Creating muay thai combos
Have you ever been asked by your coach to come up with a combo of your choice and stood there drawing a blank? Do you have a heavy bag at home but don’t know what combos to work on? Or couldn't think of any good combos when holding pads for your partner?
Here are 3 principles to consider when creating your own combos.
1. Left to Right
A good rule to follow is to flow from one side of the body to the other (ie. left strike right strike, left strike, right strike). This also applies to strikes from different weapon groups (mixing punches and knees).
Example #2: Left jab, right cross, left uppercut, right cross
Example #3: Right cross, left hook, right low kick
2. Striking Ranges (refer fig. 1.1 above)
In muay thai there are four major ranges - Snug (1), Close (2), Medium (3), Long (4). When combining the individual strikes from these groups, do not connect 2 strikes that are 2 or more ranges apart. For example, a strike from Range 1 (snug) can be connected with a strike from Range 2 (close) but not with a strike from Range 3 or 4 (medium and long). The reason for this is simple: if you can make contact with your elbow strike, you are too close to effectively throw a long range weapon like a pushkick! Vice versa, if you are standing afar and throwing pushkicks, and then trying to skip multiple ranges to get on the inside for the elbow strike is extremely dangerous, as a skilled opponent will likely intercept you with a more suitable weapon while you are on your way in.
There are exceptions to this rule. Feints and setups can make it less risky to skip multiple ranges. Faking a push kick (Range 4-Long) to temporarily distract your opponent while simultaneously jumping in for an elbow strike (Range 1-Close) is an example of a feint tactic. However as a beginner to intermediate practioner, you should stick with the basics during sparring. Here is a great fight between Buakaw and Mike Zambidis to illustrate why one has to be careful when skipping multiple ranges in muay thai. Zambidis unsuccessfully attempts to "jump" into the close range from the long range with hooks only to be punished repeatedly by swing kicks. When in close, his punches are nullified by the superior knee strikes and clinch throws.
3. Keeping it Simple
Don’t get too crazy with the length of your combo! The longer the combination, the more your technique for each individual strike will suffer. What’s more important than volume is the placement (aka accuracy and precision) of these strikes in conjunction with timing as well as choosing the most suitable strike for that specific situation. I suggest 2 to 4 hit combos (no more than 5!), and keeping it to the very basic strikes (refer to the strikes in fig. 1.1 above).
Here is a collection of 10 basic combos by Sean Fagen.
Some of you may now be thinking, “These ideas and concepts are too technical and won’t work in a real fight.” Well my friend, you obviously don't know good muay thai. Go watch some Samart, Rodtang, or Saenchai fights.
733 comments
Hello everyone my name is Kiara Hahn from California US. I’m here to testify of a great and powerful spell caster called Dr Jakuta. I was so confused and devastated when my fiance left me without a word, I’ve spent the last month crying and feeling guilty. I wasn’t talking to anybody, so one day I search online on love tips because I needed him back desperately and I loved him so much, until I found Dr Jakuta who has solved so many relationship problems then I contacted him and he promised that in less than 72hrs he will come back to me. After I did all he asked, to my greatest surprise my fiance who had refused to speak with me came to my house and asked for forgiveness for all he had made me go through and now we are living happily together, if you have any relationship problem you can contact him Below are his contact details: Email him at doctorjakutaspellcaster24@gmail. com or
WhatsApp +2349161779461
Hello everyone my name is Kiara Hahn from California US. I’m here to testify of a great and powerful spell caster called Dr Jakuta. I was so confused and devastated when my fiance left me without a word, I’ve spent the last month crying and feeling guilty. I wasn’t talking to anybody, so one day I search online on love tips because I needed him back desperately and I loved him so much, until I found Dr Jakuta who has solved so many relationship problems then I contacted him and he promised that in less than 72hrs he will come back to me. After I did all he asked, to my greatest surprise my fiance who had refused to speak with me came to my house and asked for forgiveness for all he had made me go through and now we are living happily together, if you have any relationship problem you can contact him Below are his contact details: Email him at doctorjakutaspellcaster24@gmail. com or
WhatsApp +2349161779461
Hello everyone my name is Kiara Hahn from California US. I’m here to testify of a great and powerful spell caster called Dr Jakuta. I was so confused and devastated when my fiance left me without a word, I’ve spent the last month crying and feeling guilty. I wasn’t talking to anybody, so one day I search online on love tips because I needed him back desperately and I loved him so much, until I found Dr Jakuta who has solved so many relationship problems then I contacted him and he promised that in less than 72hrs he will come back to me. After I did all he asked, to my greatest surprise my fiance who had refused to speak with me came to my house and asked for forgiveness for all he had made me go through and now we are living happily together, if you have any relationship problem you can contact him Below are his contact details: Email him at doctorjakutaspellcaster24@gmail. com or
WhatsApp +2349161779461
Hello, everyone’s, my name is Maria Helena from the United kingdom and I want to use this opportunity to thank Dr Ughulu for helping me to cure my Herpes disease, it has been over 2 years now I had this disease I don’t even know how it got throw me, i have been going to difference hospital just to make sure I get cure and nothing works out for me, until the day I saw a comment online about how someone testify how Dr Ughulu cure her herpes disease and It was so very interesting to me, I really think about it for few minutes before I sent him a message and he said you’re welcome my daughter, he list out what he will buy to work for me and also he said I shouldn’t worried. I will be fine, so I really did the right thing he asked me to do. It didn’t take up to three weeks until I was healed from my herpes disease, I went for a checkup and the doctor told me nothing is wrong with me. Please join me to thank Dr Ughulu. I really appreciate his good work. My God will continue to bless you forever. You can visit his website: https://drughulupowerfulsp.wixsite.com/my-site-ughulu CALL/TEXT: +1(252) 409-1841 or email:drughulupowerfulspelltemple@gmail.com
Hello, everyone’s, my name is Maria Helena from the United kingdom and I want to use this opportunity to thank Dr Ughulu for helping me to cure my Herpes disease, it has been over 2 years now I had this disease I don’t even know how it got throw me, i have been going to difference hospital just to make sure I get cure and nothing works out for me, until the day I saw a comment online about how someone testify how Dr Ughulu cure her herpes disease and It was so very interesting to me, I really think about it for few minutes before I sent him a message and he said you’re welcome my daughter, he list out what he will buy to work for me and also he said I shouldn’t worried. I will be fine, so I really did the right thing he asked me to do. It didn’t take up to three weeks until I was healed from my herpes disease, I went for a checkup and the doctor told me nothing is wrong with me. Please join me to thank Dr Ughulu. I really appreciate his good work. My God will continue to bless you forever. You can visit his website: https://drughulupowerfulsp.wixsite.com/my-site-ughulu CALL/TEXT: +1(252) 409-1841 or email:drughulupowerfulspelltemple@gmail.com