Rising Elbow

SubFamily

Translation: rising elbow

Range & classification

Overview

The Rising Elbow subfamily covers uppercut-trajectory elbow strikes that travel upward from a low starting position to target the chin, jaw, or underside of the opponent's face. ^[1] The rising elbow is driven by an explosive upward thrust of the hips and legs combined with shoulder elevation, launching the elbow point vertically into the target. ^[1],[2] This technique is particularly dangerous because it attacks the chin from below, an angle associated with high knockout rates due to the rotational acceleration imparted to the head and the resulting shearing forces on the brainstem. ^[2],[3]

Also known as

Uppercut ElbowBoxing^[1]Sok NgatTH^[2]Upward Elbow^[3]

Used in

Muay Thai MMA Krav Maga

History & Origin

Rising elbow strikes have been used in Muay Thai clinch fighting for centuries, where the upward elbow from within the plum clinch is one of the most celebrated offensive techniques. ^[1] The rising elbow is also found in various Southeast Asian martial arts including Lethwei and pencak silat. ^[2],[3]

Country of origin· shown in random order

ThailandMuay Thai
BrazilMMA
USAMMA
IsraelKrav Maga

Effectiveness

The rising elbow strikes upward under the opponent's chin or jaw. ^[1]

Lineage

From Muay Thai's sok ngat. ^[1]

Competition Record

Used in Muay Thai and MMA. ^[1]

Images

No images yet for this technique.

Biomechanical Mechanism

Primary Action — Ballistic extension of the arm — kinetic chain transfers force from the ground through the hips to the fist

Joints Involved — Shoulder (flexion/rotation), elbow (rapid extension), wrist (stabilised on impact), hips (rotation)

Force Vector — Linear (jab, cross) or circular (hook, overhand) depending on the punch type

Kinetic Chain — Ground reaction force → hip rotation → torso rotation → shoulder extension → fist impact — each link amplifies velocity

Position & Entry

From boxing stance (inside range) — Drop the rear shoulder slightly, drive the fist upward using leg and hip extension, target the chin or body

As counter (opponent ducks) — When opponent lowers their head (ducking a hook or level changing), fire the uppercut to the exposed chin

From clinch — In close range, short upward punch targeting the chin with explosive hip extension

Videos

Sifu Kuttel

Kung Fu Combo - Rising Crane to Elbow Strike

Rising Elbow·Sifu Kuttel

In this video we use one of the most signature positions in any martial arts and that is the one legged Crane, or rising…

1 video

Learn This Technique

No instructional courses yet for this technique.

Ratings

Danger Rating

Risk of injury to the person this technique is applied to

Very High7/10

Rising elbow; targets chin from below

Difficulty

Skill level needed to execute this technique reliably

Intermediate

Competition Legality

Whether this technique is allowed under major competition rule sets

Illegal

WBC/Boxing — All elbow strikes prohibited in boxing {src— WBC Rules of Boxing}

— WKF — Elbow strikes not a legal technique in sport karate

WKF Competition Rules 2024PDF

Kyokushin — Elbow strikes prohibited {src— IKO Kyokushin Tournament Rules}

— WT — Prohibited

WT Competition Rules 2024PDF

— ITF — Prohibited

ITF Competition RulesPDF

— WAKO — Prohibited in all kickboxing formats

WAKO Competition RulesPDF

K-1/GLORY — Prohibited — key difference from Muay Thai {src— K-1/GLORY Kickboxing Rules}

Legal

— Unified MMA — Legal — all elbow strikes permitted

Unified Rules of MMA, August 2025PDF

— art of eight limbs

IFMA Muay Thai RulesPDF

Training Notes

✓The rising elbow travels from low to high, driving the point of the elbow upward into the opponent's chin or face

✓It is essentially an elbow uppercut but with a longer upward path starting from below the waist

✓Dip the striking side slightly, then explode upward with the legs and hips, letting the elbow rise through the target

✓The rising elbow catches opponents who are looking down or ducking from punches

✓In Muay Thai, the rising elbow is thrown from the clinch when the opponent pulls their head down to avoid horizontal elbows

✓The upward trajectory bypasses the standard guard, which protects against horizontal and downward attacks

✓Target the tip of the chin for maximum knockout potential

Common Mistakes

!Rising too slowly and losing the explosive upward snap that makes this technique effective

!Using the arm only without engaging the legs and hips — the power must come from the ground up

!Aiming the elbow at the chest or body instead of driving up under the chin

!Leaning back during the upward drive, which disconnects the body from the elbow

!Not dipping first to load the upward explosion — the dip-and-drive is essential

!Throwing the rising elbow from mid-range where you cannot reach the chin

!Letting the elbow continue past the target and over your head, pulling you off balance

Related Techniques

Combination — multi-strike sequence incorporating this technique for higher effectiveness

Counter Techniques

Lean Back — pull the head out of elbow range to avoid the short-range strike Clinch Tie-Up — close to body-to-body range to smother elbow strikes Push Kick (Teep) — maintain distance to prevent elbow range from being established

Setup Chain

1Close Distance — enter elbow range through clinch work or after slipping a punch

2Hip Rotation — generate power through the core by rotating the hips

3Strike with Elbow Point — drive the elbow through the target at the correct angle

Sources & References

Primary Source

Muay Thai: The Art of Fighting (Yod Ruerngsa, Khun Kao Charuad & James Cartmell, 2002)

1BookBoxing (Dempsey, 1950)

Alias sources — [1] Muay Thai Unleashed (Delp, 2006) [2] Muay Thai: The Art of Fighting (Kraitus & Kraitus, 1988) [3] WBC Muay Thai Rules (2014)

2BookChampionship Fighting (Dempsey, 1950)

Effectiveness sources — [1] Muay Thai Unleashed (Delp, 2006)

3SyllabusJapan Karate Association (JKA) — Official Technical Terminology

Official karate technique names (和語/漢語)

4OtherJapanese Martial Arts Standard Terminology (武道用語)

Established Japanese martial arts naming convention — native Japanese term (和語/漢語)

5CitationBoxing (Dempsey, 1950)

Alias sources — [1] Muay Thai Unleashed (Delp, 2006) [2] Muay Thai: The Art of Fighting (Kraitus & Kraitus, 1988) [3] WBC Muay Thai Rules (2014)

6CitationChampionship Fighting (Dempsey, 1950)

Effectiveness sources — [1] Muay Thai Unleashed (Delp, 2006)

Community

Athletics

Requires

leg drive, upward hip thrust, tight vertical alignment

Favours

shorter reach fighters effective at inside range

Key muscles

quadriceps, glutes, deltoids, biceps, core

Sub-techniques

Find by what a technique does — not its name

Every move, in any martial art, shares a few universal traits. Mix and match below to pinpoint the right tool — or compare equivalents across styles.

Standard Rising Elbow

Genus

The Standard Rising Elbow is the fundamental upward elbow strike where the fighter drops the elbow to hip or waist level and then explosively drives it upward into the opponent's chin or jaw. [1] The arm remains bent at a tight angle, and the force is generated primarily by hip extension and leg drive pushing the body upward while the shoulder guides the elbow to the target. [1,2] The standard rising elbow is most effective in the clinch or at very close punching range, particularly when the opponent's posture is upright and the chin is exposed. [2,3]

Explore

Frequently Asked Questions

How does the Rising Elbow work?

Where does the Rising Elbow come from?

Rising elbow strikes have been used in Muay Thai clinch fighting for centuries, where the upward elbow from within the plum clinch is one of the most celebrated offensive techniques. The rising elbow is also found in various Southeast Asian martial arts including Lethwei and pencak silat.

Is the Rising Elbow legal in competition?

Unified MMA: legal — Legal — all elbow strikes permitted; WBC/Boxing: banned — All elbow strikes prohibited in boxing; WKF: banned — Elbow strikes not a legal technique in sport karate; Kyokushin: banned — Elbow strikes prohibited; WT: banned — Prohibited; ITF: banned — Prohibited; WAKO: banned — Prohibited in all kickboxing formats; K: banned — 1/GLORY — Prohibited — key difference from Muay Thai; IFMA: legal — Legal — elbows are a core Muay Thai weapon (art of eight limbs)

How dangerous is the Rising Elbow?

Danger rating 7/10. Very High — rising elbow; targets chin from below

How do I set up the Rising Elbow?

The standard setup chain: Close Distance → Hip Rotation → Strike with Elbow Point.

How do I defend against the Rising Elbow?

Standard counters include: Lean Back — pull the head out of elbow range to avoid the short-range strike / Clinch Tie-Up — close to body-to-body range to smother elbow strikes / Push Kick (Teep) — maintain distance to prevent elbow range from being established.

What are the variants of the Rising Elbow?

Common variants: Standard uppercut (rising punch from below targeting the chin); Short uppercut (compact version for clinch range); Body uppercut (targeting the solar plexus with the rising punch); Lead uppercut (using the lead hand for a faster, less-telegraphed rising…).

How effective is the Rising Elbow in competition?

Used in Muay Thai and MMA.

What are common mistakes when doing the Rising Elbow?

Top errors to watch for: Rising too slowly and losing the explosive upward snap that makes this technique effective / Using the arm only without engaging the legs and hips — the power must come from the ground up / Aiming the elbow at the chest or body instead of driving up under the chin / Leaning back during the upward drive, which disconnects the body from the elbow.

What are other names for the Rising Elbow?

The Rising Elbow is also known as Age Hiji, Uppercut Elbow, Sok Ngat, Upward Elbow.

rising elbow age hiji strike elbow strike uppercut elbow muay thai mma krav maga sok ngat upward elbow