Knee strikes

Muay Thai

Straight, diagonal and long knees from range and in the clinch.

What coaches agree on

  • As you throw the knee, point your toes down and pull your heel toward your glute so the strike lands tight and compact, like a spear.
  • The power for the knee comes from driving your hips forward and pushing off the ground, not from swinging the leg on its own.
Show more
  • On a long knee, lean your upper body back and extend fully to get extra reach at range.

Common mistakes

  • Letting the strike carry you forward into a square stance instead of snapping back to guard, which leaves you open to a counter.
  • Letting the base leg you're standing on bend during the strike, which breaks your structure and drains power and stability from the knee.
  • Kneeing with the shin staying vertical instead of turning the foot outward, so the strike glances off the target instead of driving in with bone.
*Fix* Your Stabbing Knee 🔥
Intermediate

*Fix* Your Stabbing Knee 🔥

Coach's take: Actionable fixes for a real problem -- falling through after the knee -- not just 'do it like this.'

3.3