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Muay Thai uppercuts — connect the rising punch with shoulders, hips and feet

An uppercut is more than a fist moving upwards. Read the bent elbow with shoulders, hips and feet, then distinguish single-hand lessons, both hands and defence.

AI illustration of Khru Patty in a Muay Thai instructor uniform for the uppercut article
AI-generated editorial illustration based on an instructor reference; not a photograph of the actual venue.

Compiled by Phoenix — Co-founder of IMAC Dojo

Assigned content reviewer: Patty

Author
Thaninpong Supapitakpong (Phoenix)
Published
Last updated
Sources
1
Reading time
4 min

Short Answer

The DPE manual uses the Thai names mat soei and mat soi dao together, describing a bent elbow and coordinated force from shoulders, hips and feet. Read the rising path as a relationship between base and arm. This article separates seven clips into lead, rear, combined lead/rear and defence.

Key Takeaways

  • The manual's star-reaching name labels the uppercut; it does not prove a naming history.
  • Read the rising fist with elbow and base, not the arm alone.
  • Lead/rear identifies hands in the stance, not screen left/right.
  • Combined lead/rear clips have a different task from single-side practice.

Watching only the rising fist can make an uppercut look like lifting an arm. Muaythai Palasueksa Style instead emphasizes shoulders, hips and feet working together. Ask how the movement starts and returns to readiness, not simply how high the fist goes.

These seven Muaythai Anywhere clips contain demonstration/practice pairs for lead, rear and combined lead/rear uppercuts, plus one defence entry. Grouping them first prevents a single-side explanation from standing in for transitions between hands.

In this article

The two Thai uppercut names in the source

Printed page 91 uses both names and describes a bent elbow with an upward punch at close range. The figurative star-reaching name may help recall the direction, but supplies no evidence of who named it or its origin story.

The name helps identify the upward direction, but understanding still requires distance and arm shape. If uppercut is already familiar, use it to connect the meaning, then read the manual and drill details rather than judging movement by its label alone.

Keep shoulders, hips and feet in the same picture

The source connects the punch's force with shoulders, hips and feet. Read when the base changes relative to the fist instead of treating a fast arm as the whole technique.

Ask where the trunk is before the punch rises, what the other arm does during it and how readiness returns afterwards. Watching the full interval reveals questions about balance better than isolating the fist's final moment.

A bent elbow does not require a deep wind-up

Elbow shape helps identify the rising path, but does not become an instruction to drop the hand as low as possible. Adding travel before the rise without reading distance and protection can turn practice into a different task from the instructor's.

Copying the final fist position without its start, or leaning to make the punch look higher, are viewing-led mistakes to discuss. Have an instructor assess positions relative to base and equipment before increasing speed; partner impact is not the measure.

Lead, rear and combined lessons ask different questions

Identify lead and rear from the demonstrator's stance, without permanently assigning left or right. A lead/rear title covers both sides, adding the transition between them to the shape of each punch.

A single-side clip can focus attention on that hand's start and recovery. In combined clips, also ask about timing and support between hands. A title covering both sides does not establish a universal repetition count or speed.

Distinguish hooks and rising elbows

The following manual pages describe swinging punches from the side and distinguish forms by distance. Uppercuts emphasize the rising path. Track the fist through the movement; two bent elbows do not make the names interchangeable.

A rising elbow also travels upwards but uses the elbow rather than the fist. Shared direction does not remove differences in arm shape and distance. Select the lesson by the weapon you want to revisit.

Select the seven clips by role

Begin with the lead or rear demonstration/practice pair for the task, then use the combined pair to examine continuity. In the defence clip, distinguish striker and receiver; the defender's position is not an explanation of punching.

Manual-derived observation points are elbow shape, upward direction and relation to the base. If the feet or other arm are hidden, record that moment. A title identifies the category, not proof that every angle reveals all details.

Return to the course for review

Read about Muaythai Anywhere and Khru Patty, the assigned content reviewer. Dance and ceremony are covered in the Wai Kru Muay Thai course.

Uppercut defence

Uppercut defence from Muaythai Anywhere. Read the upward path, elbow shape and base, distinguishing a single side, both sides and defence.

Video published

Lead/rear uppercuts — practice

Lead/rear uppercuts — practice from Muaythai Anywhere. Read the upward path, elbow shape and base, distinguishing a single side, both sides and defence.

Video published

Lead/rear uppercuts — demonstration

Lead/rear uppercuts — demonstration from Muaythai Anywhere. Read the upward path, elbow shape and base, distinguishing a single side, both sides and defence.

Video published

Rear uppercut — practice

Rear uppercut — practice from Muaythai Anywhere. Read the upward path, elbow shape and base, distinguishing a single side, both sides and defence.

Video published

Rear uppercut — demonstration

Rear uppercut — demonstration from Muaythai Anywhere. Read the upward path, elbow shape and base, distinguishing a single side, both sides and defence.

Video published

Lead uppercut — practice

Lead uppercut — practice from Muaythai Anywhere. Read the upward path, elbow shape and base, distinguishing a single side, both sides and defence.

Video published

Lead uppercut — demonstration

Lead uppercut — demonstration from Muaythai Anywhere. Read the upward path, elbow shape and base, distinguishing a single side, both sides and defence.

Video published

Sources and further reading

  1. Muaythai Palasueksa Style: uppercuts and swinging punches, printed pages 90–95 — Department of Physical Education, Institute of Muay Thai ArtReferenceAccessed 29 Sept 2026

Frequently Asked Questions

Are the two Thai uppercut names different techniques?

The manual used here presents mat soei and mat soi dao together. They are discussed in one heading without claiming every school's terminology is identical.

How do combined lead/rear clips differ from single-hand clips?

Their titles cover both sides, so examine transitions and support between hands as well as each shape. Do not assume a fixed repetition count.

Must the hand drop very low before an uppercut?

A bent elbow is not an instruction for the deepest possible wind-up. Ask an instructor to check distance, starting position and protection for the task.

Can the same explanation cover an uppercut and rising elbow?

Both rise, but use different weapons. Arm shape and distance must be distinguished rather than replacing punch with elbow.

What makes up the seven clips?

Lead, rear and combined demonstration/practice pairs total six clips, with one additional defence clip.

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