# Knees!???!



## tko4u (Sep 3, 2008)

Okay, I practice taekwondo, and we of course have knees, we just dont regularly practice them. Now, on to my question, muay thai guys have DEVASTATING knees and elbows, where do you get the power. I had my class doing knees the other day, and there didnt seem to be a lot of power. How do you train to get the max power?


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## girlbug2 (Sep 4, 2008)

I am eagerly awaiting the response to this, because I too would like to know how to put more power into knees. Is it a hip thing?


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## jarrod (Sep 4, 2008)

1) drive your hip into it 2) get up on the ball of your foot on your supporting leg.  also, MOST knees are delivered from the clinch, so a lot of the power comes from pulling your opponent down into the force of your knee as well.  

angle also has a lot to do with it.  meaning if your opponent is bent over in the clinch your knee travels upward.  if you throw from the same angle when your opponent is upright, then your knee will slide up the target.  try & throw your knee perpendicular to the target, & try & get the target to bend down.

hope this helps,

jf


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## Jay@NajaMuayThai (Sep 4, 2008)

jarrod said:


> 1) drive your hip into it 2) get up on the ball of your foot on your supporting leg. also, MOST knees are delivered from the clinch, so a lot of the power comes from pulling your opponent down into the force of your knee as well.
> 
> angle also has a lot to do with it. meaning if your opponent is bent over in the clinch your knee travels upward. if you throw from the same angle when your opponent is upright, then your knee will slide up the target. try & throw your knee perpendicular to the target, & try & get the target to bend down.
> 
> ...


 
In addition to what to jf said...Form is important too, if you are not throwing the knee from the clinch, then make sure you lean back and push you hips forward similar to stabbing motion and also push your heel toward your butt this along with the hip motion will deliver the max power...


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## tko4u (Sep 5, 2008)

Jay@NajaMuayThai said:


> In addition to what to jf said...Form is important too, if you are not throwing the knee from the clinch, then make sure you lean back and push you hips forward similar to stabbing motion and also push your heel toward your butt this along with the hip motion will deliver the max power...


 
I take it you are talking about knees to the stomach/ribs area? Do you still bring your heel to butt if you are kneeing to head?


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## Jay@NajaMuayThai (Sep 6, 2008)

tko4u said:


> I take it you are talking about knees to the stomach/ribs area? Do you still bring your heel to butt if you are kneeing to head?



Any time you throw a knee, you want to press your heel toward your butt, this will make for an effective strike...


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## Kwanjang (Sep 6, 2008)

Great weapon!.....:btg:


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## tko4u (Sep 6, 2008)

Kwanjang said:


> Great weapon!.....:btg:


 
most impressive instructor! I want that smiley!


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## Jimi (Sep 6, 2008)

A good way to help deliver power behind a knee strike is to have your students stand in front of a heavy bag, kicking shield or thai pads what have you, with a raised knee at least belly button height about 4 inches or so away from the target. Then have them use their hips to reach the target, not striking at first, but touching it so they will learn to push the hips forward, not lean back. his is a common misconception that you must lean back. When a knee is thrown correctly it will look like you are leaning back but in fact the hips have moved out from under the torso or shoulders. Be sure not to let them over extend the knee strike. When they have a good feel for the hip action then let them "let'er rip" There are variations of knee strikes as well, this description is for a typical forward knee. There are rising knees that curve up on the knee swing arc, angle in knees tht curve up and out almost on a 45 degree angle. curve knees that swing in (foot under the kee) like an out to in cresent kick hitting with the inside of the knee, round knee (like a round kick chamber) that swings horizontal with the foot level with the knee. Be sure to tell your students never hit with the knee cap itself. Each knee variation has a different impact point.  The way I learned knees is that they all can be thrown FREE without a frame, plum or clinch & FRAMED within a plum or clinch.Framed is most common because you can sissor of sandwich the strking energy.The straight knee is a common strike for TBA & other Muay Thai assoc's. I hope this helps some. Have fun.


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## Andy Moynihan (Sep 6, 2008)

I am of the considered opinion that it is, in fact, a wonderful idea to have knees no matter what art you study.


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## jarrod (Sep 7, 2008)

Andy Moynihan said:


> I am of the considered opinion that it is, in fact, a wonderful idea to have knees no matter what art you study.


 
hm.  i am interested in your ideas sir, & would like to subscribe to your newsletter.

jf


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## Skpotamus (Sep 7, 2008)

http://www.shaolin.ee/pdf/TOC.pdf 
http://www.shaolin.ee/pdf/Ch1.pdf 
http://www.shaolin.ee/pdf/Ch2.pdf 
http://www.shaolin.ee/pdf/Ch3.pdf 
http://www.shaolin.ee/pdf/Ch4.pdf 
http://www.shaolin.ee/pdf/Ch5.pdf 
http://www.shaolin.ee/pdf/Ch6.pdf 
http://www.shaolin.ee/pdf/Ch7.pdf 

A free to download ebook on muay thai by a trainer.  Pretty good read, it should help you a little bit with some details as they have pretty good pictures.  

You really just need to get your hips into the knees as others have already said.  Your straight knee should penetrate through your target in a straight line.  Think of going into the belly button and out through the spine.  
Curve knees enter the ribs on one side and exit the other, round knees do the same.


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## Odin (Sep 10, 2008)

Jay@NajaMuayThai said:


> Any time you throw a knee, you want to press your heel toward your butt, this will make for an effective strike...


 
Your heel needs to be towards you butt to stop you leg being hooked aswel.


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## Odin (Sep 10, 2008)

I would say though if you want to learn muay thai knee strikes the best place would be a muay thai class.Go down to your local class and ask them.


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## Damian Mavis (Oct 14, 2008)

As a Tae Kwon Do instructor that lives in Thailand and trains / has fought muay thai I agree, just join a muay thai school.  In fact join whatever you can get your hands on, if you are like me you love martial arts, expand your knowledge and skills every chance you can get.  Also Koyukushin Karate has excellent knee strikes without a clinch.

I'm surprised you are having trouble generating power, it is very similar to kicking, put your hip into it, drive into the target while thrusting your hip forward.


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