FROM SAENCHAI'S SEMINAR @ KHONGSITTHA GYM IN THAILAND 

By Sean Fagan

It was an absolute honor getting cartwheel kicked in the head by the great Saenchai.

Having a living legend and best pound-for-pound fighter hold a seminar at our Nak Muay Nation Training Camp was one of the MANY amazing highlights of the camp. Besides learning some of Saenchai’s favorite Muay Thai techniques, a handful of us (including myself) had the opportunity to do some light sparring with him too… which was epic!

Take a look at some of the seminar footage which includes my sparring round with him as well as 3 of his favorite Muay Thai techniques:

3 Saenchai Muay Thai Techniques

Saenchai Technique #1: Fake Roundhouse To Teep

Saenchai is known for his tricky kicking techniques so we were all pretty excited when he was showing us things like the fake roundhouse to teep. A major aspect of this technique is having the hip dexterity to start in the trajectory of...

NEW TO MUAY THAI? START WITH THESE SIMPLE COMBINATIONS

By Evan Lee

Wait? Isn’t this quantity over quality? Well, that depends on how you look at it.

Quantity is an often overlooked component of training. The focus on quality is often at the forefront of everyone’s vision. It makes sense, because by attempting to spread yourself across you will be spreading yourself thin, thus proving the inferiority of quantity. 

In what world, then, would it be sane to suggest that quantity rule over quality?

In one where mistakes can be made.

Training can often get stale when all you do is sharpen your own tools. When one is preparing for a fight, any mistake in training can be costly and throw off the entire training camp, the margins of error are thin. No room for no lollygagging up in this.

What about when you’re not training for a fight? That’s when the fun begins.

When you’re training for fun and to develop skills, that’s when you can throw everything...

THE IMPORTANCE OF TRAINING & PERFECTING BASICS

By Sean Fagan

One of the big notions of muay thai is that the training is verygrueling.

The day in and day out of running, sparring, bag work, pads, skipping, not to mention all the sit ups, pull ups, and pushups is the norm.

As a community, Nak Muay Nation has developed the reputation of hard training makes you a great fighter. And for the most part, that is 100% true.

Without a doubt, you have to put in the work to reach a level of skill worthy of fighting in the ring.  But fitness and cardio will only take you so far. You will reach a point where your opponent is just as “diesel”  as you are… or even more. It is at this apex that you will always lose to a more skilled opponent. It wasn’t because you weren’t in great shape, it was you not having the skills to keep up.

Take for example Saenchai. Why is it that he is able to easily defeat his falang opponents?...

How To Knock Your Opponent Out With Elbows Inside The Clinch

We’ve all got blades on our arms, some are sharper than others, but they slice and dice all the same. These blades I’m referring to are elbows.

Elbows, like knees, are made to be utilized within close range. Though you may be within the range they’re designed for, that does not always mean you’ll be able to use them properly. Positioning is key. 

What type of position will we be looking at today?

We’ll look, as one always should, at the position of maximal leverage; in this particular instance, the clinch. This is an important point to consider if you’re facing an opponent more physically able than you are. 

It would be silly to fight on an equal playing field, therefore you must be able to maneuver to positions advantageous to you and disadvantageous to him. 

The clinch will be such a position for you. Here are the tricks:

4 Deadly Elbow Techniques In The Clinch

...

Watch and Learn Saenchai’s Best Muay Thai Techniques and Tricks

Observing Saenchai’s skills in person is mentally exhausting.

His raw talent is just mind-blowing and it’s nearly impossible to figure out how he fights so perfectly. I was blessed to watch him teach a session at Phoenix MMA (Bournemouth, UK) and managed to film a lot of the techniques and drills he was demonstrating.

Saenchai has been my idol since I started Muay Thai, so it’s my absolute privilege to share his favourite techniques with you. Whilst they are mechanically quite simple, the timing and precision he performs them with is what makes them so effective:

#1. Saenchai’s Kicks

His unique flexibility allows him to bring his chamber up high with amazing speed and control. When he raises his thigh for a round kick, you have NO idea whether you’re about to get booted in the leg...

 The Muay Thai Guy's Favorite Muay Thai Combos

Throughout my Muay Thai career there has been certain Muay Thai combinations and techniques I find myself using more than others. After looking through some of my past fights I realized that there were a handful of combos that I kept using successfully…

Some of them are basic combos and a couple of them are more advanced techniques, but either way these are the best Muay Thai combos that I tend to using during sparring and fights. Check out the video below to see the combinations and my go-to moves being used in my past fights!

My 5 Best Muay Thai Combinations

1. Jab – Overhand
2. Jab – Overhand (Miss) – Left Kick
3. Hook – Low Kick
4. Teep – Fake Teep – Step Knee
5. Switch Kick – Switch Hook

Now you’ve got some of my favorite combos down, why not add even more to your arsenal of attacks?

Basics win fights! Practice and perfect these 10 basic Muay Thai combos and start using them...

Basic, Intermediate and Advanced Muay Thai Elbow Strikes and Technique Videos

There isn’t a much cooler feeling than landing a clean elbow strike in a fight, but on the other hand, being hit or cut with an elbow is not cool at all.

Knowing a variety of Muay Thai elbow techniques is a crucial component of the clinch game, and neglecting to learn certain elbow techniques can leave you at a disadvantage in the clinch.

There are also elbow strikes you can use from the outside like the spinning back elbow, which is SICK if you land it!

Even if you don’t fight with elbows (in a modified rules bout or a kickboxing fight), it’s good to still practice them and know them for when you are allowed to throw them. Below I’ve come up with a bunch of the best muay thai elbow strikes and technique videos to check out. Give them a look and start to implement them into your training!

4 Basic Muay Thai Elbow Techniques

In this technique video Sean Hinds and a former...

Why You Shadowboxing is an Absolute MUST!

If you half ass or skip shadow boxing you probably don’t understand how much it negatively effects your Muay Thai technique (and overall work ethic).

Most people think it is boring and only a warm up to the actual Muay Thai training session… but it’s not.

Shadow boxing the best place to take your Muay Thai technique to the next level. If you take the time to flow with your techniques, be creative with your combinations and feel how your muscles, joints and limbs move, you will become more self-aware which is key to being your own teacher.

Top 5 Shadowboxing Tips For Muay Thai

How to get the most out of your shadowboxing 

1) Set time aside to focus and just shadow box.

If you just go through the motions and do a round or two of shadow boxing without putting your mind into it, you’re missing the point. Having intention and focus behind everything you do will dramatically improve your learning curve...

Watch Top Quality Muay Thai Technique Videos From Some Of The Best Fighters & Instructors 

Awesome Muay Thai training videos to use at the gym, learn at home, and share with your training partners!

If you’re like me, you are probably constantly searching for the best Muay Thai training videos to implement into your training routines. The problem isn’t finding Muay Thai technique videos, the problem is finding GOOD Muay Thai technique videos.

That can be difficult since there are SO many Muay Thai videos out there, and most of them are repeats of the same material. Different instructor, same material. It was so unbelievably FRUSTRATING that even the beautiful and vast internet couldn’t provide me with what I wanted.

However, there were a few gems in the marketplace and, at the time, I wanted to buy all these Muay Thai instructional DVD’s, but I was a broke joke, so I wasn’t able to afford the upfront cost. Time passed and I kind...