Back Elbow Drill: A Complete Guide
Quick Intro
Back Elbow Drill is a Martial Arts Drills exercise performed from a guard position by whipping the elbow backward and across the body toward a target behind, rotating the shoulders and hips into the strike. Rotating the whole torso into the strike is what gives this elbow the force to land hard.
Equipment Needed
No equipment is required. An open patch of floor with enough room to rotate the torso fully is all this drill needs.
Why It Matters
Whipping the elbow toward a target behind the body asks the shoulders, hips and eyes to track and strike something outside the normal field of view. The back of the shoulder cap (deltoid, posterior) and the back of the upper arm (triceps brachii) drive the elbow through its path, and the muscles along the sides of the abdomen (obliques) generate the rotation behind the strike. The mid-back muscles between the shoulder blades (rhomboids) support the shoulder as the elbow whips across, the lower back muscles (erector spinae) brace the spine through the turn and a muscle across the upper back and neck (trapezius) stabilizes the shoulder through the motion.
When to Do It
Back Elbow Drill works well within a close-range striking session, added once the basic guard and footwork already feel steady and before combinations or spinning strikes. Fitting this strike into two or three sessions a week is enough to build the rotation it depends on.
Anyone with a current shoulder or low-back issue should get individual guidance before adding this drill, since the whipping rotation loads both areas through repeated use.
Getting Ready
Looking toward the target behind the body for a moment, without throwing the strike yet, checks the visual line this elbow depends on. A few slow, partial rotations preview the full whip before full speed is attempted.
Step-by-Step Instructions
- Settle into guard. Take up a guard position with the weight evenly distributed.
- Find the target. Look toward the target behind the body before rotating.
- Whip the elbow. Rotate the shoulders and hips to whip the elbow backward and across.
- Reset. Bring the arm back to guard and reset before the next rep.
How Many, How Often
Back Elbow Drill is dosed by reps, with each full rotation-and-strike counting as one.
| Level | Where you’re at | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Beginner | New to rotating the torso before the elbow | 3 sets of 6 to 8 reps per side |
| Intermediate | The rotation and the strike connect smoothly | 3 to 4 sets of 8 to 10 reps per side |
| Advanced | Comfortable striking at full speed and power | 4 sets of 10 to 12 reps per side |
Rotating the whole torso into the strike matters more here than how fast the elbow travels, since a strike thrown with the arm alone loses most of its force.
Modifications and Variations
As an easier version, Rear Elbow — Slow performs the same strike at reduced, controlled speed, isolating the shoulder turn and hip rotation without the whipping snap of full-speed execution.
As a harder version, Back Elbow to Spin continues the rotation into a full spin to fire a second strike as the turn completes.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Swinging the arm without rotating the torso. Whipping the elbow using the shoulder alone, without the hips and torso turning behind it, strips most of the power out of the strike. The whole torso leads the motion, and the elbow follows that rotation.
Striking without finding the target first. Whipping the elbow backward before looking toward where the strike is headed leaves it aimed by guesswork. Finding the target with the eyes before the rotation begins keeps the strike accurate.
Overrotating past the target. Letting the turn carry further than the strike needs leaves the body off balance and slow to reset. The rotation stops where the elbow lands.
After Your Set
Rolling the shoulder slowly through its full range a few times releases it after repeated strikes. Twisting gently from side to side with the feet planted eases the obliques that drove each rotation.
Going Deeper
Whipping a strike toward a target behind the body asks for spatial awareness the guard and footwork alone do not. The arm tends to do the work while the torso barely turns, especially once speed is added. Slowing back down and feeling the hips and shoulders lead the rotation before the elbow follows fixes this faster than repeating a fast, arm-led strike.
Someone new to this drill generally manages a controlled, moderate-speed strike within the first few sessions, then works toward a fast, fully rotated elbow over the following couple of weeks.
How to Know You’re Improving
- A target that is found with the eyes before each rotation
- A torso that visibly leads the strike before the elbow follows
- A rotation that stops where the strike lands
- A strike that holds up once full speed is added
A torso-led strike matters more than how fast the elbow travels.
Muscles Worked
- Posterior Deltoid (the back of the shoulder cap, pulling the arm backward behind the body)
- Triceps Brachii (the back of the upper arm, holding the elbow folded as it whips back)
- Obliques (the muscles along the sides of the waist, turning the trunk to send the elbow behind)
- Rhomboids (the muscles between the shoulder blades, squeezing the blade in as the elbow travels back)
- Erector Spinae (the muscles running along the length of the spine, holding the spine firm through a blind rotation)
- Trapezius (the broad muscle spanning the upper back and neck, keeping the shoulder down as the arm goes behind)
FAQ
Why does this elbow need a full torso rotation? Rotating the shoulders and hips together generates far more force than the arm alone can produce, since the strike’s power travels through the torso’s turn before it reaches the elbow.
Is this strike harder to aim than a forward elbow strike? Yes, striking a target the body isn’t directly facing asks for a visual check and a timed rotation a forward strike doesn’t need, which takes more repetition to build.
Is some shoulder or back fatigue after this drill normal? Yes, the shoulder and the back work hard through a full set of this strike. A sharp pain in the shoulder or low back that stays there calls for backing off and checking in with a doctor or physical therapist.
Is slowing this strike down acceptable if the rotation feels rushed? Yes, a strike that already rotates cleanly at slow speed comes first, and Rear Elbow — Slow is the drill for it.
How often should the back elbow be drilled? Two to three times a week, once the basic guard and footwork already feel steady, suits most people building toward this close-range tool.
Related to Rear Elbow — Slow as the easier version performed at reduced speed and Back Elbow to Spin as the harder version adding a second strike off the completed turn.