The five ways of training a Muay Thai combination
1. Shadow boxing
   A. Go slow step-by-step
   B. Fast shadow boxing

2. With Partner
   A. Go slow step-by-step
   B. Len chen (sparing)

3. Focus mitts or Focus mitts & Thai pad
4. Thai pads
5. Heavy bag

Three Stages of Thai pad training
1. Pre-defined drills
2. Flow at the feeder's discretion
3. Flow at the kicker's discretion

Common mistakes in holding Thai pads.
You don't need to learn to hold Thai pads to become a fighter. However, learning to feed Thai pads is a challenging part of the art and is necessary to become a teacher. If this is your goal, make sure to pay careful attention to Thai pad holding technique as you progress.

Listed below are several things not to do:

Don't put your thumbs on the inside of the hand strap. You can get your thumb sprained or broken.

If your thai pads have buckles, use the buckle but not the secondary loop. If the pad holder is injured you want to be able to get the pads off him right away.

Adjust the angle of your pads to the kicking angle of the kicker. Students with little hip flexibility will kick in a more upward direction. For students with better hip rotation don't create too little surface area by holding the pads at a near parallel angle to the ground. The kicker's leg can bounce off the pad and hit you in the stomach or groin.

Don't reach out as the kick comes in to try to keep it away from your body. This can cause the kicker to miss and hit you either above the pads (face) or, more commonly, below the pads (stomach, groin). Hold the pads and relax your body, and exxhale when the kicker's kick makes impact.

Don't hold the pads near your face for high kicks or while kneeling for a low kick.

Don't stick out your tongue, no matter how tired you are.

Don't put your head down if you are holding for plum position, you stand a good chance of getting a knee in the head. Combatively you want your head upright.

DON'T FORGET TO PAY RESPECTS!!!

Thai Pad Combinations

Listed below are a few Thai pad combinations.
Some combinations, such as the 4 count series, that are basic building blocks for other combinations.

This seems to be unusual among Thai trainers, most of whom have few if any basic building block-type combinations.

Many Thai pad combinations can be quite short, while others can get pretty involved.

Remember that form, speed & power are much more important than the length of the combination.

This will help you see how different trainers approach combination and pad training.

Jab cross series
      1. J-C L hook
      2. J-C L elbow
      3. J-C R elbow
      4. J-C L knee
      5. J-C R knee
      6. J-C L kick
      7. J-C R kic

Four count series
      1. (R-L-R-L) R kick, L hook, R cross, L kick
      2. (L-R-L-R) L kick, R cross, L hook, R kick
      3. (R-L-R-R) R kick, L hook, R cross, R kick
      4. (L-R-L-L) L kick, R cross, L hook, L kick

TBA 15 count (required for instructor certification)
      1. Parry feeder's cross
      2. Upward elbow for feeder's hook
      3. L elbow
      4. R elbow
      5. K knee
      6. L kick
      7. R cross
      8. L hook
      9. R knee
      10 R kick
      11. Long foot jab to stop the feeder's cross
      12. Bob left away from feeder's second cross
      13. L hook
      14. R cross
      15. R kick

16 count
      1. Long foot jab
      2. L kick
      3. R cross
      4. L hook
      5. R kick
      6. Long foot jab, holder parries outside & returns R kick
      7. Shield
      8. L kick to L inner thigh
      9. L kick to pad
      10. R cross
      11. L hook
      12. R kick

Variable end of 16 count (A - E counters to R cross)
  A)
      1. #2 knee
      2. R elbow
      3. L elbow
      4. Push & kick

  B)
      1. Upward elbow shield
      2. R elbow
      3. L elbow
      4. Push & kick

  C)
        1. Parry outside
        2. R elbow
        3. R knee
        4. R kick

  D)
      1. Shoulder stop
      2. R kick
      3. R knee
      4. R kick

  E)
      1. Long foot jab
      2. R kick
      3. R knee
      4. R kick

TBA 17 count (required for instructor certification)
    1. Long foot jab
    2. L kick
    3. R cross
    4. L hook
    5. R straight knee #2
    6. L elbow
    7. R elbow
    8. R straight knee #2
    9. R kick
    10. L hook
    11. R cross
    12. L kick
    13. R knee
    14. R kick
    15. L hook
    16. R cross
    17. Grab neck /w L hand to plum & 6 skip knees swing out to double kick

18 count
    1. Feeder gives long foot jab, you parry w/ L hand outside
    2. R kick to back of feeder's leg
    3. R kick
    4. L hook
    5. R cross
    6. L kick
    7. Feeder gives R kick, you shield w/ L leg
    8. L kick to feeder's inner thigh
    9. L kick
    10. R cross
    11. L hook
    12. R kick
    13. Feeder gives you R cross, you shoulder stop w/ L hand
    14. R cross
    15. L hook
    16. R elbow
    17. R knee
    18. R kick

Spin kick series
    1. Feeder spin kicks, you lean back
    2. R kick
    3. R cross
    4. L hook
    5. R kick
    6. Feeder spin kicks, you cut kick
    7. R cross
    8. L hook
    9. L kick
    10. L kick
    11. Feeder spin kicks, you long foot jab
    12. L kick
    13. R cross
    14. L hook
    15. R kick
    16. Feeder spin kicks, you knee shield
    17. L elbow
    18. R elbow
    19. L knee
    20. R kick

16 count
    1. Lean back to evade holder's R kick
    2. R kick
    3. R knee shield to holder's L kick
    4. L upward elbow shield feeder's R cross
    5. R elbow
    6. L elbow
    7. R elbow & R hand grab behind neck
    8. R straight knee
    9. R curve knee
    10. R curve knee
    11. L elbow
    12. R elbow & L hand grab behind neck
    13. L straight knee
    14. L curve knee
    15. L curve knee
    16. Push & L kick

Cross series
    1. Straight knee #2 against feeder's R cross     2. R elbow
    3. L elbow
    4. Push & R kick
    5. L upward elbow shield against feeder R cross
    6. R elbow
    7. L elbow
    8. Push & kick
    9. L hand outside parry & slip against feeder's R cross
    10. L elbow
    11. R knee
    12. R kick
    13. L hand shoulder stop against feeder's R cross
    14. R kick
    15. R knee
    16. R kick
    17. Long (L) foot jab against feeder's R cross
    18. R kick
    19. R knee
    20. R kick

5, 10 & 2
    1. 5 R kicks
    2. Lock up, grab one hand first, then cover and keep head to one side
    3. 10 skip knees
    4. Swing feeder out to your left
    5. Follow right away with 2 R kicks
        Variation: can be done as 10, 15 and 5

    Shuffle
    Alternate for full round:
    

30 seconds of 2 R kicks & 2 L kicks
    

15 seconds of 3 R kicks & 3 L kicks

Five by Fives
    

1 R kick

    

2 R kicks

    

3 R kicks

    

4 R kicks

    

5 R kicks

    

4 R kicks

    

3 R kicks

    

2 R kicks

    

1 R kicks

That makes 1. Do this five times to wind up with 5x5's. Then do on the left side. That is one complete set of 5x5's.