The Parry is one of the fundamental defensive techniques in Muay Thai and other striking martial arts. What it allows you to do is redirect the opponent’s punch, whether it’s aimed at your face or body. However, many Muay Thai fighters are simply not using it correctly, which is why I’ve decided to write this article.
The Parry is a defensive technique that allows you to redirect a punch and create an opening for a counter. It’s popular in Muay Thai, Kickboxing, Boxing, and MMA, as these are martial arts that include striking. You want to block the punch with your glove and direct it downward to create an opening.
What we’ll do in this article is review everything a beginner would need to know to start parrying punches smoothly and effectively. We’ll also go into the specifics of this technique so that you can begin to understand how to take your parry to the next level.
Without further introduction, let’s dive into the first part.
What Is a Parry in Muay Thai
Muay Thai is a striking-based martial art. While you’ll learn a few grappling techniques, which are sweeps and throws, you’ll mostly use punches, knees, elbows, and kicks to cause damage. Therefore, you also need to learn how to defend against such offensive techniques. The parry is one of the most effective and fundamental ways to defend such techniques.
The parry is a defensive technique in Muay Thai that’s also popular in Boxing and is when you redirect an incoming punch instead of getting hit. Parrying isn’t blocking the punch with your hand or arm, but it’s redirecting it so you can open a new angle and counter the punch.
You want to parry with the same side. Assuming your opponent is right-handed when he throws a jab, you want to use your right hand to direct. When he throws a cross, you want to use your left hand. If you use the cross-side to parry, you’ll open up yourself to either a hook or an overhand punch, depending on the side.
If you want to better your Muay Thai defense with techniques of that kind, I wrote an article on the best Muay Thai defensive moves you must know to use to call yourself a fighter. In the article, I dive into how to perform each one flawlessly.
How to Parry a Punch in Muay Thai
This section is going to be all about practical steps to perform a flawless parry. I think you understand how important it is to practice and be practical, especially for the fighters who are lazier than average. This is the key to succeeding and becoming a flawless Muay Thai fighter. So let’s dive into how to perform this defensive move.
You can either parry with your hand (when the punch is directed to your face) or with your elbow (when the punch is directed to your body.) You want to direct the punch with the same-side arm. Lastly, you want to direct the opponent’s punch downward, which will help you create an opening to attack.
This is the basics of parrying effectively. Thus far, we haven’t mentioned the elbow parry, which is not less effective. There are things we still have to cover. Things that will save you a lot of pain (literally) and experience. So let’s dive into them.
Parry With Hand
The first way of parrying is using your hand. This is the most basic way of directing your opponent’s punch. So when do you want to use it?
You want to use your hand to parry when the punch is directed at your face. If that’s the case, you want to direct it downward and counter. Indeed, redirecting it downward will allow you to create an opening that wouldn’t have otherwise been open. Let’s give you a practical example.
The opponent throws a jab at you (with his left hand, like most fighters.) The hand you parry with is going to be your right hand, as it’s the same-side arm as the punch. When you go to block, you’re going to place your hand in front of the punch and redirect it downward. Then, a great option you can go for is a right hook or a right overhand.
Two fantastic and suitable counters to a jab parry.
Parry With Elbow
The second type we’ll review is an elbow parry. You want to use it for a clear reason, which is to block body shots. To understand why we’re using the elbow, let’s imagine a scenario where your opponent throws a right hook that targets your body.
So first, let’s say you were to use the hand parry to counter this particular strike. Because the opponent threw a cross, you’ll use your left hand to redirect. When you go for the parry, your entire left side is open and vulnerable. As a result, your opponent goes for a right overhand and slams your face.
This is why you want to block body shots with your elbow. You want to maintain your guard but direct the body shot with your elbow. And again, the one that’s on the same side as the punch. This will also create openings for counters, which you already are familiar with.
Parry Tips
#1 – Maintain a Proper Stance
Start with a solid and balanced fighting stance. Keep your feet shoulder-width apart, knees slightly bent, and your weight evenly distributed on the balls of your feet.
In Muay Thai, your stance dictates almost everything. It heavily influences how good your offense and defense will be, which will contribute to your fighting skills. Make sure to work on your fighting stance if you haven’t already.
#2 – Keep Your Hands Up
Ensure your hands are up, protecting your face and chin. Your lead hand should be at eye level, and your rear hand should be slightly lower to guard against body shots.
Your guard is critical. Understanding and knowing the types of guards in Muay Thai will help you attack them efficiently and utilize them to defend yourself.
#3 – Stay Relaxed and Alert
Stay calm and relaxed, but remain alert and focused on your opponent’s movements. Good parrying requires you to read your opponent’s strikes accurately.
#4 – Use the Hand, Forearm, Elbow, or Shin to Parry
In Muay Thai, you can use either your forearm, hand (glove), or shin to parry strikes. For example, if your opponent throws a punch at your head, use your lead forearm to redirect the punch slightly off its original path. Similarly, if your opponent kicks toward your leg, you can use your shin to block or redirect the kick.
When you parry with your shin, it’s called the check, which you can learn by following this link.
#5 – Timing and Precision
Timing is crucial in parrying. You must anticipate your opponent’s strike and execute the parry just at the right moment. Aim to make minimal movements to avoid overcommitting and leaving yourself vulnerable.
#6 – Redirect, Don’t Push
When parrying, the goal is to redirect the strike away from its target, not to push it away forcefully. Use a gentle and controlled motion to guide the strike off its path.
#7 – Practice and Drills
Incorporate parrying drills into your training routine. Work with a partner to practice parrying different strikes, such as punches, kicks, and knees, with controlled movements.
#8 – Counter After the Parry
Once you’ve successfully parried your opponent’s strike, take advantage of the opening created and counter with your own strikes. A well-timed counter can be highly effective and catch your opponent off guard.
If you want to learn more about combinations in Muay Thai that can serve well as counters, follow the link below.
#9 – Stay Mobile
Don’t rely solely on parrying; use footwork and head movement to evade and avoid strikes whenever possible.
Make sure to practice your footwork to become a better, more evasive, less predictable fighter.
Final Words
This is everything you need to know, from head to toe, about the parry in Muay Thai. Indeed, many fighters overlook defense, and that makes them much less capable compared to those who also focus on their defense.
Knowing how to evade punches, use footwork to your advantage, and redirect strikes to create an opening to counter are all critical skills in Muay Thai. Hopefully, you have understood the importance of the parry and you’ll go practice as soon as you’re in your Muay Thai gym, which should be a lot.
To further boost your defense in Muay Thai, I wrote the ultimate beginner-to-advanced guide to Muay Thai footwork. Give it a read if you want to have flawless footwork.
Here are other articles you’d benefit from reading:
How to Catch Kicks in Muay Thai – It’s Actually Simple!
Slip 101 (Muay Thai) – How to Slip and Follow-Up
Is the Bob and Weave Used in Muay Thai and MMA?
Check 101 – A Complete Muay Thai Technique Breakdown
Muay Thai Basic Head Movement – Techniques, Drills, and Tips