
Shadow Boxing: Essential to learning the technique. Many beginners often neglect shadow boxing and go straight to the bag-work, and by doing so you do not learn the technique properly nor the control of the technique. Shadow boxing in front of a mirror allows you to observe, correct and polish your technique. When shadow boxing use the full range of your movements; do not shorten the punch or kick. Once you have developed the technique to its fullest extent then you can develop the shorter, sharper punches and kicks.

Use double or triple movements and do drills of ten or twenty non-stop punches or kicks i.e. the jab or teep. Very slow controlled shadow boxing is a good way to warm up then shadow box as you would wish to fight, with speed, control, conviction and vision
Shadow Sparring

Shadow Sparring: This is basically light sparring mostly with the legs to help develop reaction time for leg blocking, footwork, control and development of your technique. It is recommended to use shin guards and be very careful at first until you have developed some control, when two good boxers do this it can look as if they are employing full contact. One of the most difficult things for new students to develop in Muay Thai is the ability to block leg kicks with their own legs.
