nine

Consider body punching in Muay Thai.

If you bend down, you may be opening your self up to some knees and elbows to the head. If you drop your hands to punch, you'll open your self up to more head shots.

- Under what situations would it be correct to work the body?
- What adjustments need to be made in technique from western boxing?

Feel free to add any other thoughts about the subject as well.

EmptyneSs

i would say work the body when u are vs a taller opponent, because the body is an easier target......reaching for a taller persons head leaves u open to counters and strikes, while the body is much easier to reach and will do plenty of dmg. i use body shots alot when a taller attacker is coming in on me, i drop under his punches and counter to his body, or go straight into him on the inside with as many uppercuts as possible. i wouldnt reccomend doing this to a shorter person though, as it will leave u vulnerable.

yeah there is the possibility of getting nailed by dropping low, but thats why u go to the body as a counter to the opponents move, it will greatly lower your chance of getting nailed. play off his jab or cross, and use power, it will greatly slow down your opponent.

Tom Yum

IMHO using body shots against muay thai:

When you've allready attacked the head: Jab high, cross to the body.

If your opponent keeps a relatively high guard and noticeably upright stance you could keep pressure on him in the boxing range to set up a body shot.

In the clinch (if its an inactive one, usually from a less experienced fighter) you can nail the body; more experienced fighters will totally keep you off balance and turn it into a stand up wrestling match while trying to impail you on his knee.

As a counter attack to kicks and punches. Example your opponent double jabs then comes a round with a big rear leg thai kick. You time it just right to take part of the kick (with your forearm) but land a big cross into his solar plexus. Or your opponent throws a couple of punches at you, which you move and defend and you see a cross coming - you can slip outside his cross and hook his liver then hook upstairs for example.

If your opponent is taller, you can hit the body easier.

Adjustments

I wouldn't use a body shot as an initial technique, because like you said you will get kneed/kicked in the head.

When sparring, don't move your head as much. When you're boxing only you can do the herky-jerky with your head so that your head will move around his punches *if you're quick - its good defense in boxing.

However a thai-boxer with split second timing will explode a kick into the direction you're moving your head and mess you up.

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koto_ryu

Attack the head to open up the body, and vice versa. Right before moving into a clinch would be a good option for some body punching, as would breaking one off and throwing in a good uppercut on your way out.

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academian

Great advice Especially the upercuts

Garland

you can work uppercuts from the clinche...however it's considerably less effective than throwing knees...body blows with the fists in muay thai outside the clinche are a little dangerous also...considering you have to lean your body in a way that makes it easier for the opponent to knee. It depends on the fighter...I know people, and I personally, have a tendency to reach with knees once I'm in range... I do this becuase you don't neccessarily have to clinche to throw an effective knee, and because it's easy to turn the shin to block a kick...now if somebody were to lower their body, in the same way that one would to throw a body hook or an uppercut...they'd have to have the timing just right for it to land, and even so...I would already have the angles I find optimal for throwing my knees into their body, and their head depending on how tall they are and the form on their punches.

Now if you slid into a body blow from just inside punching range from into clinche range and followed up with holding their body and tossing knees...it might be an effective combination.

Like off of a double or tripple jab, when your opponent is covering or moving back...and you keep applying that forward pressure on them to set up a body blow and a series of knees...might work pretty well.

You'd have to be on your A-game to pull it off....I rarely throw body punches outside of boxing, and I also rarely bob and weave in thai boxing for the same reason...but try it out in sparring...who knows, you might find that it works for you.

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Garland

a better exit from the clinche would be to swing your opponent out and throw a kick...this is where you can really nail a head kick or neck kick. Try a hop step into the kick at a 45 degree angle after you toss them out...ESHHHHH...
even if it misses...after taking a bunch of knees...it'll guarantee you a couple of seconds to catch them with something nice, especially against a tired or a less skilled opponent.

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