7 Essential Muay Thai Footwork Drills

One of the most essential building blocks of martial arts is having great footwork. Quick, fundamental footwork will keep you out of the way of your opponent’s blows but ideally will also position you to deliver damaging blows of your own.

Here are seven Muay Thai footwork drills which will help you practice avoiding hits, positioning yourself to attack your opponent, and finding the dominant angles which will make both of these possible.

Benefits of Footwork Drills

What You’ll Need For These Drills

A Gym (or at least a good amount of room to move)- We’d all like to be training in the finest kickboxing gym in the country, or perhaps we have fantasies about going to Thailand and training outdoors, kicking banana trees.

Maybe someday you’ll get there, but in the meantime, using your local gym should suffice, as these drills don’t require any special equipment. Even if you don’t have a current gym membership, these drills can be performed anywhere that you have space to move around. The great thing about footwork is that you can practice anywhere you can move around.

Boxing Gloves– Although gloves aren’t essential for all of these drills, it’s best to make it a habit to wear gloves whenever you’re training. When you’re wearing boxing gloves, you can throw punches with power without worrying about hurting your partner. It’s also beneficial to get used to the weight and feel of the gloves on your fists as you’re punching, seeing as that’s what you’ll be using during the course of a fight.

An important note: Whenever possible, try not to skimp on the quality of your gloves, as the most important thing is that you’re protecting yourself and your partner from harm.

A Partner – Many of these drills can be performed without a partner, but they will definitely be more beneficial, both physically and mentally, if you get used to having a partner to work off of. While training alone gives you the time to focus on specifics, training with a partner also trains you to focus amidst distractions.

If possible, it’s best if this partner is training in Muay Thai as well, as you can help each other with technique, give feedback, and take turns running the drills. If you can’t find a partner who is training in Muay Thai, then find someone who either wants a good workout or is willing to get punched and kicked a bit in order to help you achieve your Muay Thai goals!

Good Shorts – You need good freedom of movement and range of motion, which Muay Thai shorts are designed for.

1. Ankle Mobility Warm-up

Because of the intensity of the footwork you’re going to be doing in these drills, it is essential that you warm up your ankles before engaging in any of the exercises listed below. In fact, a full physical warm-up that focuses on getting your heart beating, your muscles loose, and your joints flexible is recommended before any type of training.

In this case, we’ll focus on ankle mobility. It’s common within the world of Muay Thai for fighters to experience ankle problems because of the combined intensity of the footwork, kicking, and blocking done with their lower legs.

Whether your ankles have been smashed up, rolled, or just generally punished through endless amounts kicking, chances are if you’re a Muay Thai fighter, your ankles are something you’ve thought about a lot, and something you want to take good care of.

Here is a warm-up designed to achieve more mobility in your ankles which will not only enhance your performance in the ring but will help keep your ankles protected from damage.

Step-by-step:

Tips: It’s not unusual for your two ankles to have different levels of flexibility when you start this exercise. If one is much more flexible than the other, add 10 repetitions to that side, so that you’re focused on stretching the less flexible ankle more. Ideally, the two sides will be equally flexible.

---

2. Basic Footwork Drill

The basic footwork drill contains the building blocks upon which all of the other drills will rest. This drill will get you familiar with the most basic of movements when making your way around the ring. While you’re moving, you must maintain a solid stance. This stance is what’s going to provide the foundation that you’ll be punching, kicking, and blocking from.

This may sound simple, but if your stance is not grounded when you move around the ring, you run the risk of being knocked off balance or not having enough power behind your attacks. This drill will keep you centered as you move and maintain the proper distance between your front and back foot to give you a solid base to operate from.

Step-by-step:

---

3.    Directional Quickswitch

As we’ve said, one of your main goals during a fight is not just to hit your opponent, but to avoid being hit by them. The faster you can move out of the way of an oncoming attack, the less likely you are to be hit, and simultaneously, the better position you’ll be in to counter with an attack of your own.

This drill will help you to practice avoiding being attacked by moving out of the way as quickly as possible, and in a way that will surprise your opponent.

Step-by-step:

When you’re using this technique in a match, try to alternate with a more traditional directional switch to keep your opponent guessing.

---

4.    Switch and Pivot Drill (the Pivot Shuffle)

This drill will help you practice your ability to pivot as well as your ability to block (or “check”) kicks.

Pivoting is one of the essential Muay Thai footwork moves in order to get yourself out of harm’s way when you’re being attacked, as well as setting you up to deliver powerful kicks of your own. Checking kicks means lifting up your shin at an angle in a way that blocks the kick coming towards you.

Step-by-step:

As you’re practicing this footwork drill, remember to always stay light on your feet. You should maintain a bounce on the balls of your feet during this drill and never let your heels touch the ground.

---

5.    The Spinning Check

This drill helps to develop balance, mobility, and strength, especially in defending yourself from kicks. The spinning check drill starts at 2:55.

Step-by-step:

Remember to stay light on your feet, bouncing on the balls of your feet and not letting your heels hit the ground.

---

6.    Footwork Drills for Punching

These drills will help to build up your footwork skills for use as you’re punching. During a fight, having a solid stance to punch from is one of the most essential elements to delivering powerful punches. Delivering a powerful punch from a weak stance is only about half as devastating as delivering a strong punch from a strong stance.

Two- Step:

Tips: Remember to pivot your back foot when you throw your right cross.

Single-step:

Like in the first drill, remember to pivot your back foot as you’re throwing your right cross.

Single-step, opposite side:

Once again, remember to pivot your back foot as you’re stepping forward with your front foot.

---

7.    Dominant Angles Drill

One of the most important advantages that you can get over your opponent during a match is taking dominant angles. A dominant angle is when you avoid the attack and give yourself a prime angle for attacking your opponent.

Through the course of a fight, you should always be looking for these dominant angles, rather than trying to take an opponent head-on. If you’re being attacked and you back up, you’re still directly in the path of your opponent’s attack. On the other hand, when you step to the side, you not only avoid the direct path of attack, but you may have just given yourself the advantage that will win you the fight.

This drill, which you can practice with a partner, will prepare you to take dominant angles during a match.

Step-by-Step:

Once you’ve practiced this drill with your primary foot, try the same drill, only now do it southpaw

Tips: Keep yourself challenged. Once you feel comfortable with the footwork, give yourself more and more difficult combinations to execute from your dominant angle.