Basic Attack - Rear-Hand Horizontal Elbow (Sok Tat / Sok Ti)

Looking at some basics to executing the horizontal elbow with your rear arm, and some principles to help you get better at it in your practice.

The elbow that comes straight across, perpendicular to the floor ("sok tat" or "sok tad"), is powerful but will only make contact with your opponent's face if his/her glove is down below his/her face. The elbow slash ("sok ti"/”sok thi”) is much more likely to make it over an opponent's guard and strike their actual head instead of their glove.

Elbows are not only great point-scoring techniques in competition, but also highly dangerous as they can cause lacerations or even knockouts. They are also excellent techniques for those practicing Muay Thai for self-defense, as they can cause a lot of damage to a close-range attacker with little risk and little energy exertion.