What are common mistakes when doing the Uppercut Elbow?

Common mistakes when doing the Uppercut Elbow include: throwing it from outside elbow range; leaning back instead of driving up; flaring the elbow wide off the centre-line.

Uppercut Elbow

Striking
Elbows
intermediate
Close range / clinch
3 steps

An elbow driven straight up the centre under the chin from inside the pocket. Also known as the Sok Ngat or the Rising elbow. Here is the exact breakdown from the DARCE app: 3 steps, the details that make it work, and the mistakes to avoid.

When to use it

Use the uppercut elbow at chest-to-chest range when the opponent ducks in or leans forward to smother you. It slips through a tight guard where wider elbows cannot. It also lands as they bend forward in the clinch.

Step by step

01
Close the distance
Get chest-to-chest range, hands high.
02
Drive the elbow up
Drive the lead elbow straight up the centre-line under the chin, extending the legs and hips like an uppercut.
03
Recover to guard
Bring the arm back to your guard and reset. Elbows are close-range, so stay tight.

Key details

Drive up with the legs and hips, not just the arm.
Keep it tight to the centre-line under the chin.
Stay in tight. It only works at close range.

Common mistakes

Throwing it from outside elbow range.
Leaning back instead of driving up.
Flaring the elbow wide off the centre-line.

Common counters

Opponents cover tight and clinch to tie up the arm, or step back and counter. An elbow thrown from too far misses and opens your chin. Stay in close.

How to drill it

Your partner holds a Thai pad face down at chest height with their arms extended, so it sits well clear of their chin; step in and drive the elbow up into it. Do three rounds of two minutes, extending your legs and hips on every rep.

Related techniques

Train it with the AI coach