Introduction to the use of knee strikes in pad-work

For many fitness professionals the use of pads has been a welcome diversion to the repetitive nature of CV machines, and a great stress reliever for clients. However, the use of the lower body is often neglected. 

Incorporating knee strikes into a pad-work session with the correct technique, will involve using Quadriceps and Gluteals, the largest muscle groups. Thereby increasing demand on the cardiovascular and energy systems for greater total calorie expenditure, physiological adaptations and proprioceptive training.

The following techniques can be done using the basic hook and jab hand pads. However it is strongly recommended to use a set of ‘Thai’ pads with a hand-grip and two arm straps. These cover the whole forearm and reduce the risk of injury to both the client and trainer. 

Basic Stance

Begin by coaching the client into the basic fighting stance. This is best adopted by standing square-on to your training partner and then taking a step forward with one foot, so that the feet are shoulder width apart and turned 45 degrees to the partner. It should then be possible to draw an imaginary line, going from the centre of the partner to the toes of the front foot, lining up with heel of the back foot.

With the feet in the correct position raise the rear hand so that the inside of the glove touches the cheek, and the elbow is held against the body. Now raise the front hand to a position slightly forward of the chin with the elbow in against the body again, the shoulders in line with the hips and a slight bend in the knees.

The pad holder should face the client and mirror the foot position, but with a slightly deeper stance and the back foot in plantar flexion to enable shock absorption. Now bend the rear arm and tuck the pad in tight against your body, so that the hand rests with the thumb touching the top of the hip, and the forearm is pulled in tight against the abs. Place the leading arm across and above the rear arm, so that the back edge of the leading pad is pushing down on the forward edge of the rear pad.

In this position it will be possible to absorb the impact from the knee strike, and protect the groin by the angle of the hips and the leading leg. 

The Long Knee

The long knee is initiated by a small step forward with the leading leg so that the foot lands pointing forwards and the arms extend slightly with the palms facing forward. The rear knee is then driven up and forwards into the pads at an approximate 45 degree angle to the floor. Once the strike has been delivered, the rear leg is drawn back and the foot lands back in the basic stance position.

Drive through the Calves and Quads of the straight leg to power the strike upwards, and thrust forwards by extending the hip. Use the bent leg to target the knee by pointing the toes, pulling the heel back and forcing the knee up. 

To maintain stability through the strike it is necessary to lean back slightly and engage the ‘core’ postural muscles.

To receive the strike it is advised to lean in slightly against the force of the knee, tense the abs and push down with the leading arm whilst drawing the rear arm in tight across the body. Reverse this by switching the leading arm and leg, as the client switches their own stance to work both legs.

The Straight Clinch Knees

Here the client extends the arms fully from the basic stance to take a grip at the base of the skull of the trainer. Using this grip the client can utilise the upper body by pulling with the arms whilst driving the knee strikes into the pads.

The same principles are applied for driving the knees from the lower body, but the elbows are drawn back down and in towards the body, pulling hard as the knee is driven up. This will really increase demand on the postural muscles and the cardiovascular system.

As the client pulls down with their arms, the trainer should tense the neck and brace the body in the same way as the long knees. But don’t switch stance, just rotate the hips to accommodate for the strikes from each side.

Be aware that this training can be very demanding on both parties. So to prevent injuries the pad holder will need to be conditioned, with a strong neck and experienced in holding the pads for the long knees.  

Training Recommendations

Once the technical competency of both the client and trainer has been established, it is possible to incorporate knee strikes into combinations. For example a jab where you use the leading hand, into a cross that uses the back hand, followed by a long knee.

Long knees can be followed by clinch knees. Here you allow the striking leg to land with the foot to the front and grip the back of the neck before driving in the straight clinch knee from the now reward leg.

Once in the clinch position the client can be given multiple strikes for one leg or alternate one to the other in any number of repetitions. The key is to mix it up and keep the sessions challenging and fun, whilst trying to encourage good technique. A typical session could look like this: -

Skipping: 6-8 minutes

Boxing (concentrating on basic combinations): 2 minutes x 3 sets (45 second rest breaks)

Long Knee’s: 3 sets x 10 reps each leg (45 second rest breaks)

Clinch Knee’s: 5 sets x 12 reps alternating 2 each leg (30 second rest breaks)

Combinations (alternate L & R lead – jab-cross, long knee, 2 x clinch knee): 1 minute 30 seconds x 4 sets (60 second rest breaks)

Finish with circuit training and cool-down to client’s fitness level

If you’re not already using pad-work in your training, it may be worth considering the variety it can add. In this highly competitive industry why not invest some time for basic instruction in good technique and enhance your potential. I consider the pad-work I do with my clients to be a vital element of my exercise toolkit, and the feedback from my clients is always very positive (when they get their breath back!).

To see more information on Glenn Cranham (author of this article) please visit our presenters page!