Intermediate
Unit 5: Knees
Stabbing Knees
Advanced Muay Thai Knee Drills
Integrating Knees as Striking Weapons
Beyond the Clinch
At the intermediate and advanced levels, the knee transforms from a close-range clinch weapon into a dynamic, long-range striking tool. By integrating knees with punches, feints, and footwork, you can create devastating combinations that are difficult to predict and defend. These challenging drills focus on using knees as part of a fluid, striking-focused offense, not just from a static clinch.
Challenging Knee Combinations
Drill 1: The Frame & Fire
Goal: To use a punch combination to create a frame and land a powerful stabbing knee.
Drill: Throw a **Jab-Cross (1-2)**. As your cross retracts, step in and post your lead hand on your partner's shoulder or collarbone to create a frame. Use this frame to pull yourself in as you throw a hard **Rear Stabbing Knee** to the body.
Drill 2: The Level Change Combo
Goal: To attack different lines by mixing stabbing and round knees.
Drill: Throw a **Rear Stabbing Knee** straight up the middle to your partner's stomach. As you bring your leg back, without resetting your stance fully, immediately throw a **Lead Round Knee** into their exposed ribs on the same side.
Drill 3: The Intercepting Knee
Goal: To use the knee as a counter to stop an opponent's forward pressure.
Drill: As your partner walks forward aggressively, time their step and meet them with a sharp **Lead Teep** to create space. As they reset and come forward again, meet their momentum with a powerful **Rear Stabbing Knee** to the solar plexus.
Drill 4: The Switch Knee Setup
Goal: To use a switch step to create a deceptive angle and land a powerful knee.
Drill: Throw a hard **Rear Cross** to make your opponent shell up. As they brace for more punches, perform a quick **Switch Step**. From your new southpaw stance, immediately throw a hard **Rear (now Left) Round Knee** into their body.
Keys to an Elite Knee Game
- Hips are Everything: The power of a knee comes from a powerful, forward thrust of the hips. Think of driving your hip bone *through* the target.
- Point Your Toes: For stabbing knees, keep your toes pointed down towards the floor. This makes the point of your knee sharper and protects your foot.
- Use Your Hands: Use your hands to pull your opponent into the knee or to create a frame for balance and distance control. Never throw a knee with your hands down.
- Look for Openings: Knees are most effective when they are set up. Use your punches, fakes, and footwork to create the openings for your knee strikes.
Round Knees
Advanced Round Knee Drills
Attacking the Body from an Angle
The Body Ripper
While the stabbing knee attacks the center line, the round knee is a devastating weapon for attacking the opponent's sides. Thrown with a circular motion similar to a roundhouse kick, it's designed to smash into the ribs, liver, and spleen. At an advanced level, the round knee is set up with footwork and punches to create angles and exploit openings in an opponent's guard. These drills focus on generating power and landing the round knee in dynamic, fight-realistic scenarios.
Challenging Round Knee Drills
Drill 1: The Angle Step & Rip
Goal: To use footwork to create a dominant angle for the rear knee.
Drill: From your orthodox stance, take a sharp 45-degree step *outward* with your lead foot. This angle change takes your head off the centerline and lines up your rear hip. From this new position, drive a powerful **Rear Round Knee** into your partner's exposed ribs.
Drill 2: The Hook & Knee Combo
Goal: To use a headshot to create an opening for a body shot.
Drill: Throw a hard **Lead Hook** to the head. This will force your partner to raise their guard to block. As their elbow comes up, their ribs become exposed. Immediately follow the hook with a hard **Lead Round Knee** to the body on the same side.
Drill 3: The Cross Counter to Knee
Goal: To slip a punch and use the loaded momentum for a powerful counter.
Drill: As your partner throws a **Rear Cross**, slip your head to the *outside* of the punch. This defensive movement naturally loads your rear hip. As you come up from the slip, explode with a **Rear Round Knee** into their exposed body.
Drill 4: Body Jab to Round Knee
Goal: To use a body shot to draw a defensive reaction and create an opening.
Drill: Throw a stiff **Jab** to the stomach. This often causes an opponent to drop their elbow to protect their body. The moment they react, throw a powerful **Rear Round Knee** to the same side, aiming for the space just behind their lowered elbow.
Keys to a Powerful Round Knee
- Turn Your Hip: Just like a round kick, the power comes from turning your hip over. The knee should travel on a curved, horizontal path.
- Pivot Your Supporting Foot: To open your hips for the knee, pivot on the ball of your supporting foot, turning your heel outwards.
- Use Your Hands: Use your hands to pull your opponent into the knee or to frame for balance. Your same-side hand can swing down to generate extra torque, but keep your other hand up.
- Look for the Opening: The round knee is a powerful but short-range weapon. It must be set up with punches, footwork, or defensive movements to be landed effectively.
Skipping Knees
Advanced Skipping Knee Drills
Explosive Entries and Finishing Power
The Distance Closer
The skipping knee is an explosive, dynamic technique used to close distance rapidly and land a powerful knee strike. By performing a small, quick "skip" or hop, you can launch yourself forward from outside normal striking range, catching an opponent by surprise. It's a high-risk, high-reward move that, when mastered, can be a devastating tool for finishing a combination or countering a retreating opponent.
Challenging Skipping Knee Drills
Drill 1: The Basic Skip-in Knee
Goal: To master the fundamental footwork and timing of the skip.
Drill: From just outside of punching range, perform a small hop forward, bringing your rear foot up to where your lead foot is. As your rear foot plants, immediately drive your original **Lead Knee** into the pad or heavy bag.
Drill 2: Cross to Skipping Rear Knee
Goal: To use the cross as a setup to cover the entry for a rear skipping knee.
Drill: Throw a hard **Rear Cross**. As you retract the punch, use the motion to perform a forward skip, this time bringing your lead foot back slightly as you hop forward on your rear foot. As your lead foot lands, immediately drive your **Rear Knee** forward.
Drill 3: The Feint & Skip
Goal: To use a feint to draw a reaction and create an opening for the knee.
Drill: Feint a **Rear Low Kick** to make your partner look down or prepare to check. As they react, use the motion of bringing your leg back to flow directly into a forward skip, landing a powerful **Lead Knee** to the now open midsection.
Drill 4: The Counter Skip
Goal: To use the skipping knee to intercept a retreating opponent.
Drill: Have your partner throw a 1-2 combination and then immediately circle or step out. As they are moving away, immediately execute a **Skipping Rear Knee** to cut off their escape and land a powerful counter while they are in motion.
Keys to an Explosive Skipping Knee
- Explosive Hop: The power comes from a quick, explosive hop. It's not a big jump, but a short, sharp burst of movement forward.
- Timing is Crucial: The skip must be timed correctly to cover the distance as you throw the knee, not before. The movement and the strike should be one fluid motion.
- Use Your Hands for Control: As you skip in, use your hands to pull your opponent into the knee or to frame off and maintain balance.
- Commit Fully: The skipping knee is an all-in maneuver. You must commit to it fully to generate the necessary power and momentum to be effective.
Saloon Door Knees
The Saloon Door Knee
Swinging for Power in the Clinch
The Close-Range Power Shot
The "Saloon Door" knee is a powerful variation of the round knee, thrown from a very close clinch position. Instead of driving forward, the knee swings in a wide, horizontal arc—like a swinging saloon door—to smash into the opponent's ribs. It's a devastating technique that uses hip rotation and your opponent's position to generate incredible force, often when they least expect it.
Saloon Door Knee Drills
Drill 1: The Basic Swing
Goal: To master the unique swinging motion of the knee.
Drill: Start in a close clinch with your partner (50/50 or double underhooks). Take a small step out to the side with your lead foot to create space. Swing your **Rear Leg** in a wide, horizontal arc, aiming to connect the inside of your knee to your partner's ribs.
Drill 2: The Pull & Swing
Goal: To use your clinch grips to pull your opponent into the knee.
Drill: From a single or double collar tie, forcefully **pull** your opponent's head and shoulder down and towards the side you intend to knee. As they are pulled off-balance, swing the **Saloon Door Knee** from that same side into their exposed body.
Drill 3: The Turn & Knee
Goal: To use a turn to generate momentum for the knee.
Drill: In a 50/50 clinch, use your inside arm control to turn your opponent. As they resist the turn, use their momentum against them. As they try to square back up, swing a hard **Saloon Door Knee** with your rear leg, catching them as they turn back into the strike.
Keys to a Powerful Saloon Door Knee
- Create the Space: You must take a small step to the side with your non-kicking leg to create the necessary space for your knee to swing.
- Full Hip Rotation: The power comes from a violent, full rotation of the hips. Think of swinging your entire hip into the target, not just your leg.
- Impact with the Inside Knee: The primary striking surface is the hard, bony area on the inside of your knee.
- Control with Your Hands: Use your clinch grips to pull, push, and off-balance your opponent, forcing them to walk into the path of your swinging knee.
Jab Overhand Combo
The Jab-Overhand Flow Combo
Linking Power Punches to Forward Pressure
Unrelenting Offensive Flow
This advanced combination is all about forward momentum and relentless pressure. It teaches you to use the power of your overhand to flow seamlessly into a knee, then into a teep, and finally into a devastating mid kick. Each strike sets up the next, allowing you to walk down an opponent while continuously attacking with power. Mastering this sequence builds an aggressive, forward-moving style that is incredibly difficult to stop.
Combo Breakdown
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Jab & Overhand: Start with a sharp **Jab** to set your range. Follow immediately with a powerful **Rear Overhand**, leaning your head off the centerline as you throw it.
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The Knee: Lean into the momentum of the overhand and take a small step forward with your lead foot. Use this step to drive a powerful **Rear Knee** into your opponent's body.
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The Teep: From the knee, **plant your rear foot forward**. Without hesitation, use this new base to launch a hard **Rear Teep** to create space.
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The Mid Kick: After the teep, **plant your rear foot forward again, but this time slightly to the outside**. This creates the perfect angle for your hips. Immediately fire a powerful **Rear Mid Kick** to the body.
Keys to a Flawless Flow
- Forward Momentum is Key: Every movement in this combo should be forward. Do not reset your feet or step backward at any point.
- Lean Into the Overhand: The lean on the overhand is not just defensive; it's what loads the weight onto your lead leg, preparing you to drive forward into the knee.
- Plant with Purpose: Each time you plant your foot after the knee and teep, it should be a deliberate, balanced step that immediately serves as the base for the next strike.
- Hip Power on the Finish: The final mid kick is the exclamation point. Ensure you pivot fully on your supporting foot and turn your hip over completely to generate maximum power.
Knee Defense Counters
Advanced Knee Defense Counters
Turning a Threat into an Opportunity
Neutralizing the Knee
A powerful knee striker can be one of the most intimidating opponents to face. Advanced knee defense is not just about absorbing the blow; it's about actively neutralizing the threat and creating powerful counter-offensives. By using frames, angles, and intelligent timing, you can turn one of your opponent's most dangerous weapons into their biggest vulnerability. These drills focus on high-level counters that require precision and commitment.
Challenging Knee Defense & Counter Drills
Drill 1: The Cross-Face & Turn
Goal: To break an opponent's posture and create an angle for punches.
Drill: As your partner enters the clinch and prepares to knee, drive the blade of your **lead forearm** across their face (the cross-face). Use this to turn their head away from you. As you turn them, pivot on your lead foot and fire a **Rear Hook** followed by a **Lead Uppercut**.
Drill 2: The Scoop & Dump Sweep
Goal: To catch the knee and execute a powerful sweep.
Drill: As your partner throws a **rear stabbing knee**, lower your level and use your lead arm to "scoop" their leg from underneath. Secure it tightly. Immediately take a deep step forward with your rear foot, getting your hip outside of theirs. Drive your shoulder into their chest while lifting their captured leg high to **dump** them to the mat.
Drill 3: The Intercepting Teep & Push
Goal: To stop the knee before it can be fully thrown by attacking the hips.
Drill: As your partner steps in to initiate a clinch or throw a knee, time their forward movement and fire a hard **Rear Teep** directly into their hips or lower stomach. The goal is to stand them upright and break their posture. Follow the teep with a powerful **Rear Cross** as they are off-balance.
Drill 4: The Body Rip Counter
Goal: To counter a round knee by attacking the body as it's exposed.
Drill: As your partner throws a **rear round knee**, take a very small step back with your rear foot to slightly evade. As their hip opens up for the knee, fire a hard **Rear Cross** or **Rear Hook** directly into their exposed ribs or liver. This requires precise timing.
Keys to an Elite Knee Defense
- Don't Absorb, Deflect: Advanced defense is about redirecting, not just blocking. Use frames and angles to make your opponent's knee land off-target.
- Control the Hips: A knee's power comes from the hips. If you can control or disrupt their hips (with a teep or a frame), you neutralize the knee.
- Stay Calm Under Pressure: Panicking in the clinch leads to a broken posture. Stay upright, keep your base, and look for your defensive openings.
- Commit to the Counter: When you see the opening, you must explode into your counter. Hesitation will allow your opponent to recover their position and continue their attack.