Mechanics / Hands / Shadow

Spinning elbow / full turn

A step across, a turn through the back and a folded rear elbow, one full circle.

A step across, a turn through the back and a folded rear elbow, drawn as one continuous circle. The spinning back elbow turns the body through its own back and lands with the point of the rear elbow. It shows an opponent your back for a moment, which is why the timing is a coach's decision and the step across is where the study starts. The turn here is one continuous circle; it never unwinds.

The actions, phase by phase

Muay Thai guard

1. Base. Keep a stance from which either leg can lift.
2. Hands ready. Bring the hands into your coach-taught guard.
3. Balance. Keep the torso upright enough to manage kicks and checks.
4. Reset. Re-establish the base after every action.

Watch for. This illustration does not show clinch posture or an opponent.

Spinning back elbow

1. Guard. Guard first; the spin starts from a stance you could fight from.
2. Step across. The lead foot steps across the line towards the far side of the target.
3. Turn and strike. The body turns through its own back and the rear elbow arrives folded, at head height, with the eyes finding the target over the shoulder.
4. Complete the turn. The turn keeps going the same way until the athlete faces front again in the guard.

Watch for. A spinning strike shows an opponent your back for a moment and the study cannot tell you when that is safe. The turn here is drawn as one continuous rotation; the step-through, the duck and the timing are a coach's job.

One circle, no unwinding

1. Step the lead foot across first; the spin starts from the feet.
2. Find the target over the shoulder before the elbow arrives.
3. Keep turning the same way until you face front in the guard.

Three faults a pad holder sees

1. Spinning without the step. the lead foot steps across the line before the turn starts.
2. Losing the target. the eyes find the target over the shoulder before the elbow arrives.
3. Unwinding after the strike. the turn continues the same way until the athlete faces front in the guard.

A starting prescription

2 rounds of 45 seconds with 45 seconds between them. Six slow turns per round, on clear flooring, no power. Load the study into the session builder with these numbers and change them to suit the round you are preparing for.

What this loop is, and is not

Solo rehearsal of a shape you have already been taught. No partner, no contact, no pad impact, and no coach has reviewed this loop. It shows where the joints go, not whether they should go there for you.

Where it sits

Stage: Mechanics. Before it: Upward elbow / chin line. After it: Rear uppercut / short rise. Sessions that use it: The elbow book. See also the glossary, the warm-up and the method and its limits.