Muay Thai 101 – The Cross

So you want to perfect your Cross. That’s fantastic news for me and you since we’ve met at the perfect place—at the perfect time. This article is going to be entirely about the Cross and it’s also going to show you how you can perfect it starting from today.

But first, let’s examine what it is and for which situations it’s useful:

The Cross, aka straight punch, is one of the primary punches in Muay Thai and is thrown with the dominant hand. While it typically isn’t the finishing blow in fights, it’s a suitable setup for many combinations and other offensive and defensive techniques.

And frankly, it’s not as difficult to learn and execute once you already have a solid fighting fundamental. If you’re a novice Muay Thai disciple, however, you can begin building that fundamental from the ground up. This article will also help you do that.

So let’s dive into the first section of this article, which is going to be entirely about understanding how the Cross works and how to perfect it.

How to Cross Perfectly in Muay Thai

The first section of this article will teach you how to perfect your Cross execution in Muay Thai. Indeed, this article is more focused on the art of Thai Boxing, but it can be applied to any fighting endeavor, including MMA, Boxing, Kickboxing, and self-defense.

So without further introduction, let’s dive into the first point on your way to Cross perfection.

#1 – Stance

The first point you want to look into is your fighting stance since it’s the single most important thing you can have or not have in your fighting career. Let’s say your fighting stance isn’t as solid; well, you won’t be able to (1) generate a lot of force, or (2) defend yourself properly when attacking and when inactive.

Muay Thai stance with your feet shoulder-width apart. Your lead foot should be slightly angled forward, and your rear foot should be turned slightly outward. Keep your knees slightly bent and your weight distributed evenly between both legs.

I wrote a complete guide on how to perfect your Muay Thai fighting stance, which you should definitely check out if that’s something that you want to better!

#2 – Hand Position

The next point we’ll review is where to place your hand prior to throwing the powerful Cross. The first thing you must understand is that you want to keep your guard up. If you lower your guard to “generate more force” (which is a myth), your opponent will get a clean and easy shot on you.

These mistakes are what differentiate between mediocre and solid fighters. This is the level of detail you want to dive into if you desire to skyrocket your Muay Thai skills.

Place your lead hand (left hand for orthodox stance, right hand for southpaw stance) in front of your face, with your elbow tucked in and your glove protecting your chin. Your rear hand (right hand for orthodox stance, left hand for southpaw stance) should be positioned at the side of your face, also protecting your chin.

#3 – Rotation

And now that you have the setup ready for a flawless Cross, it’s time we dive into the execution itself. This part is the hardest one for Muay Thai disciples to understand, but it creates such a vast difference in the amount of force you generate.

The next point is rotating your hips and shoulders explosively. When you first begin practicing the Cross, you want to start slowly. And when you do that, you must, and I repeat, you must ensure to use rotation to your advantage.

Rotate your hips and shoulders explosively in the direction of your rear hand. This rotation generates power for the punch. Your lead foot may pivot slightly as you rotate.

Here’s how that looks like:

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/dvaoghD049s

#4 – Extension

Now that you are rotating your hips and shoulders properly to generate more force, we want to move on to the extension, which is the shiny part. This is the part we’ve all waited for, as it’s the core of the Cross.

While rotating your hips and shoulders, extend your rear arm forward in a straight line, aiming for your target (head or body). Keep your wrist straight and your hand tight. Imagine driving your rear shoulder forward as you throw the punch.

Another great tip is to look at your target. Where you’re looking is where you’ll hit. So if your eyes are set on your opponent’s body, you won’t hit the head. This is the basics of accuracy in martial arts and fighting. Look at your target while extending your arm forward in a straight line. Choose where you want to hit depending on where your opponent’s weak spots are.

#5 – Defense

The last point on your way to Cross perfection—is defense. You must defend yourself when you go for any offensive endeavor, let it be countering, throwing a Jab, or going for an Uppercut. Really, it doesn’t matter.

Whenever you throw a Cross, you want to keep your weak hand near your face, so to guard your face. Keeping your guard up is a skill you want to develop and hone; many fighters tend to forget to protect their faces when throwing any punch.

Cross Combinations in Muay Thai

Now that you know how to perfect your Cross execution, it’s time we dive into combinations. Combinations are the most important part of fighting, as it allows you to multiply the amount of damage you’re inflicting on your opponent.

Rather than just executing the cross alone, you’ll alchemize it with other techniques. For instance, the famous 1-2 (which we’ll look into in the first combination) is known for its usefulness in real fights and its ability to inflict more damage on an opponent.

Let’s now look into combinations in Muay Thai that include the Cross:

1. Jab-Cross: Start with a quick jab (lead hand) to set up your opponent and follow it up immediately with a powerful cross (rear hand). This combination allows you to create an opening and capitalize on it with a strong punch.
2. Jab-Cross-Hook: Begin with a jab (lead hand), follow it up with a cross (rear hand), and then quickly transition into a hook (lead hand) targeting the opponent’s head or body. This combination works well to attack from different angles and exploit openings in your opponent’s defense.
3. Jab-Cross-Teep: After throwing a jab (lead hand) and a cross (rear hand), push off your rear leg and drive your lead leg forward to execute a teep (front push kick) to your opponent’s midsection or to create distance. This combination is effective for maintaining control of the range and disrupting your opponent’s rhythm.
4. Jab-Cross-Left Hook-Right Kick: Begin with a jab (lead hand) and a cross (rear hand), then follow up with a left hook (lead hand) targeting the opponent’s head or body. Finally, finish the combination with a powerful right roundhouse kick (rear leg) to the opponent’s body or legs. This combination incorporates punches and kicks, making it versatile and unpredictable.

Final Words

The Cross is one of the most effective punches in most striking-based martial arts. Typically, it’s used to follow up in combinations and it’s the finishing blow in some cases.

Make sure to start practicing slowly and amp up the pace once you’re comfortable. Likewise, you want to use hand-protective gear when you practice, which includes hand wraps and punching gloves.

If you’re interested in learning more about the best types of punches you must know in Muay Thai, follow this link to read the complete list in another article of mine.

Here are other articles you’d enjoy reading:

The Jab – Muay Thai Complete Breakdown

9 Amazing Benefits Muay Thai Training Will Give You

Muay Thai 101 – Complete Guide for Beginners

The Beginner’s Guide to Training Muay Thai at Home

Mastering the Overhand Punch in Muay Thai – Complete Guide