INTRODUCTION TO MUAY THAI BORAN'S STANCE AND FOOTWORK

The Noble Art of Muay Thai Boran is renowned for its powerful offensive techniques of punching, elbowing, kneeing and kicking, as well as, in some forums, head-butting.
 

While these techniques are unequivocally integral to the indomitable system, they are of little value without the fundamental skills of proper Stances and Footwork. These are the skills that facilitate the effective delivery of the Weapons Systems.

Before one is capable of the distinctive flowing 9 weapon offensives, the tricky evasive maneuvers and rapid-fire counterattacks of the heralded Art, they must first develop perhaps the most neglected and underappreciated skills of all; Stance or "Kum Chung" (คุมเชิง), and Footwork or "Dun Muay" (เดินมวย).
The unglamorous and oft overlooked elements of stance, footwork, balance, weight distribution and transfer, proprioception, spacial awareness and hip maneuvering, are critically important to the Art of Kings. 

At the very Foundation of Muay Thai Boran's Doctrine is proper manipulation of the organism through correct postures and footwork. It is footwork that makes the dynamic movements of the Art possible. Because, with some stylistic exceptions, such as those in the "Muay Lak" (มวยหลัก) Style meaning "Pillar Boxing", a stationary attack or defense is largely non-conducive to survival in combat, much less victory, the feet and legs function as a turret which mobilizes the weapons to bring them into effective range, while avoiding the attacks of the opponent.
This more dynamic and transitory style of evasive maneuvering is known as "Muay Kiao" (มวยเกี้ยว) meaning "Encircling Boxing", or "Bla Gat" (ปลากัด) which is a reference to the fighting style of Siamese Betta fighting fish.

Muay Thai Boran consists of an amalgamation of the 5 primary Regional lineages of the Martial Art. As such, the Stances found within the varied curriculum of the Art are non-uniform and varied. Some styles emphasize a wider more squared Stance, known in Thai as "Liem Na" (เหลี่ยมหนา), while others have a predilection for narrower bladed stances, which are called "Liem Bang" (เหลี่ยมบาง). 

Some Stances, such as those of the Muay Thasao style, emphasize a more erect posture, while other styles utilize stances with a lower center of gravity.
One notable extreme example of a lowered posture can be found in the Muay Chaiya Regional Style. This stance known as The Tiger Dragging Its Tail "Seua Lak Hang" (เสือลากหาง), consists of the practitioner adopting a combative posture that is as low to the ground as one can get while still remaining on the feet.

Muay Thai Boran footwork consists of steps, slides, shuffles, lunges, skips and hops.All of these methods of locomotion serve to efficiently move the organism in every direction,  in specific ways and addressing various requisites of combat and strategical predilections.  

The most fundamental kind of footwork, called "Seub"(สืบ) in the Thai language, is the sliding step. These steps lay the groundwork and principles for correct footwork. They consist of first setting in motion the foot closest to the direction you intend to move towards and following with the other foot.

To elucidate this principle, starting from the Orthodox stance, (meaning the left arm and leg are forward), take a step forward with the lead foot, then follow with the rear foot to re-establish the stance and guard.

Another example of proper footwork, again beginning from the Orthodox stance, would be moving the rear foot to the right, then following with the lead foot back into the Kum Chung 
or Guard position.

These principles allow the combatant to advance, and sidestep to the inside respectively, and are applicable in all directions. Footwork serves to control distance for attacks, and to facilitate defensive maneuvers and counterattacks. It must be accompanied by a functional knowledge of your center of gravity and weight distribution.

The human organisms center of gravity lies on a non-localized axis that shifts with every movement. Contrary to popular belief and common Martial Arts practice, true balance cannot be mastered by fixed or stationary postures alone. While these poses surely develop static balance, and proprioception, they are all but useless in the dynamic chaos of actual combat. 

The balance possessed by the Thai stylist is a dynamic balance which can be maintained while in motion and under the duress of strikes and Stand-Up grappling maneuvers. Nak Muay develop their proprioception not with the static postures found in other Arts, but rather with footwork drills, coupled with the execution of the pertinent techniques. This practice of Shadow Boxing is known in Thai as "Len Lom" (เล่นหลม). The techniques require specialized locomotive balance to be performed correctly and effectively. 

Another crucial aspect of controlled and stable combat locomotion is a practical understanding of the skeletal-articular system of the weaponized human organism. This knowledge avails the practitioner the ability to manipulate the body in a biometrically advantageous manner and exploit the adversary's errors. It is imperative that the student acquires a cognizance of the structural mechanism of the hip above all else. 

The ability to powerfully engage the hip in the deployment of bodily force is a Hallmark of Muay Thai Boran's methodology. This skill is achieved by cultivating a knowledge of foot positioning, weight distribution and kinetic linking by muscular contraction and articular alignment.
At the structural level the Muay Thai Boran exponent possesses the ability to "open" or "unlock" the hip. An open, or unlocked hip facilitates a powerful and unobstructed pivoting of the body. A "closed" or "locked" hip, of course, hinders the ability to rotate the body. 

Opening and closing the hips is controlled by the relative placement of the feet. Depending upon where the toes point, as well as the type of stance being used and the side which will be delivering the strike, the hip may be considered to be open or closed.
If for example, the practitioner is in an Orthodox stance with his lead foot facing 1 o'clock on a watch dial, the hip is open for a lead side offensive movement however, the hip is closed to the anatomically advantageous delivery of a rear side attack.
On the other hand, if the toes point towards 11 o'clock or so, the hip is open for rear side weapons, but closed to biomechanically sound lead offensives.

Attempting to initiate attacks with closed hips will significantly reduce the potential impetus of the blow and potentially compromise the structural integrity of the knee under the antagonistic rotational strain. 

Proper footwork and hip mobilization are made possible by the Thai stylists relative foot position. The Art of  Muay Thai Boran has many Regional Styles and Stances, as well as forms of Footwork in their arsenals, however in general, they employ a combat movement which is constructed on attacking and evading on the balls of the feet to propel the movements and, with some exceptions, the weight of the body is typically not on the entire foot surface. 

This practice allows the fighter to freely swivel to heels in order to open the hips and augments his their ability to efficiently, powerfully and expeditiously set the body into motion. The raised heel acts as a chambered round in a firearm ready to pull the trigger and allows for rapid offensive, defensive and counteroffensive maneuvers as well as evasive movements. 

Finally the weight distribution of the Thai stylist is oscillatory and constantly shifting based on the intent of the movement. Weight transfer is intrinsically connected to the balance and footwork of all forms of combat, be it offensive, defensive or counteroffensive.
A general ratio of 60% on the rear foot and the remaining 40% on the lead is utilized however, this is a very inadequate quantification as Thai stylists often lift the foot and place the weight entirely on the rear leg in different types of offensive and defensive techniques. Examples of this aberration can be seen in the "Ta Kru" (ท่าครู) Masters Posture and the "Ma Yong" (ม้าย่อง) Horse Trotting Footwork. The transfer of the weight may be in different percentages depending on the intent and nature of the action. 

In conclusion, the secret to Muay Thai Boran's dynamic and incredibly effective fighting methods lies in the fundamentals of Stance, Footwork, balance and kinetic structural mechanisms that are unfortunately not trained sufficiently in many gyms.
The fact is, without developing the fundamentals delineate herein, much of the effectiveness of offensive, defensive and counteroffensive elements of Muay Thai Boran are lost.
We shall now examine stances and footwork in a more in-depth manner.

Horse Trotting is One of the Most Distinctive Forms of "Dun Muay" (เดินมวย) Footwork found in MuayThai Boran.

The Technique Involves Raising the Feet Off of the Ground in the Motion of a War Horse Carefully Advancing on an Adversaries Position.

Traditionally the Footwork Consists of the Lifting of the Legs in a Rhythmic Manner, Lulling the Adversary before Breaking the Rhythm and Taking Action.

In it's Most Common Usages the Lead Leg is Raised to Facilitate an Anticipatory "Kao Bang" (เข่าบัง) Shin Block.

Another Use of the Maneuver is the Preparation of the Lead Leg for More Rapid Delivery of "Teep" (ถีบ) Linear Kicks.

The Raising of the Rear Leg Chambers the "Teh" (เตะ) Circular Kick.

In Addition to the Actual Execution of Kicks, this Form of Footwork can be Utilized To Threaten The Adversary with Kicks.

This Tactic May Provoke a Defensive Response, Opening Up Other Targets to Actual Offensive Kinetic Actions.

Tiger Stepping is a Method of Feigning Offensive Action, Advancing, Retreating and/or Preparing to Transition to "Gradode" (กระโดด) Jumping Maneuvers.

Seua Yang is Executed in a Sauntering Way, Employing Steps that are Large and Wide, Effectively Switching Stances in a "Plik Liem" (พลิกเหลี่ยม) Method

This MuayThai Boran Footwork has Several Purposes but it's Primary Function is to Disorient and Unnerve the Adversary by Feigning Offensive Action Using the "Lawk" (หลอก) Concept.

Tiger Steps are Executed in the Spirit of the King of Predatory Cats, Stalking and Terrorizing the Counterpart(s) with Confidence and Ferocity.

The Ancient Thai Stylist Accomplishes this Objective by Rotating their Rear Hip Forward and Smoothly Swinging around the Leg Rolling the Arms to Reestablish the Guard.

This type of stepping is often used in Advanced Offensive and CounterOffensive Tactics, however it is also Useful in Defensive Scenarios to Move out of Range and Evade the Enemy.