Techniques and styles
Muay khao
What it means
The knee fighter: someone who closes distance, gets to the clinch and works with knees until the other person breaks. Physically the most demanding style to fight and to fight against.
It suits people who are durable, fit and willing to walk through something to land. It does not suit people who dislike being close.
If a camp is known for producing knee fighters, expect the clinching sessions to be long and the conditioning to be heavier than average.
Related
Words that go with it
Knee
A strike with the point of the knee, thrown straight up the middle or driven in from the clinch. It is the scoring weapon Thai judges have traditionally rewarded most.
Clinch
Close-range grappling with the arms and neck, used to control an opponent so you can land knees and elbows or throw them off balance. Thai gyms treat it as core, not as an extra.