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Mechanics / Hands / Shadow

Rear uppercut / short rise

A short rising punch from a small leg bend, kept in front of the body.

A short rising punch from a small leg bend, with the rear heel driving and the hip turning. The uppercut is a short-range punch and its most common fault is reaching for it from the waist. The loop keeps it in front of the body: a small bend of the legs, the rear heel driving, the hip turning, and a fist that rises to chin height and comes straight back to the cheek.

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.

Rear uppercut

  1. Guard. The rear fist starts at the cheek; the lead hand does not move.
  2. Lower slightly. A small bend in the legs, not a big drop of the hand.
  3. Rise. The fist rises on a short path in front of the body as the rear heel drives and the hip turns.
  4. Recover. The hand comes back to the cheek before anything else leaves.

Watch for. Uppercuts are a short-range punch and the range is not drawn here. Do not scoop from below the waist or bend the lower back to reach.

Short and in front

  1. Bend the legs a little; do not drop the hand to the waist.
  2. The fist rises in front of the body, not from behind it.
  3. Back to the cheek before the lead hand does anything.

Three faults a pad holder sees

  1. Hand drops to the waist. the hand dips a little with the legs, no further.
  2. Arm straightens. the arm stays bent through the rise.
  3. Lead hand drops. the lead glove stays home while the rear hand works.

A starting prescription

3 rounds of 45 seconds with 30 seconds between them. Twelve per round, short, hand back to the cheek each time. 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.

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Where it sits

Stage: Mechanics. Before it: Spinning elbow / full turn. After it: Low, body, high. See also the glossary, the warm-up and the method and its limits.