# Proper Muay Thai Jab?



## TMA17 (Jan 6, 2019)

The instructor at my school tells people to turn your lead foot inward when throwing the jab, deriving power from foot to hip to arm.  Similar to the video below, but this guy doesn't move his lead foot inward.  Is that correct?

In other words, my lead leg/foot turns inward






Here is a discussion on it.

Front foot rotation during jab? : MuayThai


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## Danny T (Jan 6, 2019)

In Muay Thai I was taught and still teach not to turn the foot in on the jab. Exposes the back of the knee, the calf and the achilles tendon to a countering kick for the average nak muay. It also changes the pivot point for a following rear leg kick or knee thereby changing both the angle of the attack and range. There are those at levels where they can get away with doing things the average can not.


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## Martial D (Jan 6, 2019)

TMA17 said:


> The instructor at my school tells people to turn your lead foot inward when throwing the jab, deriving power from foot to hip to arm.  Similar to the video below, but this guy doesn't move his lead foot inward.  Is that correct?
> 
> In other words, my lead leg/foot turns inward
> 
> ...



I had to actually get up and throw a couple jabs after thinking about this a sec. For me, the toes remain pointing forward, but the heel rotates out a few degrees as the hips turn a few degrees. More of a 'pop' than a turn I guess.


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## TMA17 (Jan 6, 2019)

Thanks, yeah maybe that's what he is showing, where the heel rotates out a few degrees.  But the more I think about it, it seemed more than just a few degrees.  I personally don't like doing it that way.


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## Martial D (Jan 6, 2019)

TMA17 said:


> Thanks, yeah maybe that's what he is showing, where the heel rotates out a few degrees.  But the more I think about it, it seemed more than just a few degrees.  I personally don't like doing it that way.


Ya, do what works for you I'd say. I can't see any benefit to a large rotation of the forward leg.


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## JowGaWolf (Jan 6, 2019)

TMA17 said:


> The instructor at my school tells people to turn your lead foot inward when throwing the jab, deriving power from foot to hip to arm.  Similar to the video below, but this guy doesn't move his lead foot inward.  Is that correct?
> 
> In other words, my lead leg/foot turns inward
> 
> ...


Muay Thai punches are throw with the option to kick in mind.   So if you throw a jab and your lead foot is inward then you won't be able to follow up with a kick after your jab your opponent.  Human body mechanics say that you are most likely to tear your knee by trying to throw a round house type kick with the foot turn inward.   One technique flows into the next technique.  If you get your footing wrong, then the next technique may not be an option.

If you look at the foot in the video you can almost see that he's loading up a kick


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