Basic Muay Thai Pad Drill

Thai Pads are an essential training tool for any fighter. If you aren't using them, then you need to start - now.

If you're new to using thai pads and you want some good drills to get you started then you can certainly find some great examples on Youtube.

But I also want to share a video of one of the thai pad drills we use at Raja Muay Thai Academy here in Greenville, SC.

It's a great beginners drills that'll get you started on the right track.

Some Initial Pointers - 

Before we begin, I want to make sure you understand some very basic aspects of holding pads:

• In Muay Thai jargon "feeding" or "feeding thai pads" means that you are holding the pads and presenting targets for your partner to kick and punch.

• When feeding for Thai pads make sure you're holding the pads at an appropriate height level for the person hitting the pads. You don't want to hold them too high or too low. For example, when holding the pad for a punch to the head, you don't want to feed the pad at their chest level. So make sure the height of the pads is appropriate for the strike you want your partner to perform.
• As your partner kicks or punches the thai pad, you want to make sure you "hit back" a bit. That is, you don't want to just take the hits and remain relaxed. You want to give your partner something to actually hit - not some flaccid, floppy target. So, push back with a bit of force as your opponent strikes the pads. This also has the added benefit of keeping you, the pad holder, from being injured.
• When feeding thai pads for kicks, make sure you keep your elbows tucked into your body. Doing this will keep the pads and the back of your fists from hitting you in the face when your partner kicks with any power. 

The Drill - 

This drill is a very basic thai pad drill we use at the Raja Academy Muay Thai gym. It's used to teach the fighters how to combine their kicks and their punches.

We have 4 variations on what is, essentially, the same drill: 

Variation 1 - 

• Rear Leg Roundhouse Kick
• Lead Hook
• Right cross
• Lead Leg Switch Roundhouse

Variation 2 - 

• Lead Leg Switch Roundhouse
• Right Cross
• Lead Hook
• Rear Leg Roundhouse Kick

Variation 3 - 

• Rear Leg Roundhouse Kick
• Lead Hook
• Right cross
• Rear Leg Roundhouse Kick

Variation 4 - 

• Lead Leg Switch Roundhouse
• Right Cross
• Lead Hook
• Lead Leg Switch Roundhouse

To help clarify, here's a quick demo of the drills:

Try it out and let me know what you think.

Train Hard,
Josh Skinner