• Contact
  • Privacy
Muay Thai Analyst
  • Home
  • Fight Analysis
  • Technique And Training
  • About
  • Resources

Cross Arm Guard

Pakorn vs Pornsanae (Part 2) – Fists of Fury, Jaws of Steel

This second part of a two part series on the epic fight between Pakorn and Pornsanae on March 5, 2010 at Lumpinee Stadium.  Please see here for part 1 on Pakorn’ s systematic dominance of Pornsanae in the early rounds.

The Calm before the Storm

During the first three rounds, Pakorn nullified Pornsanae’s offense with steady forward pressure.  He intelligently defended Pornsanae’s punches with the modified cross arm guard and countered with hard and well timed knees.  He could have cruised his way to a clear decision victory with more of the same.  However, Pakorn choose to bite down on his mouth piece and trade leather with an ever dangerous Pornsanae in the fourth round.

The reason for his change in tactics is not apparent.  It’s possible he wanted to make it a more exciting fight or prove a point by beating Pornsanae at his own game.  He could have been caught up in the moment and his instinct to brawl could have taken over his better judgement.

Whatever the reason, it resulted in one of the most exciting rounds in all of combat sports – the climax in this symphony of violence.  I recommend watching round 4 in its entirety to fully appreciate the intensity and ferocity of the battle.

While this may seem like a wild brawl at first blush, well trained fighters don’t lose all technique and tactics amidst the chaos.  Within the maelstrom of punches, there are discernible patterns which explain why Pakorn gets the better of Pornsanae in some exchanges and vice versa.

A Quick Descent into Madness

The fourth round begins with Pakorn pressing forward.  Pornsanae catches him with a right uppercut snapping his head back.  The consummate finisher, Pornsanae turns up the intensity of his onslaught after sensing he’s hurt Pakorn.  Failing to initiate the clinch, Pakorn raises the modified cross arm guard to weather the storm.

Pakorn vs Pornsanae Rd 4 Pornsanae lands right uppercut, furious combo to try to finish and Pakorn weathers the storm with cross arm long guard

Fists of Fury – Overhand vs Cross

Pakorn begins to strike back and lands successive overland rights while Pornsanae simultaneously attacks with right crosses.  Pornsanae’s punches miss their mark but Pakorn catches him flush a number of times and snaps his head backwards.

Pakorn vs Pornsanae Rd 4 0803 Pakorn and Pornsanae trading right hand after right hand

The reason why Pakorn scores while escaping unscathed is the overhand right technique incorporates a inside slip.  Pakorn’s head moves down and to the left, off the center line and away from the trajectory of Pornsanae’s cross.  As Jack Slack attests, “the brilliance of the overhand is that it is a hybrid technique… the overhand is an evasion and a power punch.”

Pakorn Errs – Stuck on Repeat

There are several moments in round 4 where Pornsanae is able to get the better of the action.  They come when Pakorn repeatedly attacks with the same technique, without setting it up or breaking up his rhythm.  The old adage of “don’t fix it if it ain’t broke” doesn’t apply here.  Unless you can get a quick finish, even a less skilled opponent will eventually come up with good counter attack given enough time.

Repeated Overhands

As we saw earlier, Pakorn had great success throwing the overhead right against Pornsanae’s cross.  However, he quickly becomes a victim of his own success.  Not only has he become utterly predictable, he also begins draws his right hand to the side to load up subsequent overhands.   While this gives him a little more rotational force, it also exposes the right side of his chin.

Pakorn vs Pornsanae Rd 4 0812 Pakorn continues throwing overhand rights, Pornsanae beings to catch Pakorn with left hooks

After a dozen or so exchanges, Pornsanae catches him a left uppercut as Pakorn loads up for another overhand.  The uppercut snaps his head back and the overhand lands short.

Repeated Hooks

Shortly thereafter, Pakorn scores four successive left hooks on Pornsanae.  In the heat of battle, Pakorn begins to drop his right hand and keeps it at chest level, exposing his chin.

Pakorn vs Pornsanae Rd 4 0823 Pakorn 4 left hooks, too predictable and gets caught with left hook

Pornsanae absorbs Pakorn’s punches and explodes up with a hard counter left hook.  The hook lands flush on Pakorn’s chin, knocking him back and causing his punch to miss wide.  Once again in the heat of battle, Pakorn begins to neglect basic defense, becomes far too predictable and gets lambasted with a hard shot.

Repeated Body Kicks

Pornsanae backs him against the ropes, overcommits and misses with a couple wild punches.  Pakorn catches him with three solid body kicks.  The kicks hurt and stagger Pornsanae but he presses forward nonetheless.

Pakorn vs Pornsanae Rd 4 0935 Pakorn three body kicks but gets caught with right hook

Once in punching range, he catches Pakorn with a hard right hook.  His knees wobble and he falls back against the ropes.  When a hardened brawler like Pornsanae advances, it is rarely a good idea to prioritize offense without a plan of escape.

Pakorn’s Succeeds – Controlling Range

After a furious first minute, the pace slows a little and Pakorn begins to employ more disciplined and methodical tactics.  He is gets the better of Pornsanae when he controls range by attacking and fading, hitting and running, framing and using long range attacks.

Attack and Fade

Pakorn dominates boxing range when he makes a point to avoid Pornsanae’s attacks with head movement.  Leaning his head back without moving his feet back allows him to stay in range to deliver quick punishing counters.

Pakorn vs Pornsanae Rd 4 0819 Pakorn lands left hook on Pornsanae walking in, fades from counter left hook, lands right cross, fades from uppercut, lands right cross

In this sequence, Pakorn lands a left hook and fades back from Pornsanae’s counter left hook.  He then throws a right hook, leans back to avoid Pornsanae’s uppercut and counters with a hard right cross to the chin.  By attacking and fading, Pakorn is able to land three successive punches while avoiding all of his opponent’s counters.

Hit and Run

Pakorn is also quite successful when he decides to move in and out of range.  As Pornsanae stalks him against the ropes, he leaps forward with a flying knee.  He pulls down on Pornsanae’s head for leverage and to keep him from backing away.  To prevent immediate counterattack, he maintains a loose clinch grip as he lands.

Pakorn vs Pornsanae Rd 4 0902 Pakorn jumping right knee, right uppercut elbow, fades from right uppercut

After disengaging, Pakorn springs forward with a hard uppercut elbow which finds its way past Pornsanae’s long guard.  He smartly backs out of range to avoid Pornsanae’s retaliatory uppercut.  Hit and run guerilla tactics can be used effectively against a flat-footed power punching tank like Pornsanae.

Frame and Attack

In the latter part of round 4, Pakorn extends his lead hand to create a frame against Pornsanae’s head and shoulders.  The frame allows him to measure distance, clear a path to the target and keep his opponent at bay.

This exchange begins with both combatants framing.  Pornsanae “beats him to the punch” in the first instance and Pakorn’s cross misses low.  Pakorn frames again, catches Pornsanae with a right hook to the temple and fades back from the counter left hook.  The frame sets up the right hook while preventing his opponent from penetrating deeper with his counter.  Even though Pornsanae overcommits on the left hook, Pakorn easily slides out of range.  Pakorn frames again and scores a crisp right cross, forcing Pornsanae to skip backwards.

Pakorn vs Pornsanae Rd 4 0842 Pakorn uses long frame to maintain distance and land cross right hook

In this exchange, Pakorn also frames but his arm is not fully extended.  The frame helps him keep Pornsanae in place to land a cross and a right uppercut.  However, the bent lead arm does not create enough distance to stop Pornsanae from landing a counter left hook.

Pakorn vs Pornsanae Rd 4 0834 Pakorn Frams on Pornsanae shoulder to create distance and land right straight, right uppercut

Here, Pakorn frames with both arms and shoves Pornsanae away.  He steps forward and pulls his opponent into a hard right knee.  In this instance, the frame creates distance and puts his opponent on the backfoot, making it safer for him to come forward with a long knee.

Pakorn vs Pornsanae Rd 4 0956 Pakorn Shoves Pornsanae away, then steps forward with right knee

Long Range Attacks

As discussed in part 1, Pornsanae is most effective from boxing range but Pakorn has well-honed weapons at all ranges of combat.  When Pornsanae reengages from the outside, the cost of entry is a hard head kick.

Here, Pornsanae ambles forward with hands low and absorbs a left head kick on the jaw.  The kick knocks him to the side, scoring well.  Pakorn follows up with a series of jabs to keep him on the outside.

Pakorn vs Pornsanae Rd 4 0915 Pakorn lands left head kick as Pornsanae moves forward, Jabs to keep him at distance afterwards

Pornsanae learns from his earlier mistake.  This time, he keeps his right hand by his chin, casually shrugs off the head kick and attacks with a right hook.

Pakorn vs Pornsanae Rd 4 0945 Pakorn Catches Pornsanae with another switch head kick as he moves forward

After a couple minutes of unabating fury, both fighters are dazed, exhausted and holding their hands low. Pornsanae casually shuffles to the left and Pakorn catches him with a beautifully placed right head kick.

Pakorn vs Pornsanae Rd 4 1031 Pornsanae walks forward hands down into Pakorn's head kick

It looks like Pornsanae is able raise his hand at the last possible moment to protect his chin.  However, the kick still knocks him to his side and scores well for Pakorn.

Jaws of Steel

It is a wonder that both men are still standing after this round.  Although Pakorn landed a higher volume of strikes, he still absorbed some devastating punches from an ever dangerous Pornsanae.  He has a gritty look of triumph and thumps his chest, but is so disoriented he walks to the wrong corner.

Pornsanae has a look of pure elation as he skips away.  Win or lose, he is a warrior who thrives on chaos and is invigorated by mayhem.

Pakorn vs Pornsanae Rd 4 1043 End of Rd 4

Both men showed incredible toughness, courage and will to win.  It is easy to see why this was selected as the fight of the year.

A Return to Sanity – Out Fighting

With a solid lead on points and having proved that he can stand and trade with one of muay thai’s most dangerous beserkers, Pakorn adopts a more conservative strategy in the final round.  He keeps Pornsanae on the outside with inside trips, evasive footwork and leaping rear teeps.

Inside Trips

A power puncher like Pornsanae keeps most of his weight forward to increase weight transfer in his punches.  This means carrying most of his weight on his lead leg when he advances and attacks.  If Pakorn is able to disturb this supporting column, he can send Pornsanae falling forward.

The target for the inside foot sweep is the inside of the opponent’s ankle.  Generally, the lower the point of contact, the more your opponent’s foot will move and the harder he will fall.  Dorsi-flexing the foot of the kicking leg (pointing toes upwards) also gives it the shape of a hook. This usually helps you to better catch on opponent’s ankle and results in a more disruptive sweep.

Here, Pakorn attacks with the sweep after Pornsanae jabs.  Although the foot catches him slightly below the knee, he is still able to knock the foot to the side and off balance his opponent.

Pakorn vs Pornsanae Rd 2 0208 Pakorn Inside Leg Kick to Knee Stumbles Pornsanae

Here, Pakorn hand fights with Pornsanae to distract his attention and delivers a beautiful inside foot sweep to the ankle.  It sends Pornsanae stumbling forward and he needs to take a couple steps to recover his balance.  Pakorn exploits this opportunity with a quick switch kick to the body.

Pakorn vs Pornsanae Rd 5 1206 Pakorn inside foot trip, left body kick

Pornsanae is more tentative later in the round and puts less weight on his lead foot.  Although Pakorn makes good contact with the ankle, with more even weight distribution, Pornsanae regains his balance faster after this sweep.  Pakorn follows up with a couple crisp jabs while he circles away from the corner.

Pakorn vs Pornsanae Rd 5 1230 Pakorn inside foot trip, jab jab to keep Pornsanae at bay

Evasive Maneuvers and Footwork

Pakorn also uses footwork to avoid Pornsanae’s advance in the final round.  Pakorn parries Pornsanae’s right cross and circles to his left while pushing him away.  Note that Pakorn circles out after immobilizing Pornsanae’s right hand to avoid moving into a power punch.

Pakorn vs Pornsanae Rd 5 1326 Pakorn circles left and shoves Pornsanae away

Pornsanae has Pakorn on the ropes again.  Rather than wait on Pornsanae’s attack, he peppers his opponent with a series of pawing jabs.  This forces Pornsanae to raise his guard which prevents him from attacking as Pakorn circles left.

Pakorn vs Pornsanae Rd 5 1342 Pakorn Pawing Jabs while circling left

Leaping Rear Teeps

A leaping rear teep is one of the most effective techniques for pushing back an aggressive opponent.  Timed well, you can even knock your opponent to the mat.  As with most leaping attacks, a miss can leave your flank exposed.  Set up and timing is key.

Pakorn likes to set this up by skipping forward and backwards.  This performs the dual function of inviting Pornsanae to advance when he hops back while loading his legs to explode forward into the teep.

Here, Pornsanae backs away slightly after he skips forward.  To bait him, Pakorn relaxes his posture, drops his hands and backs up against the ropes, inviting him forward.  He then takes a quick step back with his right foot, pushes off explosively and launches it forward to Pornsanae’s midsection, sending him back.

Pakorn vs Pornsanae Rd 5 1333 Pakorn Plays with range skipping back and forth, leaps forward into rear teep

At the end of the round, Pakorn casually skips back and forward in the corner with his hands low while Pornsanae saunters forward.  He loads his legs as he skips back into a low lunge and launches his body forward spearing his right foot into Pornsanae stomach.  He catches Pornsanae unaware and sends his opponent tumbling backwards to the canvas, an ignominious end to the final round for Pornsanae.

Pakorn vs Pornsanae Rd 5 1422 Pakorn's leaping rear teep knocks Pornsanae down

Parting Shots and Random Thoughts

Although there was a clear disparity in skills of the combatants, there was no difference in heart.  Pakorn and Pornsanae shared a most incredible round on the hallowed ground of old Lumpinee Stadium.  Their bravery and courage allow us to share in their journey to the edge of madness; their fighting spirit and jaws of steel allowed them to endure.

After a difficult 2014, Pornsanae recently retired from fighting at the age of 34 to work as a trainer at the prestigious Evolve MMA gym in Singapore, employer of many former Muay Thai champions.  His last fight was on February 14, 2015 where he defended his Omnoi Stadium Superfeatherweight Belt with a KO victory.  A fitting end to a storied career of a most beloved fighter.

Full Fight Video

Video credit to Banana821


Did you enjoy reading this post?


Subscribe today and get exclusive content and immediate updates!



  • March 24, 2015
  • Fight Analysis
  • More

Pakorn vs Pornsanae (Part 1) – Intercepting the “Killer Fist”

Pakorn PK Saenchai Muay Thai Gym is one of the best muay thai fighters today and is still in his fighting prime.   He won the Rajadamnern Super-Flyweight Championship at 18 years old.   Pakorn was voted best fighter of the Year 2013 by the Sports Authority of Thailand after shortly after wining the Thailand Lightweight title from Kongsak Sitboonmee on Dec 3, 2013.  He became the Lumpinee Lightweight champion after defeating Singdam on Feb 28th 2014.

Pakorn

Pakorn PK Saenchai  (ปกรณ์ พีเคแสนชัยมวยไทยยิม)

Pakorn is now managed by Yokkao and has began to fight outside of Thailand.  He won the 65kg Yokkao Title against Greg Wootton on Oct 11, 2014 and is scheduled to fight Liam Harrison on March 21, 2015 at Yokkao 13.

Pakorn considers himself a technician and often wins intelligently fought decisions with his superior skill set.  However, he is clearly not afraid to brawl with aggressive fighters like Seksan Or Kwanmuang and the “Killer Fist,” Pornsanae Sitmonchai.

Fight Analysis

Pakorn’s fight with Pornsanae on March 5, 2010 was awarded Lumpinee Fight of the Year for 2010.  The fight begins at a measured pace (by Pornsanae standards) but crescendos into a symphony of violence and wild pugilistic abandon in the fourth round. It is easily one of the most exciting rounds in all of combat sports.

This article the first of a two part series.  In part 1, I will cover Pakorn’s tactics for neutralizing Pornsanae’s dangerous boxing and low kicks in the early rounds and his varied counter attacks.  In part 2, I will breakdown Pakorn’s tactics for surviving and prevailing in one of the most intensely fought rounds in muay thai history.

Neutralizing Pornsanae’s Unimodal Offense

Pornsanae prefers to initiate attacks from boxing range.  He is most dangerous when he is able to make you back up.  Given room to maneuver, he will throw furious punch combinations often punctuated with low kicks.  Read more about Pornsanae’s aggressive fighting style in an earlier post.

Pakorn vs Pornsanae Rd 2 0140 Pornsanae Jab Jab Left Hook Leg Kick, Dangerous when given room to work

Pornsanae’s punches become much less effective when he cannot put his weight forward or doesn’t have room to fully extend his arms.  His offensive output drops dramatically when you force him to move backwards or engage him in trapping and clinch range.  This is the game plan Pakorn follows early on.  With the exception of a couple momentary lapses, Pakorn clearly controls the range and pace of the fight in the early rounds.

Pakorn keeps Pornsanae on his back foot by pressing forward using the modified cross arm guard.  When Pornsanae attacks with leg kicks, Pakorn also deploys long knees to push him back.  When Pakorn chooses to disengage, he uses leaning jabs to keep Pornsanae at bay.  During the third round Pakorn picks up the pace, smoothers Pornsanae with the clinch and punishes him with leaping knees from close range.

Pakorn’s Modified Cross Arm Guard

Pornsanae’s boxing attacks consist largely of attacks to opponent’s jawline with straight punches, hooks and uppercuts.  While it’s possible to defend these punches with a more common “peek-a-boo guard,” your vision can be partially obscured by bringing your gloves in front of your face.  Also, straight punches and uppercut elbows can split the guard if you don’t firmly hold your forearms together.  Further, you need to turn your body to block uppercuts with your elbows and this can momentarily affect your ability to counter.

Defending with the Modified Cross Arm Guard

During the fight, Pakorn often employs a modified cross arm guard to defend himself from Pornsanae’s vicious punches.  Pakorn wraps his rear arm around his jaw line with his chin tucked in the crook of his elbow.  This right glove protects the left side of his chin and temple.  His right shoulder protects the right side of his chin.  His lead arm is fully extended, similar to a long guard.  He uses his left hand to frame, maintain and measure distance and push Pornsanae away.

Pakorn vs Pornsanae Rd 1 034 Pakorn Cross Arm Long Guard Defends PunchesThe modified cross arm guard can be use effectively to defend against a variety of head strikes including head kicks.

Pakorn vs Pornsanae Rd 3 0638 Pakorn defends punches and head kicks with cross arm guard when moving forward

Closing the Distance with the Modified Cross Arm Guard

With the modified cross arm guard, Pakorn can push forward while keeping his chin in relative safety.  He walks forward to deny Pornsanae the space he needs to attack.  Pornsanae’s punches are absorbed on Pakorn’s right forearm and elbow.

Pakorn vs Pornsanae Rd 1 102 Pakorn backs up Pornsanae with Cross Arm Long Guard

It is important to maintain close contact between the rear arm and the chin, otherwise your opponent’s punches can make you hit yourself in the face.

Attacks from the Modified Cross Arm Guard

A common indicator of a horizontal elbow strike is a sudden bend in your opponent’s arm.  With the modified cross arm guard, the rear arm always bent and chambered for an elbow.  Pakorn can quickly launch a rear elbow strike without this tell by simply stepping forward and twisting his body.

Pakorn vs Pornsanae Rd 4 0801 Pakorn defends with cross arm long guard and throws right elbow from position

Although Pakorn does not successfully land the elbow in this instance, you can see how naturally rear elbow flows from the modified cross arm guard.

Weaknesses of the Modified Cross Arm Guard

There are trade-offs with every guard choice.  The modified cross arm guard leaves your temple exposed on your rear hand side.  Here, Pornsanae throws a short left hook to Pakorn’s right temple.  It catches him cleanly and knocks his head to the side.  Pakorn’s right temple would also be vulnerable to overhand lefts or a well placed left head kick.

Pakorn vs Pornsanae Rd 2 0301 Pornsanae's left hook to temple gets over Pakorn's cross arm guard

The body is also fairly exposed with the modified cross arm guard.  When Pornsanae attacks with left hooks to the body, Pakorn opts to defend with the pee-ka-boo guard and brings his right elbow down to catch Pornsanae’s glove.

Pakorn vs Pornsanae Rd 2 0212 Pakorn Blocks Left Body Hook from Pornsanae with elbow in Peekaboo Guard

Same Same but Different

There are a number of guards which have elements in common with the modified cross guard.

Long Guard

As mentioned above, the long guard also features an extended lead arm.  However, the rear hand is kept by the chin.  This provides better protection against hooks to the body and temple but leaves the defender more open to straight punches and uppercuts.  With the long guard, you can also frame and push your opponent back with your lead arm.

Crab Guard / Cross Armed Guard  / “The Lock”

With the crab guard, you also keep your rear arm wrapped around your chin.  However, your lead arm covers your mid section to protect against strikes to the body.  Boxing analyst Connor Ruebusch explains that this guard was more popular in the days of bare knuckle boxing during which the liver, spleen and solar plexus were especially common targets.  Premiere MMA analyst Jack Slack pieced together some nice footage of Archie Moore putting the crab guard into practice in this short video.

Credit: Bloody Elbow

While the crab guard has some defense advantages for body punches, you forfeit the ability to frame and range find with the lead arm.  The crab guard is also probably less viable in Muay Thai than boxing.  Even if you cover your mid-section with your lead arm, a muay thai fighter would happily knee or or push kick you in that arm or round kick you in the ribs.

High Cross-Armed Guard

Another variation of the cross armed guard is to hold both forearms on top of each other in front of your chin, square to your opponent.  While this provides pretty solid protection for your jawline on both sides, there is often a little space under your chin which leaves you open to well placed uppercuts.  With both arms up high, you are vulnerable to body shots.  As with the crab guard, you are exposed to strikes to the temple and do not have the ability to frame and push with the lead hand.

Countering Low Kicks with Step-in Left Knees

Another one of Pornsanae’s favorite tools is his vicious right low kick.  After attacking with the leg kick, Pornsanae’s balance is momentarily compromised, making him vulnerable to counterattack.

In the early rounds, Pakorn raises his left knee shield to block the low kick, steps forward with his right foot and delivers a straight left knee into Pornsanae’s mid-section.  The step allows him to build forward momentum for additional power.  It also allows him to penetrate more deeply making it more difficult for Pornsanae to fade back and evade.

Pakorn vs Pornsanae Rd 2 0228 Pakorn defends Punch Kick Combo, Scores left knee before Pornsanae lands right hook

Weight Distribution – Pornsanae Heavy Lead Leg

One reason why Pakorn is so successful with the step-in left knee is because it is difficult to block and / or avoid the left knee after throwing a right leg kick.  An effective defense against straight left knees is to raise your left knee shield and parry inside of opponent’s left thigh to your right with your left knee.  However, after throwing the right low kick, Pornsanae has the majority of his weight on his left leg.  This makes it particularly difficult for him to raise his left leg to parry the knee.  A heavy lead leg also makes it more difficult for Pornsanae to back away to avoid the knee.

Weight Distribution – Pakorn Light Lead Leg

The left knee is a natural counterstrike against an opponent who likes to attack with the right low kick.  Pakorn needs to be light on his lead foot to both raise his left knee shield and deliver a left knee.  Keeping the majority of his weight on his rear foot, Pakorn can easily defend low kicks and attack with the step in left knee.

Pakorn vs Pornsanae Rd 2 0245 Pornsanae right low kick blocked, Pakorn counters with left knee, blocks counter right leg kick

Here, Pakorn defends a right low kick, delivers a step in left knee, and quickly raises his left leg to defend Pornsanae’s quick counter leg kick as well.

Creating Distance with Knee Strikes

Step-in knees also provide the defensive benefit of putting punchers out of range for counter strikes.  Here, Pakorn endures a barrage of punches with cross arm guard and blocks Porsanae’s low kick.  He steps forward and scores a left knee.  Pornsanae attempts to throw a quick counter right but it falls short because Pakorn knocked him backwards with the knee.

Pakorn vs Pornsanae Rd 2 0306 Defends punch flurry with cross arm guard and counters with left knee

Pakorn’s Leaning Jab

When throwing a jab, many fighters will step forward with the lead foot to penetrate deeper and move their weight forward.  However, it is also possible to throw a fairly stiff jab while keeping the lead foot in place.  Pakorn employs a leaning jab several times during the fight to keep Pornsanae on the end of his range.

Pakorn vs Pornsanae Rd 1 0127 Pakorn Leaning Jab Through Guard

Step-in Jabs

Conventional wisdom dictates that (i) you should keep your bodyweight over your feet to maintain balance and (ii) you should keep your lead knee bent to allow you to quickly step back after delivering a strike.  While this is true of step-in jabs and crosses, the mechanics of a leaning jab are in sharp contradiction.

Pakorn vs Pornsanae Rd 2 0215 Pakorn Cross Arm Guard to two leaning Jabs

Mechanics of the Leaning Jab

For penetration, Pakorn fully extends his left arm and rotates his left shoulder outwards to maximize the range of his jab.  To transfer weight, Pakorn leans forward extending his bodyweight over his lead leg.  He maintains his balance by kicking back his rear leg ever so slightly, using it as a counterweight.  Pakorn also straightens his lead leg in the process.  His left leg functions as a balance point between his extended left arm and rear leg and keeping it straight also helps increase his range.

Pakorn vs Pornsanae Rd 2 0252 Leaning Jab, Jab fake to right cross

Similarities with the Superman Punch

The mechanics of the leaning jab actually have some faint similarities to a superman punch.  With the superman, you also bend your upper body forward until your torso is almost horizontal.  This gives you greater range and weight transfer and you keep your balance by abruptly kicking your rear leg backwards.  The leaning jab is in a sense a scaled down version of the superman punch.

Advantages of the Leaning Jab

One advantage of the leaning jab is that it allows the attacker to extend their range beyond that of a step-in jab.  When facing opponent with similar height / reach, you will be able to touch them with a leaning jab but they will be unable to hit you without stepping forward.  This is especially useful when fighting an aggressive combination puncher like Pornsanae.

A leaning jab is often more difficult to read as well.  Many fighters cue off the forward step with the lead foot to spot and time a conventional jab.  Without the step, a leaning jab could be mistaken for a feint or frame before it makes contact.

Even if you opponent sees the leaning jab coming, they rarely expect such jabs to have much power.  They may raise a fairly loose guard to so not to obstruct their vision.  A crisp leaning jab could just slip through.

You can also try mixing step in jabs and leaning jabs to muddle your opponent’s sense of distance.  Not having a good read on range can frustrate and slow down an opponent.

Pakorn’s Smothering Pressure

Pakorn demonstrates dominance in all ranges of combat in this fight his Pornsanae.  He decides to contest the third round at close range, a wise choice given that Pornsanae is significantly less effective when infighting.

Pakorn vs Pornsanae Rd 3 0448 Pakorn backs Pornsanae against ropes and initiates clinch

Pakorn walks forward and initiates the clinch during the first half of the round.  Pakorn uses the modified cross arm guard and hand fighting to make it through the gauntlet of Pornsanae’s punches.  Once in close, Pakorn pushes Pornsanae against the ropes, secures underhooks and proceeds to attack with knees.

Pakorn vs Pornsanae Rd 3 0521 Pakorn slips uppercut right elbow from Pornsanae, forces him against ropes for clinch

Even when Pornsanae is able to shake off Pakorn’s grips, his smothering pressure neutralizes Pornsanae’s boxing.

Setting up Leaping Right Knees

Jumping attacks involve a high level of commitment.   You can’t really change the momentum of your body mid-flight.  If you try a jumping attack in the middle of ring, your opponent can face back to evade or sidestep and attack your exposed flank.  And so, they are best delivered when your opponent is backed into a corner.

In the latter part of the third round, Pakorn keeps the pressure on Pornsanae by walking and leaning forward without clinching.  He backs Pornsanae against the ropes and waits for him to throw a combination of punches. When Pornsanae attacks, Pakorn either blocks or fades and then counters with leaping right knees.

Pakorn vs Pornsanae Rd 3 0619 Pornsanae misses with left hook, Pakorn counters with jumping right knee

Weight Distribution – Pakorn Heavy Lead Leg

You may recall Pakorn countered Pornsanae’s leg kicks with the step-in left knees in the earlier rounds.  A reason for this change in tactics is Pakorn’s relative weight distribution.  In the earlier rounds, Pakorn was concerned with Pornsanae’s leg kicks and stayed light on his lead foot and heavy on his back foot to defend.  In round 3, Pakorn leans and presses forward most of the time, shifting more of his weight on his lead left foot.  With less weight on his right foot, attacks with the rear leg become more viable.

Furthermore, with Pakorn pushing him around the ring, Pornsanae doesn’t have much space to set up and deliver his leg kicks.  In fact, the more Pakorn pressures forward, the less concerned he needs to be with leg kicks.

Pakorn vs Pornsanae Rd 3 0716 Hand fighting, Pakorn blocks punches and scores right knee

Follow On Attacks

After successfully scoring a few leaping right knees, Pakorn employs some even more aggressive tactics.  Instead of waiting for Pornsanae’s punches, Pakorn hand fights and pushes Pornsanae’s hands up to expose his mid section.  Pakorn attacks with a right knee followed by a wicked head which snaps Pornsanae’s head to the side.

Pakorn vs Pornsanae Rd 3 0703 Pakorn backs Pornsanae against ropes, hand fights and frames to raise Pornsanae's arms exposing his mid section, throws right knee, then head kick

Parting Shots and Random Thoughts

In the first three rounds, Pakorn fought a very intelligent fight using his technical versatility to dominate a comparatively one-dimensional Pornsanae.  Pakorn used a guard tailor-made for Pornsanae’s aggressive combination punching style and kept him at bay with leaning jabs.  He defended Pornsanae’s low kicks and countered with step-in left knees.  He closed the distance at will in the third round, tied up and tired Pornsanae in the clinch, and punished him with leaping right knees.

Pakorn could have easily smothered and kneed Pornsanae to a clear decision victory in the later rounds.  It’s not apparent why he decided to open up and swing with reckless abandon with a dangerous puncher later in the fight.  However, it makes for one of the most epic and captivating rounds in the history of combat sports.

Please read on in Part 2.

Full Fight Video

Video credit to Banana821


Did you enjoy reading this post?


Subscribe today and get exclusive content and immediate updates!



  • March 7, 2015
  • Fight Analysis
  • More
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Pinterest

Subscribe to our Newsletter


We promise to never send spam or share your email with 3rd parties.

Recent Posts

  • Styles Make Fights – Clincher vs Out Fighter – Saen Paranchai
  • Landing Elbows from the Muay Thai Clinch – Famongkol vs Bpeemai
  • Attacking while Advancing, Retreating, and Standing Toe to Toe – Panpayak Jitmuangnon
  • A Blueprint for Fighting on the Outside – Panpayak’s Prodigious Round Kick, Caught Kick Escapes
  • Top 5 Supplements for Muay Thai
  • Pakorn vs Pornsanae (Part 2) – Fists of Fury, Jaws of Steel
  • Pakorn vs Pornsanae (Part 1) – Intercepting the “Killer Fist”
  • Round Kicks: The Good, The Bad and the F’Ugly
  • A Blueprint for Limb Destruction – Sam-A’s Deadly Leg Kicks
  • Tips To Improve Your Muay Thai Round Kick

Categories

  • Fight Analysis
  • Technique And Training

Recent Posts

  • Styles Make Fights – Clincher vs Out Fighter – Saen Paranchai
  • Landing Elbows from the Muay Thai Clinch – Famongkol vs Bpeemai
  • Attacking while Advancing, Retreating, and Standing Toe to Toe – Panpayak Jitmuangnon
  • A Blueprint for Fighting on the Outside – Panpayak’s Prodigious Round Kick, Caught Kick Escapes
  • Top 5 Supplements for Muay Thai
  • Pakorn vs Pornsanae (Part 2) – Fists of Fury, Jaws of Steel
  • Pakorn vs Pornsanae (Part 1) – Intercepting the “Killer Fist”
  • Round Kicks: The Good, The Bad and the F’Ugly
  • A Blueprint for Limb Destruction – Sam-A’s Deadly Leg Kicks
  • Tips To Improve Your Muay Thai Round Kick

Subscribe to our Newsletter


We promise to never send spam or share your email with 3rd parties.

Categories

  • Fight Analysis
  • Technique And Training

© MuayThaiAnalyst.com 2014-2017. All Rights Reserved