In this blog post, we will delve into the intricacies of executing powerful Knee strikes in Muay Thai. Whether you’re a beginner looking to perfect your technique or an experienced fighter seeking to refine your skills, this guide will equip you with the knowledge and understanding needed to deliver devastating Knee strikes with precision and efficiency.
If you’re anything like me, you appreciate the fact that strikes are one of the most important techniques in the world of fighting. And Muay Thai is all about strikes, whether it’s elbows, punches, kicks, or, in the case of this article, knees.
What we’ll do in this article is present you with the five basic steps you must perfect to have a powerful and fearsome knee in your toolbox. The Knee strike will enter your arsenal and serve as another tool in your already large toolbox. Whenever you’ll deem the Knee strike suitable to execute (we’ll see when that is), you’ll perform it and cause massive damage.
If you follow along with the steps and tips I’ll present, you’ll find it effortless to throw a powerful knee. You won’t even have to focus on your execution. You’ll build muscle memory (more precisely, brain memory that’s related to your muscle) that will allow you to execute the Knee strike flawlessly every single time.
Without further ado, let’s dive in!
#1 – Have a Proper Stance and Balance
The first tip is to have a proper stance and balance before you even consider learning how to Knee. Many Muay Thai fighters tend to skip the basic parts of this fierce fighting style.
However, it’s the basics that differentiate between good and excellent fighters. You can know how to throw a flawless and powerful Knee. But, without the basics in place, there’s going to be an exactly 0% chance of you throwing a flawless knee; this doesn’t have to make sense to you now, but it’ll make sense once you get into the competitive scene of Muay Thai, which will make you understand that the smallest differences between fighters are what differentiates between a win and a loss.
Start by adopting a strong and balanced stance. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, with your lead foot slightly angled outward. Keep your knees slightly bent and maintain a stable base throughout the technique.
If you have yet to perfect your fighting stance, I wrote an entire guide on how to perfect your Muay Thai fighting stance. You can learn more about it by following the link below.
#2 – Clinch to Set Up the Knee
The second tip, or should you call it step, is to set up the Knee strike. This should make sense to you but you’ll be surprised at how many people ignore the fact that they must take action to surprise their opponent before executing the Knee strike.
Create an opening or set up your Knee strike by using appropriate clinching techniques. Clinching allows you to control your opponent’s position, making it easier to launch an effective Knee strike. Grasp your opponent’s neck or arms to maintain control while preparing for the knee.
Clinching is my favorite of setting up the Knee strike. You have many other options, which you want to experiment with and know to use for when you need them. After all, the more you know, the more dynamic of a fighter you’ll be.
Another way to set up the Knee strike is by throwing a 1-2 (Jab–Cross) and following it up with a Straight Elbow. The Straight Elbow is a great way of closing the distance between you and your opponent. Finally, you want to grab the opponent’s head and pull it toward your knee while executing the Knee Strike.
Don’t worry, we’ll cover how to throw the actual knee in the upcoming steps.
#3 – Drive Your Hip Forward
This is a critical step to understand to perform a powerful Knee strike, so pay close attention. Your goal here is to generate more power. How will you do that exactly? Your primary goal is to drive your hip forward as if you intend on going through the opponent.
Generating power for the Knee strike comes from a powerful thrust of your hips. As you initiate the strike, drive your hips forward explosively, pushing your lead leg’s hip forward. This hip thrust generates momentum and power for the Knee strike.
You must make sure to drive your hip forward before you even lift your kicking knee (which is the next step.) If you make sure to follow this step, you’ll find it effortless to generate a substantial amount of force and cause much more damage to your knees.
I would argue that this is the #1 mistake Muay Thai fighters make when trying to perform the Knee strike. If you’ll be able to fix this mistake in your fighting game, there’ll be nothing stopping you from packing an exceptionally painful Knee strike.
#4 – Lift the Knee
The next step is to lift your knee. The way I like to do that is by focusing on the heel of the striking leg. You want to strive to bring your heel as close as possible to your bottom. This will create a natural life, which you can then complement with additional lifting.
As you drive your hip forward, lift your intended striking Knee upward, targeting your opponent’s body. Aim to bring your knee up towards your chest level while keeping your back straight. The lifting motion will amplify the power generated from your hip thrust.
This step is critical to understand if you want to pack real force behind your Knee. It’ll be almost impossible to generate a substantial amount of force without said lifting motion. Again, if you focus on bringing your heel to your bottom before you extend (which is the next and final step), you’ll be solid to continue.
Furthermore, you want to point your knee outward, so not in the direction of your knee. This, once again, will boost the amount of force you’ll be able to generate.
So remember, (1) bring your heel to your bottom to lift your knee and (2) point your heel outward to generate more force with your knee and boost the likelihood of it being the finishing blow.
If you’re interested in protecting yourself in Muay Thai properly, getting your hands on all the necessary gear is critical. I wrote a complete guide to all the Muay Thai gear you must have to train while minimizing injury risk in one of the most dangerous sports in the world.
#5 – Extend and Strike
The last tip I’ll present in this article is to put everything you’ve learned thus far together and extend your knee forward. This is perhaps the least important part as if you missed any tip I listed in this article, you won’t be to generate nearly as much force compared to if you followed along.
Extend your Knee outward, extending your leg towards the target. Aim to make contact with the knee, shin, or lower thigh area, depending on the target area you are aiming for (e.g., body, head, or legs). Simultaneously, engage your core muscles to maximize the impact of the strike.
Eventually, if you alchemize all the steps and tips I’ve mentioned throughout this article, such as pointing your foot outward, thrusting your hip forward, and grabbing the opponent prior to the extension, you’ll find the extension the easiest part.
So make sure to practice everything here slowly. Build muscle memory for each individual mini-step. By doing that, you’ll be able to start seeing exponential results, particularly compared to fighters, or should I call them trainees, who aren’t so serious about their training.
Make sure to get to your Muay Thai gym and practice all the steps alone before you combine them. Real experience and training are, in 99% of instances, better than reading or watching an instructional.
Are Knees Effective in Muay Thai?
Knees are an effective offensive technique in Muay Thai, as you’ll be close to your opponent many times in a real Muay Thai fight. The Knee strike is a perfect kick to throw when you’re in close quarters with your opponent. Likewise, you can combine technither and include the Knee strike to inflict even more damage.
Are Knees Legal in Muay Thai?
Kneeing your opponent in Muay Thai is legal; but, it’s an illegal move when you hit illegal targets, such as your opponent’s groin. In that case, you’ll likely get disqualified since the possibility of your opponent continuing to fight—is almost nonexistent. To conclude, knees are a legal Muay Thai move.
Should I Learn to Knee?
Here are a few reasons why learning to knee in Muay Thai is highly beneficial:
- Versatility: Knee strikes offer a wide range of attack options. Whether you’re in a clinch, close range, or transitioning from other strikes, incorporating Knees into your arsenal will give you more options to inflict damage and control your opponent.
- Power and Impact: When executed correctly, Knee strikes can generate tremendous power and impact. The Knees are strong and capable of delivering significant force, making them a highly effective weapon in both offensive and defensive situations.
- Close-Range Dominance: Muay Thai Knee strikes excel in close-range combat. By learning proper knee techniques, you can effectively nullify your opponent’s attacks, maintain control in the clinch, and dictate the pace of the fight.
- Conditioning and Core Strength: Executing Knee strikes requires solid core strength and stability. Training to throw knees will help strengthen your core muscles, improve balance, and enhance your overall athleticism.
- Strategic Advantage: Incorporating Knee strikes into your Muay Thai repertoire adds another layer of unpredictability to your fighting style. By developing a variety of knee techniques and setups, you can catch your opponent off guard and create openings for other strikes or maneuvers.
Final Words
Mastering the art of Knee strikes in Muay Thai is a journey that requires dedication, discipline, and consistent practice. Throughout this guide, we have explored the five fundamental steps to deliver powerful and devastating Knee strikes. By focusing on proper stance, balance, hip drive, knee lift, and extension, you can develop the necessary skills to dominate your opponents in the ring.
But wait, before you exit the article, I want you to take just one thing away. Please, and I mean it when I ask you to do so, don’t ever give up on real-life experience. Reading and learning are fantastic. However, it’ll be deemed as nothing if you don’t take the time to get to your Muay Thai gym and practice.
Practice, together with adequate sleep, makes perfect! (The benefits of sleep are vast, so make sure to sleep for at least 8 hours a night for maximum results.)
If you enjoyed this article, you’ll also enjoy reading about the complete guide to throwing a solid Uppercut in Muay Thai.
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