Vocabulary

 

 

Video

 

 
 
 
 

Transcript

 

Let me start by saying that this video doesn’t condone street fighting in any way or form, and it’s always important to take the high road.

However, many people start martial arts to learn how to defend themselves properly. If you’re ever in a situation where you need to defend yourself, you must learn a martial art that serves as effective self-defense.

That leads to many people raising the question: how effective is Muay Thai in a street fight?

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Muay Thai is Thailand’s national sport and cultural martial art. The sport dates back many centuries and is a close combat sport in which the entire body is used to attack and counterattack through striking and trips.

The truth is, it’s difficult to find a mixed martial artist that doesn’t use Muay Thai, also known as Thai Boxing, in successful hitting techniques.

Why would Muay Thai work well in a street fight?

Because of the lethal tactics used in Muay Thai, it’s successful in street fights if you plan to knock your opponent unconscious on the ground. It won’t take many elbows to the head or chin.

Elbows are astoundingly effective at creating vicious cuts, and knees can be devastating to an opponent’s ribs or liver. These methods are used by UFC fighters every day in the Octagon because they work and are effective.

The brutality with which Muay Thai impacts the body is one of the main reasons it is more successful in street fighting than other martial arts.

Unlike some other martial arts that emphasize shifting body weight to avoid harm while causing minimum damage to your opponent, Muay Thai strikes are designed to injure or forcefully stop your opponent’s advances.

The more you understand how to kick, elbow, punch, knee, and trip — as in using off-balancing or sweeping takedowns — the greater your chances of protecting yourself become.

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Below are some of the advantages of using Muay Thai in a street fight situation: Good for Close Range For decades, martial arts like Muay Thai that emphasize close striking ranges have been the favorite of choreographed films, and for a good reason.

Close combat eliminates the strength advantage that various heights provide to opponents. If you’re the shorter combatant, this levels the playing field.

In a street fight, Muay Thai works because it teaches you how to clinch and throw your opponent. The clinch is a close-quarter technique that is a vital Muay Thai technique. It’s a close-range technique for controlling your opponent and inflicting injury with knees to the body and head.

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Contains a Lot of Grabs

While grabbing and/or holding for any purpose other than attacking with a knee strike, for example, is theoretically a foul in Muay Thai, if your opponent attacks, you must maintain control of the situation to prepare for the next throw. You can deflect the blow, strike back, and then grasp the attacking limb, or you can catch the opponent’s arm or leg, strike back, and then throw.

Muay Thai effectively trains fighters to grab an opponent’s limbs and neck as part of offensive and defensive maneuvers, which works extremely well in street combat.

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Effective Trips

Muay Thai teaches you how to employ various trips and sweeps to knock down your opponent to the ground. Sweeps and trips are frequently utilized to interrupt your opponent’s rhythm and let you control the fight’s speed. If you know when and how to employ sweeps and trips, you may go on the offensive to break your opponent’s will or negate your opponent’s assaults.

On the defensive end, knowing how to sweep your opponent off their feet is a very good technique in self-defense as it allows you to get away.

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Good Defensive Stance

Because your feet are shoulder-width apart in Muay Thai, you have a powerful defensive posture that allows for easy mobility and a sturdy basis to attack and defend from.

You’re never flat-footed, which helps you keep your movements fluid and your reactions swift and agile.

You tuck your elbows to enable straighter punches and guard against body attacks. Your hands should be slightly higher in the classic Thai fighting posture with your palms facing outwards.

You can also hold them against your chin, which protects your face from inexperienced fighters’ errant strikes.

Muay Thai also requires you to stand with your power hand and foot at the rear of your body, allowing you to swivel your hip to your more strong natural side for improved striking and kicking.

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What’s the Main Disadvantage of Using Muay Thai in a Street Fight Situation?

Another question we often get is: is Muay Thai practical in a street fight? There’s a certain amount of risk that comes with any sort of street fight.

One of the main disadvantages of using Muay Thai is that it keeps you within a pretty close range because it requires using your elbows and knees to make things effective.

This makes Muay Thai a practical form of self-defense; however, sometimes the best way forward in a street fight is to keep a good distance. While a few Muay Thai techniques help you create distance, this type of martial art mainly focuses on closing the distance and landing powerful strikes.

You also need to know how to fight on the ground since Muay Thai’s one vulnerability in a fight is if the opponent drags you down. For instance, if your opponent is trained in Jiu-Jitsu and manages to take you to the ground, they will almost certainly win.

Only knocking out the ground fighter before going to the ground or understanding some Jiu-Jitsu yourself can save you from this defeat — at least enough to get yourself back on your feet.

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Questions

 

Head, Face. The narrator is a pugnacious, belligerent brawler; he is like characters played by Arnold Schwarzenegger, Sylvester Stallone, Bruce Lee, Jean-Claude Van Damme, Dolph Lundgren, Steven Segal. True or false?

Forehead, Cheeks, Chin. Does he suggest that people carry baseball bats or clubs?

Hair, Eyebrows, Eyelashes. The most common fighting styles in Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) is boxing and wrestling. Is this right or wrong?

Eyes, Nose, Ears. Why is Muay Thai a very effective martial art?

Mouth, Lips, Teeth. Do Muay Thai consist only of punching, kicking and striking with elbows, knees and shins?

Neck, Spine. Does winning a fight or encounter depend solely on a person’s size and strength?

Body, Torso. Does training in Muay Thai consist emphasize forms and styles?

Chest, Pectorals. Nothing can defeat Muay Thai. Is this correct or incorrect?
 
 
 
Stomach, Abdomen, Waist. I enjoy watching martial arts action movies. Yes or no?

Hips, Pelvis. Are there martial arts schools and clubs in you town, city, region and country? Are martial arts popular?

Arms, Biceps, Triceps, Elbow. Have you or your friends take up a martial art?

Legs, Thighs, Knee, Shin. My friends and I would like to be a martial arts champion or expert.

Hands, Fingers, Thumb. What might happen in the future?

Foot, Feet, Toes. Should people take up a martial art? What should or could people do?