Muaythai techniques were known as the "Art of Eight Limbs" as there are eight natural weapons to fight with: fists, elbows, knees and feet. The most peculiar muaythai techniques, which also differentiate Thai boxing from Chinese and Japanese martial arts, are related to the use of elbows and knees to ultimately destroy the opponent. The risk of injuries from such blows is quite high, therefore in many international tournaments elbows strikes are banned, penalizing Thai fighters when matched against foreign champions. Even in Thailand, some beautiful and vicious elbow/knees combinations are rarely used, or forbidden, as muaythai itself is evolving into a less pure form of traditional Thai boxing.

Elbows
The elbow is meant to cut the opponent skin and draw blood. It is used as a sharp razor, as the tip of the elbow, not the all arm, should hit the target. Therefore the aim is not at hitting bruntly, but to quickly scratch the target, like a sheet of paper going swiftly through the flesh. Unfortunately, spectacular elbows KO's are nowadays quire rare. There are eight kinds of elbow strikes: sok ti (striking elbow), sok tat (cutting elbow), sok hut (levering elbow), sok chieng (diagonal elbow), sok sap (choping elbow), sok tong (pull down elbow), sok kuu (double embow), sok klap (reverse elbow). 

See some good elbows hits below (some are muay boran tricks):

1. Sok Chiang

2. Sok Chiang Tee Khn

3. Sok Kian

4. Sok Klap

5. Sok Klap Tee Khn

6. Sok Kratung

7. Sok Klap Tee Long

8. Sok Long

9. Sok Long Kuu

10. Sok Ngak

11. Sok Plamong Tee Nguak

12. Sok Pung

13. Sok Dtat

14. Sok Thuan

Kicks
There are three levels of kick: low (targets: calf, tigh, back of the knee),  medium (targets: ribs and torso) and high (targets: chin, temple, neck). The basic ones are called teh phaen than (basic kicks). They are: teh pa mak (front kick), nep (pecking kick), teh tat (sweeping kick), teh pap nok (kick outside the knee joint), chorakee fat hang (reverse back kick). In muaythai, kicks are delivered with a full swing of the hips and trunk to accentuate the damage. Also is the shin, not the foot, which hits the target. This peculiarity of Thai boxing is highly risky if the kick is not successful: not a few fighters broke a shin bone hitting the tip of the opponent's raised knee.

See some good muaythai kicks below:

1. Teh Jooh

2. Teh Chiang

3. Teh Hiap

4. Teh Koht

5. Teh Ko Hok

7. Teh Klap Lang

8. Teh Kradoht

9. Teh Krheng Keng Krheng Kao

10. Teh Rit

11. Teh Dtat Bon

12. Teh Dtat Klang

Knees
Knees are perhaps the most important weapon in muaythai and definitely the most used throughout any fight. Together with elbows, knees are considered lethal weapons and sufficient to demolish an opponent. The correct way to throw the knee is to thrust it straight and upwards, otherwise it will be ineffective and dangerous. The tip of the foot must be always pointing upwards, in order to be turned into pecking kicks (nep) if necessary. Nowadays you'll see plenty of knees action directed at the flanks or the abdomen, especially when fighters cling at each other necks trying to pull down, hoping for a devastating knee in the opponent's face. This seem the most common feature in muaythai matches now.

See some good knee strikes below:

1. Kao Hiap

2. Kao Ion

3. Kao Kuu

4. Kao Laa

5. Kao Loi

6. Kao Nehp

7. Kao Noi

8. Kao Dtat

9. Kao Trong

10. Kao Yo

11. Kao Hohn

12. Ka Koht

13. Kao Chiang

14. Kao Kohng

Mae Mai
Mae Mai means the total of 15 traditional, basic muaythai techniques to learn before proceeding to further teachings. The students have to learn and put them into practice before the luk mai techniques will be taught. The essential mae mai are as follows:

1. Salab Fan Pla (Cross-switch movement)

2. Paksa Wheg Rang (Bird peeping through the nest movement)

3. Chawa Sad Hok (Java throws spear movement)

4. Inao Thaenk Krit (Inao stabs his kriss)

5. Yoh Khao Phra Sumer (Lifting the Sumer Mountain)

6. Ta Ter Kam Fak (Old man holding the melon)

7. Mon Yan Lak (Mon supports the pillar)

8. Pak Luk Toi (Impaling the stake)

9. Jorake Faad Hang (Crocodile sweeps its tail)

10. Hak Nguang Iyara (Break the elephant's tusk)

11. Naga Bid Hang (Snake twists its tail)

12. Virun Hok Klab (Bird somersault)

13. Dap Chawala (Estinguish the lamp)

14. Khun Yak Jab Ling (The giant catches the monkey)

15. Hak Kho Erawan (To break the elephant's neck movement)

Luk Mai
These are the complementary tricks:

1. Erawan Soei Nga (Elephant thrusting its tusks)

2. Bata Lup Bpaak (Foot touches face)

3. Khun Yak Pa Nang (Giant kidnaps the girl)

4. Pra Ram Nao Sorn (Rama pulls the arrow)

5. Kraisorn Long Huai (Tigers descend into the steam)

6. Kwaang Lieow Lang (Deer looks back)

7. Hiran Muan Pen Din (Mountain overturns earth)

8. Naga Mood Badan (Snake hides in the ocean)

9. Hanuman Tawai Wen (Hanuman offers the ring)

10. Yuan Tod Hae (Vietnamese throws a fishing net)

11. Tayae Khan Sao (Tayae supports the pillar)

12. Hong Pik Hak (Swan with broken wing)

13. Sak Puang Malai (Threading the flower garland)

14. Ten Kwaat Larn (Novice sweeps the floor)

15. Fan Luk Buap (Slicing the cucumber)