The Muay Thai Kick, or "Tae" is one of the most important aspects of Muay Thai fighting. While kicks are generally done slight differently in each different mart of Thailand, but this guide will explain the basic ones.
The most popular Thai Kicks are:
- Tae Pub Nai
- Tae Chiang
- Tae Kod
- Tae Pub Nok
Before I start explaining the various kicks mentioned above, I would like to recommend a book to you that explains many other Muay Thai techniques in detail. Check it out by clicking on the image below:
Tae Pub Nai
This is a popular muay thai kick because it causes your opponent to loose balance. Also known as the "kick to the inside of knee", this kick is performed by reducing the distance to your opponent, and swinging the kick to the inside. This will make your opponent loose balance, giving you an opportunity to do damage.
Tae Chiang
Also known as the "roundhouse kick", or "diagonal kick", the main point of this kick is to hit the target in the ribcage. This muay thai kick is very powerful, and should be executed by hitting with the shin instead of the foot for more power.
Tae Kod
This muay thai kick, also know as "Down round kick" is a gamble. You either hit your opponent and blast him, or you miss and loose balance. This kick gets most of it's power from the fact that when you kick, your hip and body will twist in the direction of the kick, giving it tremendous power. This is also why you will loose balance if you miss your target. This kick is normally used to kick an opponent that is ducking down or is somehow in the lower positions.
Tae Pub Nok
This muay thai kick is similar to the inside knee kick we discussed before, only this time, we are looking at the outside of the knee.