Proper way to throw a Muay Thai kick?

[b0b]

I did karate for a little while when I was a kid. In my Muay Thai class, I was told I am putting too much foot in to my kick. They explained I need to bring my knee up higher, allow my hips to do the power, and leave my leg and foot limp and just swing it around. I had a hard time doing this, as it felt really un-natural. Any drills I can do at home to help me improve?

 

[TapOutGrapler]

get a bag, put some tape going down vertical on each side- it should be should legnth. now, for a preloaded muay thai kick- step in with your front front( it should go inside the tape) and make a 90 degree turn to the outside with it-bring your rear leg up and try to "karate" kick it so that your rear leg will meet up with your front.

Hope this helps a little

 

[meatbulle]

Listen to your coach and practice and technique will come.

Power comes from the hip.

 

[Bama Zulu]

Keep kicking in class under the guidance of your instructor. I wouldn't worry to much on working at home, don't worry most people who start MT are horrible at the kick.

 

[farmboy]

I notice the complete difference between a Muay Thai round kick and a Karate roundhouse. In the school I train at we were learning to do both. Both kicks seem to use the hip, but the roundhouse uses the knee as almost a hinge, also. At least, that's how it appears to me.

 

[I-Shoji]

I notice the complete difference between a Muay Thai round kick and a Karate roundhouse. In the school I train at we were learning to do both. Both kicks seem to use the hip, but the roundhouse uses the knee as almost a hinge, also. At least, that's how it appears to me.

Ya I took karate for many years also, and the "hinge" is a good way to describe it.

Basicly just throw the kick like you're swinging a bat (your leg) around and through the target. Don't chamber or cock the leg bending it at the knee. Create tension on your hips by using a combination of turning your upperbody and stepping out at an angle with your supporting leg (or for those of you that favor the foot pivot use that pivot to create the hip tension) and when the tension is max, release it swinging your leg horizontally through the target. Practice throwing the kick without a bag a few times and do a 360 degree turn throwing it to get the right mechanics. Now throw it into the bag with the same intention that you would optimally go through the oponent and turn around completely.

And viola, you should have the makings of a good thai roundhouse.

Something to note is that you get more power stepping to the outside of your target as you throw the kick. Being straight on with the target shortens your kicking distance, and the longer your kick travels the harder it hits.

Be wary of instruction to kick at upward or downward angles into your target. Firstly, this can have you injuring your foot kicking up into an elbow. Secondly, the best way to impact with a thai kick is in such a way that your kick impacts straight in. Maximum tissue damage and pain is a result of compressing "meat" between bone most efficiently. This is done by kicking into the leg (for example), as perpendicular to the way the bone is as possible.

Some thai instructors try to promote a downward "chopping" leg kick for example.

 

[Bama Zulu]

And be sure if you are stepping out you better learn to pivot fast because people who know what they are doing see that a mile away and you are going to get teep kicked.

 

[Leviathan333]

When you're hitting the heavy bag, simply refuse to bend your leg at the knee.

Do whatever it takes to get more power, obviously your pivoting at different points of your body. Eventually you'll gain an intuitive feel for what gives you power, without ever using your knee.

Think of it as driving a stickshift, you can't just know the steps of what to do, you learn how to 'feel' when to shift based on how hard the engine is working etc.

 

[Gregster]

Practice, practice, practice.

You're going from one style to another, with some changes in the mechanics of the kicks.

Upside: if you're a sufficiently experienced martial artist, you can critically analyze technique and take instruction better, which helps.

Downside: You have to unlearn things which feel natural and may even be ingrained in muscle memory; in that regard, you're actually starting at a deficit to the average noob. It's a confounding problem with anyone making a move from one method to another.

Go slow, get a feel for what proper technique feels like, and practice the hell out of it until Muay Thai is the way that starts to feel natural...then, go at it hard. And listen to your instructors, they can tell you better what to do and what not to do than a bunch of dudes on a messageboard who have no idea what you're doing.

 

[b0b]

Most of the tips I-Shoji gave me were what the instructor told me, but he doesn't have time to give individual instruction all the time, so I wanted some tips for stuff to do on my own.

Thanks guys, I think it will help me a ton.

 

[Gregster]

Most of the tips I-Shoji gave me were what the instructor told me, but he doesn't have time to give individual instruction all the time, so I wanted some tips for stuff to do on my own.

Thanks guys, I think it will help me a ton.

Then I'd give you the same advice as anyone else starting out: become at least adequate at the basics, then practice on your own. Practicing on your own before you know what you're doing right means practicing wrong, reinforcing bad habits, and drawing out the process of getting good.

 

[TapDG]

Step a little away and diagnol..dont bend your knee..pivot with the hips and land with the shin. It takes a few months of practice to get a good Muay Thai leg kick. I used to have a hard time generating power when I first staretd Muay Thai but now i LOVE using my leg and body kicks..even if they dont land flush they take alot of my opponents energey to block

 

[tokian]

Most of the tips I-Shoji gave me were what the instructor told me, but he doesn't have time to give individual instruction all the time, so I wanted some tips for stuff to do on my own.

Thanks guys, I think it will help me a ton.

Where do you train?

 

[rwo13]

I never did karate so it was a little easier for me to pick up. I had to start in a right lead(totally unatural for me) and my instructor keep saying just think of ur leg as a club your hips are swinging around. When i got the technique down I was knoking a heavyweight around with kicks alone.

 

[Crimson Tiger]

Remember... no snap with knees...... I know it sounds awkward, but it's true... no you don't get the power from intentional snap of the knee in MT kick... it comes from hip. That was the hardest part for me to transit from TKD kick to MT kick.... .

 

[z0nk]

i work on bringing up the knee first, then extending the leg whilst twisting the hip in. i make contact at the point of turning the hip.

 

[Chthon]

One thing that would help me was my instructor telling me to squeeze my butt cheeks together.

What many people have a tendency to do is to swing their hips properly, but then just before impact pulling their leg into the target, killing any power they had coming from the hips. You don't want to think of the power for a MT kick as coming from the leg that it impacting - i.e., what some people call "the snap".

Just squeeze your butt cheeks together like you're trying to hold in a fart and keep your hips open. So, it's almost like your hips are the ones that are moving and your leg is getting dragged into the target. It's just along for the ride.

 

[FELLA]

One thing that would help me was my instructor telling me to squeeze my butt cheeks together.

You do realise he's talking about kicking

 

[Chthon]

You do realise he's talking about kicking

Fuck, I walked right into that one...

Seriously though, it does help. Just act like you're holding in a fart to keep your hips open, and your leg won't snap.

 

[TapDG]

Hips Hips HIps...and just picture your shin going through the other side of the bag..Kick through your opponent