Stretches for Thai Boxing
Triceps and Deltoid Stretch
Stand with one arm out stretched across you at shoulder height, the other arm should come up above the opposite elbow and pull your arm closer towards yourself. You should feel a stretch in the top of your arm towards your shoulder. Hold this stretch for 5 seconds and repeat on the other side.
The triceps and deltoid stretch is an important stretch in Thai Boxing because when throwing straight punches, you are rapidly lifting up the arm and extending the elbow; the triceps job is to extend the elbow and the deltoid lifts up the arm.
Hip Adductor Stretch
Stand with one foot in front of the other. Widen your stance so that the front leg is bent at the knee and the rear leg is out straight behind you. Rotate the rear leg outwards until you feel a stretch on the inside of your upper thigh. This stretch will help you to get your leg up higher when doing a high kick.
Quadratus Lumborum (QL) Stretch
Stand up straight, bring one arm out to the side and up above your head and reach as far as you can to the opposite side with that hand. You should feel a stretch in your quadratus lumborum - a muscle on the side of your low back which links your ribs to the illiac crest. QL allows you bend to side, as in when you quickly move out of the way of your opponent. This muscle is also used for poweful uppercut punches.