as a baseball bat, enough to crack a rib or even break a leg.

Elbow Strike.
Human bones can resist 40 times more stress than concrete. Unlike most strikes that land with a mix of flesh and bone, the elbow strike is almost pure bone-on-bone impact.

Elbow as a Weapon.
An elbow strike functions like the point of a knife—its force is magnified by being concentrated in a small, hard area. Even if the elbow does not deliver a knockout, it will almost always cause a deep cut, often leading to a fight-ending injury.

Knee Strike.
Getting in close neutralizes an opponent’s striking advantage. From the clinch position, Muay Thai fighters unleash the devastating power of the knee.

Unlike the kick, which relies on rotation for power, the knee strike generates power through leverage. By pulling an opponent downward while simultaneously driving the knee upward, a fighter can deliver up to 2.5 tons of force—enough to lift a car.

Hanuman Strike.
In this technique, it is not the arms but the legs that generate power. Like a piston, the explosive force of the legs can deliver hundreds of pounds of impact—all directed at one of the most vulnerable areas of the body: the soft underside of the opponent’s jaw.

Flying Knee.
Similar to the Hanuman strike, the flying knee relies on explosive leg power. However, instead of spreading the impact across two fists, it concentrates all the force into the sharp spear point of the knee, combining it with gravity's momentum.

The result? The equivalent of striking an opponent’s chest with a sledgehammer.

Conclusion.
So, there you have it—the six main strikes of Muay Thai.

When combined with precision, speed, and power, these techniques transform a Muay Thai fighter into the ultimate human weapon.