Pad Holding: The Unsung Skill of Muay Thai
- Kru Art
- Aug 7
- 2 min read
If you want to get better at Muay Thai, learn how to hold pads well.
Too often, people treat pad holding like a side job. Something you do while your partner gets the real work in. But good pad holding is real work. It sharpens your timing, deepens your understanding of technique, and helps build rhythm with your training partner. When done right, it pushes both of you forward.
Here are the key things to focus on when holding pads:
1. Strong Stance, Solid Grip
Start with your base. Pad holding begins with structure. Stand in a balanced Muay Thai stance with one foot forward, knees bent, and weight evenly distributed. This keeps you grounded and stable when the strikes land.
Use a strong, overhand grip on the pads, thumbs on top, never tucked underneath. It protects your fingers and gives you better control over the pads.
2. Pad Placement & Catching Strikes
Good pad holders meet the strike, they don’t just absorb it. That means you’re catching the punch or kick with a bit of resistance, bracing slightly at the moment of impact. Your arms should stay close to your body to keep your structure strong.
Pads should be at the right height and angle:
Head-level for punches
Angled slightly inward for hooks
At the ribs or lower for kicks
And always close enough for your partner to strike with proper form
3. Focused, Engaged, and Present
One of the most important things you bring to pad holding is focus. You’re not a passive target—you’re part of the round. That means keeping your eyes on your partner, calling out the combinations clearly, and reacting in rhythm.
Be alert. If they make a mistake, help correct it. If they’re sharp, feed that energy back. That back-and-forth is where real improvement happens.
4. Keep It Simple, Make It Work
You don’t need to run your partner through a movie scene. A clean jab-cross-hook to low kick is often more useful than some 8-strike combo pulled off a YouTube highlight reel.
Focus on combinations that flow naturally, reinforce core technique, and allow both people to build sharp timing and balance.
Great pad holders know how to build pressure over the round, start smooth, then pick up the intensity. But they never sacrifice clarity for flash.
5. Rhythm Is Everything
When the rhythm between striker and pad holder clicks, the session becomes something more. There’s a cadence—a shared understanding—that elevates everything. It’s not random. It’s trained.
You’ll see this in high-level pad holders from Thailand, like Wanchai “Cookie” Lokwichit, who’s known for his fluid pad work and ability to push elite fighters with simple, well-timed cues. There’s no wasted motion. Every call, every pad placement, has purpose.
That’s what we aim for.
Here is a great interview with Chanachon Muay Thai
Final Thought
Pad holding is a skill, and just like striking, it takes reps, coaching, and attention to get good at it. But once you understand its value, you’ll see how much it contributes to your overall game.
Hold with intent. Communicate. Keep things simple and sharp.And most of all, stay engaged.
We’ll keep building that rhythm, one round at a time.
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