Combinations / Kicks / Shadow

Cross, hook, rear kick

Two hands that turn the hips one way and a kick that borrows the turn back.

Two hands that turn the hips one way and a kick that turns them the other. The cross turns the hips one way and the hook brings them back; the kick borrows the hook's turn. It is a lesson in using the momentum you already have instead of making new momentum for every strike, and it is also a lesson in not rushing: the kick is slow until the hook's return is clean.

The actions, phase by phase

Rear straight / cross

1. Guard. The rear hand begins beside the chin.
2. Turn. The rear foot, hip and shoulder contribute to the turn.
3. Extend. Send the rear fist along the target line; retain your base.
4. Recover. Recover the hand and stance together.

Watch for. Do not substitute leaning forward for rotation.

Lead hook

1. Guard. Begin inside your comfortable bent-arm range.
2. Prepare. Keep the movement compact; do not wind up behind you.
3. Arc. Turn through a short arc with the elbow bent.
4. Recover. Return the lead fist to guard.

Watch for. Use the camera to inspect depth. This study does not prescribe your individual elbow angle.

Rear round kick

1. Stance. Use a range and contact method already taught in class.
2. Turn support. The support heel turns first and the hip follows it around.
3. Swing through. The shin is the surface that travels through, not the foot; the knee keeps a little bend.
4. Recoil / reset. Recover your stance under control.

Watch for. The study shows the support heel turning and the shin leading. It cannot show the depth of the turn, the timing or the contact force, and it has not been checked by a coach. Review a coach demonstration before contact practice.

Muay Thai guard

1. Base. Keep a stance from which either leg can lift.
2. Hands ready. Bring the hands into your coach-taught guard.
3. Balance. Keep the torso upright enough to manage kicks and checks.
4. Reset. Re-establish the base after every action.

Watch for. This illustration does not show clinch posture or an opponent.

Hips one way, then the other

1. The cross turns the hips; the hook brings them back.
2. The kick borrows the hook's turn; the support foot pivots with it.
3. Pause between the hook and the kick until the rhythm is yours.

Three faults a pad holder sees

1. Hook opens into a swing. the arm stays bent through the arc.
2. Kick starts from square hips. the support foot pivots as the hook returns, so the kick leaves from a turned base.
3. Hands drop for the kick. the lead hand covers while the rear arm swings.

A starting prescription

3 rounds of 60 seconds with 30 seconds between them. Eight sequences per round; pause before the kick until the rhythm is yours. Load the study into the session builder with these numbers and change them to suit the round you are preparing for.

What this loop is, and is not

Solo rehearsal of a shape you have already been taught. No partner, no contact, no pad impact, and no coach has reviewed this loop. It shows where the joints go, not whether they should go there for you.

Where it sits

Stage: Combinations. Before it: Jab / teep. After it: Clinch knee / elbow exit. See also the glossary, the warm-up and the method and its limits.