TUTORIAL: Former UFC lightweight champ Rafael Dos Anjos shows how to throw straight knee

This video was first published on Evolve Vacation.

Former UFC lightweight champion and member of the prestigious Evolve Fight Team, Rafael Dos Anjos, is one of the most complete fighters in all of mixed martial arts. His unparalleled skill and tenacity inside the cage is only brought about his incredible confidence in his skills. Of his many fight disciplines, Muay Thai is one of his strongest.

Muay Thai, when used the right way, could spell the difference between victory or defeat in any fight. The beauty of this martial art lies in its fluidity of movement and thunderous power behind every strike. While most people think they know how to execute the movements correctly, there is value in learning from true masters.

Rafael Dos Anjos is the former UFC lightweight champion

In this video that Evolve Vacation shares with us today, Dos Anjos shows us how to execute a proper straight knee. The straight knee, one of the most basic moves in Muay Thai, can completely incapacitate an opponent when executed the right way. A clean knee to the midsection will take down even the toughest of foes.

In this video with, Dos Anjos demonstrates the move in full detail with his friend, Brazilian jiu-jitsu champion Bruno Pucci.

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Check out the video demonstration here

Dos Anjos mentions that what he likes to do first is to throw a feint. This is most likely done to catch an opponent off guard or to set up the straight knee right behind. The Brazilian former lightweight titleholder gives a push kick or a kick to the knee as examples. With the opponent now not anticipating the knee, Dos Anjos begins to make his move.

The first thing to do is to step forward with the lead leg, says Dos Anjos. Then right behind that, throw the knee with full force and momentum towards an opponent’s midsection. Dos Anjos reminds viewers to make sure that you are on the balls of your feet when launching the knee. This, along with pushing the hips forward into the strike, will generate the most momentum.