Top 10 Strikes Elbows & Knees: Every Fighter Should Know

Powerful and effective striking provides an extra layer of depth and complexity to one’s martial arts or fighting skills.

An indispensable guide for martial arts practitioners seeking to master the most brutally effective close-range techniques. This book delves into the devastating power and precision of elbow and knee strikes, natural weapons that are crucial for both combat sports and real-world self-defense. It provides a comprehensive breakdown of ten essential elbow and knee strikes, meticulously detailing their execution and strategic application.

Beyond just technique, this guide explores the critical strategies that make these strikes truly effective, including optimal angles of attack, their diverse offensive and defensive uses, and how to seamlessly integrate them into dynamic combinations. The emphasis is on smart, safe practice, ensuring that practitioners can build formidable skills without unnecessary risk to themselves or their training partners. Gaining even basic proficiency in each technique presented will significantly boost your overall effectiveness as a martial artist.

• Detailed breakdown of 10 essential elbow and knee strikes.
• Step-by-step procedures for correct technique execution.
• Unique 1-5 ratings for Damage, Speed, and Difficulty for each strike.
• Practical training exercises to enhance skill, strength, and accuracy.
• Strategic striking tips to refine performance and avoid common errors.
• Comprehensive notes on physicality and safety for responsible training.

The book is structured for clarity and ease of learning, breaking down each elbow and knee strike into step-by-step sections. Every chapter follows a consistent format, covering the technique's name, a detailed description, specific targets, common martial arts styles where it's found, and a unique 1-5 rating for damage, speed, and difficulty. Furthermore, it provides clear procedures for correct execution, possible setups for effective delivery, practical training exercises to build strength and accuracy, and crucial striking tips to avoid common mistakes. Comprehensive notes on physicality and safety are also included, underscoring the importance of proper preparation and responsible training for these high-impact techniques.

These strikes come from and can be included in:

• Karate
• Mixed Martial Arts (MMA)
• Kickboxing
• Kung Fu
• Jeet Kun Do (JKD)
• Sanda
• Muay Thai
• Wing Chun
• Krav Maga
• Self-defense

Whether you're looking to enhance your competitive edge or bolster your self-protection skills, this resource offers a balanced approach to practicality and technical precision, making these powerful techniques accessible to all.

Augustus John Roe is an author, linguist, and instructor of traditional Vietnamese martial arts. For more than a decade, he has lived and trained in Asia. During this time Augustus has worked on numerous television shows, books, magazines and academic projects documenting local cultures and martial arts practices.

Augustus has a passion for language; he writes fiction, non-fiction and works as a freelance editor. His academic achievements include a master’s degree in martial arts studies and a Cambridge delta qualification in language teaching. Alongside traditional Vietnamese martial arts, Augustus had trained in tae kwon do, wing chun, Brazilian jiu jitsu, arnis, muay thai, boxing, and white crane kung fu. He currently lives with his wife and children in Vietnam’s capital city, Hanoi.