By Sean Fagan

Muay Thai pad work: the essential conditioning tool for fighters and enthusiasts alike. Not only does it hone your technique and improve your striking power, but it also helps you work on your timing and agility. To capitalize on all these benefits, it's vital to include a range of different combinations throughout your pad work sessions. Here are some of the best Muay Thai combinations to use during your pad work.

1. Jab, cross, hook, low kick

The jab, cross, hook, low kick (as well as its reverse counterpart: jab, cross, hook, body kick) is the quintessential go-to combination for any Muay Thai fighter worth their salt. It's a simple yet effective one that can be easily tweaked according to your opponent's movements. It's also great for honing your technique, particularly your footwork, weight shifting, and timing.

2. Jab, cross, lead elbow, low kick

Elbow strikes are one of the most feared and effective weapons in Muay Thai. Combining the lead elbow with a jab,...

3 COMMON FAULTS NOVICES SHOW IN PAD WORK

By Daniel Nguyen

Hitting pads and putting in mitt work is one of the foundations of learning Muay Thai.

There is going to be a lot of both, and it won’t always be easy. It’s simple to see red and lose sight of the big picture when it comes to someone holding up a target (that’s literally red oftentimes).

Everyone can learn how to smash pads and finish up a combo sequence, but it’s smart delivery and good striking habits that separate novice from vet.

Here are the three common pitfalls beginners may be developing as they smash pads:

Fault: Poor Footwork & Crossed Feet

Most novices are all too eager to immediately throw a strike at any opening when an opportunity presents themselves.

Pad work drills can be like a quick game of rapid target acquisition for trigger-happy fighters (think pop-up targets at a shooting range). Unfortunately, this concept becomes the main concentration...

PUNCH COMBINATIONS WITH LOW KICK PAD WORK

By Sean Fagan

One of my favorite types of Muay Thai pad work to do is this Muay Thai low kick drill! This is a great kicking drill especially if you have my style of fighting which is very similar to the Dutch style of kick boxing – hard hand combinations finished with brutal leg kicks.

This Muay Thai low kick technique drill is great because unlike heavy bag training or light sparring, you can work on everything that makes a low roundhouse kick so devastating. It will help you find your distancing, flow with your hand combinations, work on reaction speed and throw 100% power into each and every low roundhouse kick.

Click here or on the technique video below to check out my trainer, John Nuculovic and I doing a round of low kick pad work!

can add opposite side low kicks as...