4 Simple Tricks To Help You Master Fighting On The Back Foot In Muay Thai

Preventing on the again foot is a facet of Muay Thai synonymous with counter-fighting. Meaning, it’s best when you’re pitted towards an aggressive fighter, and you need to use their ahead stress and tried strikes to your benefit.

Whereas, in essence, preventing on the again foot can merely be outlined as scoring with kicks as you progress away out of your opponent, it’s way more intricate than that. Preventing on the again foot is an artwork kind that entails greater than the broad strokes of a counter switch-kick as your opponent steps ahead to punch.

On this article, we’re going to define 4 of the important thing tips that that you must make use of if you wish to achieve success when you’re preventing on the again foot. These strategies are deceptively easy; the important thing to their success comes from practising them till you will have your distance and timing wired to perfection. Every of them is a crucial a part of the counter-fighting palette so if you wish to good the artwork of preventing on the again foot, these subsequent few paragraphs are going to be invaluable in your improvement.

First Issues First: Discover Your Vary

Whereas all of those strategies have had a confirmed report of success in Muay Thai for many years, none of them will probably be efficient in the event you don’t know how one can handle your vary correctly. Vary administration is the primary and most essential step for preventing on the again foot as a result of, in the event you aren’t standing on the proper distance out of your opponent then you definitely both received’t have sufficient time to react to your opponent’s actions or they received’t be in vary on your assaults.

To efficiently battle on the again foot, you wish to be standing simply barely out of your opponent’s efficient punching vary. This implies they might want to take a step ahead earlier than they’ll land certainly one of their straight punches on you.

Key Methods For Preventing On The Again Foot

1) Angle Adjustments

Essentially the most harmful factor you are able to do when preventing on the again foot is get your self caught on a monitor the place you solely transfer backward in a straight line. Whereas transferring again one or two steps for the aim of kicking your opponent as they assault is completely fantastic, the extra momentum your opponent has going ahead, the extra confidence they achieve and the tougher it’s to take care of composure.

As a basic rule, maintain transferring laterally so your opponent wants to regulate their stance to maintain you of their sights till you’re able to counter their assaults. Should you really feel pressured use your jab and lead hook that can assist you lower angles as they inch ahead and solely set your self straight within the firing line when you’re able to counter an assault.

2) Pivoting

Angle modifications work properly if you aren’t underneath appreciable stress however, in case your opponent is charging ahead and also you don’t have the time or house to step again or maintain them at bay with teeps, then you definitely’re going to wish to pivot out of the firing line.

To pivot that you must step ahead and plant your foot outdoors of your opponent’s stance. Then, putting your glove on the skin of your opponent’s, push it throughout their physique as you flip your rear leg ninety levels, so you’re looking by each of your opponent’s shoulders. If they’re charging ahead, they may now be straight within the pocket and open for a kick.

To pivot in your rear-leg aspect, step ahead to your reverse stance first, ensuring your foot is planted outdoors of theirs earlier than turning ninety levels. You’ll land in your non-dominant stance right here, however you’ll have loads of time to attain with a kick and reset into your most popular stance earlier than they’ll flip to face you.

3) Drop-Steps

Drop-stepping is a time period used to explain the act of stepping backward into an alternate stance as your opponent pressures ahead. As your opponent steps ahead to throw a straight punch, slide your lead foot again in a straight line till your stance is reversed. As you do that make sure that your torso and head stay evenly primarily based over each hips so that you simply transfer clearly away from the incoming punches. As soon as you’re in your opposing stance you may fireplace off a kick to catch them as they punch or drop-step a second time to return to your most popular stance.

4) Spoiling

Whereas preventing on the again foot is predicated round having the ability to evade your opponent as they try and catch you in shut vary, it’s crucial that you’ve got a method that you need to use within the occasions you end up trapped towards the ropes with out a secure choice to flee.

Spoiling is the act of tying your opponent up within the clinch in such a manner that they can not land any efficient strikes. Doing this when you’re in a foul place, forces the referee to name a break within the motion the place you may reset again in a secure vary to renew counterfighting.

When getting into the clinch, maintain a decent guard so that you simply don’t get caught by any punches as you step in after which, when you’re as shut as doable tie up your opponent’s arms, urgent your chest and hips in shut in order that they don’t have room to knee. Do that whereas making certain you retain your weight evenly balanced over your hips so you may’t get swept.

Whereas it might be a kickboxing battle, Superlek makes use of this spoiling method to nice impact on this 2020 bout towards Fahdi Khaled.

You’ll discover that at any time when Superlek finds himself too near evade Khaled’s highly effective looping punches, he steps ahead and hooks his arms over the Tunisian’s gloves, spoiling his capability to unload together with his most popular weapons and forcing the referee to interrupt them so he can resume kicking safely.

Conclusion

Mastering the artwork of preventing on the again foot requires precision, vary administration, and the strategic use of strategies like angle modifications, pivoting, drop-steps, and spoiling. By honing these abilities and practising them diligently, you may successfully counter aggressive opponents whereas sustaining management and composure within the ring.