Knee vs elbow: What is the most brutal Muay Thai move?

Muay Thai, known as the “Art of Eight Limbs,” utilizes punches, kicks, knees, and elbows to devastating effect. Among these tools, two stand out as particularly savage: the knee and the elbow. Both are responsible for some of the most gruesome finishes in Muay Thai history—but when it comes down to sheer brutality, which one reigns supreme?

The Power of the Knee

Knees are some of the most powerful strikes in Muay Thai. Whether launched from the clinch, mid-range, or even flying through the air, a well-placed knee can end a fight instantly. The knee strike targets soft tissue areas such as the ribs, solar plexus, and liver, and when aimed at the head—especially during a clinch—can result in knockouts or broken facial bones.

Fighters like Dieselnoi Chor Thanasukarn made careers off the knee strike, towering over opponents and relentlessly driving knees into their bodies until they crumbled. Knees not only damage but also drain an opponent’s gas tank, especially when landed repeatedly in the clinch.

The Razor’s Edge: Elbows

Elbows, on the other hand, are arguably the most feared weapons in Muay Thai. Compact, fast, and often unpredictable, elbow strikes can slice open an opponent’s face like a razor. In fact, most of Muay Thai’s bloodiest battles owe their crimson visuals to a well-timed elbow across the brow or cheek.

Elbows are used in countless variations—horizontal, upward, spinning, or downward—and are ideal in close quarters. The damage they cause isn’t always immediate in the form of knockouts, but the cuts and psychological toll can shift the momentum of a fight dramatically. One elbow can end a bout on doctor stoppage, or worse, change the entire trajectory of a fighter’s career.

Brutality: Defined by Impact and Consequence

When defining “brutality,” we’re not just talking about pain—we’re talking about impact, damage, and the long-term effects. Knees can break ribs, cause internal injuries, and render an opponent immobile. Elbows, while less likely to knock someone out cold, often result in bloodshed, severe cuts, and permanent scarring.

SHOP: The Kickboxer Collection

In terms of sheer visual brutality, elbows take the crown. They create the kind of gore that turns casual viewers away and gets hardcore fans on their feet. But in terms of internal destruction and consistent fight-ending potential, knees may actually do more damage overall.

Verdict: Elbows for Show, Knees for Dough

Ultimately, it depends on how you define “brutal.” If blood and visible carnage define it for you, elbows are the answer. But if you look at structural and internal destruction—broken ribs, concussions from clinch strikes, and body shots that paralyze—knees might be even more savage.

In Muay Thai, brutality wears many faces. Whether it’s the flash of an elbow slicing across a brow or the thud of a knee crashing into a midsection, both techniques are weapons of war—and in the right hands, they’re equally terrifying.