Muay Thai fighters have been cross-training with boxing for decades. Golden Era legend Samart Payakaroon reached the pinnacle of the Bangkok stadiums after his adoption of boxing footwork and his use of the “L-Step” partly contributed to his moniker; “The Muhammad Ali Of Muay Thai.” Many other A-Class Thais including Sagat Petchyindee, Pornsanae Sitmonchai, and Petchboonchu FA Group have trained in boxing and went on to win professional boxing titles outside of their careers in the art of eight limbs.
Even though boxing has been a part of the Muay Thai curriculum for a long time, it is currently undergoing a renaissance. This is mostly due to the influence of ONE Championship with its use of its Global Ruleset and 4oz gloves that make punching an easier and far more devastating weapon in the ring. Many Thai Boxing gyms are now employing specialized boxing coaches and many fighters are traveling to find experienced “pad men” who can teach them to make their hands faster, stronger, and less telegraphed.
If you are one such fighter, proceed with caution. While training boxing for Muay Thai has the ability to lift your game to the next level, not every aspect of the sweet science translates effectively into the art of eight limbs. Training them improperly can actually be detrimental to your development.
In the next few paragraphs, we are going to list and define some of the common mistakes that fighters make when cross-training boxing for Muay Thai. After reading, you’ll know what pitfalls to avoid when you hire a boxing coach to sharpen your hands.
The Boxing Jab
The jab is fundamental in both boxing and Muay Thai and though it shares many similarities between both sports—it’s a straight punch off of the lead hand, the different footwork between the sports makes the boxing-styled jab ineffective for Muay Thai.
A boxing jab tends to be stronger, mostly due to the boxing footwork where a fighter will step their lead leg directly at their opponent as they strike so that their fist acts like a battering ram, delivering all of their bodyweight into the strike. Doing this in Muay Thai is a great way to ensure that you get swept or that your leg gets booted out from under you.
So, if you’re training with a boxing coach, let them know that you need to step outside of your opponent’s foot as you jab to keep yourself safe and set up your roundhouse kicks.
Slips and rolls are standard defensive techniques in boxing and are extremely effective if you only need to avoid two fists as they fly toward your face. In Muay Thai, punches are usually thrown to set up kicks or to close range for knees so doing these movements will almost certainly result in you headbutting the painful parts of your opponent’s leg.
If your boxing coach tries to get you to do too much head movement, let them know that you need to keep your weight balanced evenly on both legs so that you can defend kicks.
Front Foot Position
It is common for boxers to stand with their front foot turned inwards, pointing across their body. They do this for many reasons. It makes them a smaller target as it changes the angle of their body, makes their punches stronger, and makes it easier for them to shift their weight as they need to for their particular style of fighting.
In Muay Thai, you need your front foot turned slightly out. It squares up your hips and makes you a bigger target but if you don’t do this then you’re exposing the entire lead side of your body to kicks, which you won’t be able to defend.
If your boxing coach asks why you are standing to make yourself such a big target, let them know that you need to be ready to block and catch kicks on your lead side.
Hand Position
Unlike Muay Thai, which tends to favor a single type of guard, boxers incorporate many different defensive positions ranging from Canelo’s high guard, Tyson’s “peek-a-boo” guard, or the infamous “Philly Shell.” Each style has its own strengths, weaknesses, and hand position, the latter of which is most important for Muay Thai. The different boxing guards may be designed to make parrying easier, or they may favor a boxer who uses a lot of head movement but, generally, they don’t provide cover from every one of Muay Thai’s eight weapons.
Remind your boxing coach of this if they try and change your hand position too much.
Some Advice For When You Are Selecting A Boxing Coach
Selecting a boxing coach to assist you in your Muay Thai training can be a difficult task. Not every boxing coach will be familiar with the style and nuances of our sport, which is where many of these mistakes can be made. If you have teammates who are already training with a boxing coach, then it will be a good idea to recruit them before casting a wider net. They’re likely to have already learned a few of these differences by working with them.
If you do decide to work with someone who is unfamiliar with your gym, it may be worth inviting your Thai Coach to sit in on a session to watch how you work together. They are going to have a lot of knowledge about what will work for Muay Thai and may be better at describing your training needs to them than you are yourself. That being said, if you don’t already have this depth of knowledge, it may be too soon for you to add boxing to your Muay Thai training.
Boxing only makes up a small part of the Muay Thai game plan. Unless you are an experienced professional, or you have an upcoming fight on ONE or under the global ruleset, there isn’t an urgent need to master boxing right away. Your work with a boxing coach should supplement your training and will only benefit you once you have mastered the fundamental skills and weapons of the art of eight limbs.
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