Muay Thai Times - Issue #7

Mastering the Art of Feints - Outsmarting Your Opponent in the Ring 🧠 (3min read)

March 18, 2025

Welcome back to Muay Thai Times!

The best fighters don’t just rely on power or speed, they use strategy to break down their opponent. One of the most effective tactics in Muay Thai is the feint, a movement used to deceive your opponent and force a reaction in order to create openings and make your strikes harder to predict. Famous examples of fighters who are great at utilising feints include Saenchai and Rodtang, they use them to frustrate and outmaneuver their opponents.

In this issue, we’ll breakdown different feints, how to use them effectively, and drills to sharpen your deception game.

Here you can see the fighter on the left throw 2 Teeps in a row, his opponent is now anticipating another. However for the third kick he fakes the Teep and switches to a right high kick. This is a great example of using feints and how effective they can be.

What is a Feint & Why Does It Work?

A quick definition of a feint is “a fake attack designed to trick your opponent into reacting.” If they flinch, overcommit, or hesitate, you can capitalise with a real strike.

✅Disrupt your opponents timing and rhythm.

✅Makes your attacks harder to predict.

✅Creates openings for clean strikes.

✅Forces defensive mistake.

🔥Pro tip🔥 - Even small feints (shoulder twitches, eye fakes, hip movements) can manipulate your opponents reactions.

Examples of Feints in Muay Thai

👊 Punch feints

  • Fake a jab to read your opponent and watch how they react, next time fake they jab and follow up with a real strike where you identified the opening.

  • Great for setting up elbows or kicks.

🦵 Kick feints

  • Slightly lift your knee or begin to throw your hip in as if throwing a teep or roundhouse kick, then turn it into a switch kick or sweep.

  • This works especially well against aggressive opponents who rush in.

👨Head & Shoulder Feints

  • A quick head or shoulder movement makes it look like your about to strike.

  • Use it to bait counters from your opponent and set up your own attacks.

🦶Footwork feints

  • Step forwards slightly to fake coming forwards to attack, then move backwards to bait a counter.

  • Helps control distance and frustrate opponents.

🔥Drill to improve 🔥

  • Shadowboxing with feints. Incorporate feints in ever round of shadow boxing. This is the best way to start incorporating them as there is no pressure of being hit whilst you figure it out.

  • Pad work feint drills. Incorporate feints into your pad work rounds to make them become more second nature.

Watch the fighter in blue shorts bait his opponent into over committing through the use of footwork feints and moving in and out.

Common Mistakes to Avoid with Feints

❌Overusing feints. If you feint too much without actually attacking, your opponent will stop reacting.

❌Not being realistic enough. A feint should look exactly like the real strike. Don’t over exaggerate the feint as it will be obvious its not a real strike. At the same time don’t under sell it or they wont react.

❌Not following up. There is no point in throwing feints if you do not take advantage of the openings they create.

🔥Pro tip🔥 - Study some of Saenchai’s fights and watch how he uses his feints to keep his opponents off balance, making his strikes nearly impossible to predict.

Watch how Saenchai uses his right hand followed by lifting his right knee slightly to set up the left high kick, resulting in a brutal knockout.

Final thoughts - Mastering Feints for a Smarter Fight Game

Feints aren’t just for show, they are an essential tool for tricking, controlling, and outmaneuvering your opponent. Start incorporating them into your training and soon you will be landing more clean and effective strikes with less risk.

💭 What is the biggest challenge for you when it comes to using feints? Reply and let me know!

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📢 Next issue - How to Build an Unbreakable Gas Tank – Muay Thai Conditioning Secrets

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Until next time, keep training hard and stay sharp,

See you in the next round,

Muay Thai Times