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The Low Roundhouse Kick of Muay Thai

How to? The Low Roundhouse Kick of Muay Thai

1-There are a # of varieties to this kick. I will discuss one of them in this post. We can get into variations on this theme afterwards.

2-Remember, with the Low Roundhouse kick of MT, the target area ranges from your opponents ankle up to his upper thigh.

3-I will try to break this up into a few steps, but remember, when the kick is actually executed, all the steps flow together into one motion.

**alright, enough with the disclaimers already**

When performing this kick, you must first be at the correct distance from your opponent. Unlike straight kicks and snap kicks the body momentum is generated by stepping sideways at an angle, rather than towards your opponent (or target). The correct distance for this kick is when your opponent is JUST BEYOND punching range. During practice, extend your lead hand to your opponent or target. You should be able to touch the opponent or target by simply leaning forward a little bit.

#1-STEP AND LEAN: Step sideways at a 45 degree angle to the intended target. As you step, your stepping foot should start to rotate. Make sure you are stepping on your tippy toes, not on a flat foot. As you step, you should lean your body in the direction that you step. This helps get your body momentum going, which is a key ingredient to this kick.

#2-ROTATE (and lean): Your entire body most rotate on the ball of your foot. Your leg should be straight (or very close to straight) during the entire kick. As you rotate and kick, your body should stay leaned away from the kicking leg. This acts as a counterbalance of sorts, and gets the weight of your upper body behind the kick.

#3-IMPACT: When the leg strikes the intended target, it should strike with the lower portion of the shinbone and/or the very upper part of the instep. The momentum of the kick should follow through the target. The kick does not stop at impact! The follow through is probably the most important facet of this kick. Think of your leg as a baseball bat. Swing it all the way through the target, attempting to break through everything in it's path.

The above instructions are very simplified, and without the benefit of photo's or demonstration, may not make complete sense. I have left out of the steps the instructions on how to hold your guard as you kick as that has been addressed in another post. I will finish this up with some bullet points.

*again, do not kick if you are standing too far away from the opponent. This forces you to step INTO the opponent when covering the distance, and gets your body's momentum traveling in the wrong direction

*when you lean away from the kick, lean far enough away so that your head is out of reach of your opponents punches. ESPECIALLY during low kicks, as you have to stand closer to your opponent while executing them.

*swing your leg in a "dead legged" style using your hip. Very similar to kicking a soccer ball or football. DO NOT "SNAP" THE LEG! Follow all the way through the intended target. If you were to miss, the kick would literally spin you around!

*When the kick impacts with the target, the heel of your support foot should be pointing at your target. Or, you can think of it as having your knee facing completely away from the target.

*Remember to keep the foot extended! Many people forget to do this b/c they are kicking with the shin and therefore forget to pay mind to what they do with their foot. Kicking with a "lazy ankle" leads to injuries.

*The impact with the intended target (when the kick is thrown correctly) creates a "rebound" effect. Learn to use this to get yourself back into your basic stance rather than "retracting" your leg.

*The most common target is the outside of your opponents lead leg on the thigh. However, do not forget that the rest of the leg, both inside and out is a legal target. (I expect to discuss the "Submarine" kick or "Cut" kick later in this discussion)

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Oops, I forgot to add one bullet point, though it was alluded to in the post.

*Remember, for those who have studied other kicking styles, the impact area is now the lower shinbone. That means you have to adjust your kicking range to reflect this! The is a small, but very important adjustment...

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*The support leg bends when kicking low. The lower your kick, the lower you bend your support leg. Remember to still stay on your tippy toes.

(*with the higher rdhouse kicks, some boxers straighten the support leg when kicking, some don't. I recommend trying both ways to see which feels more comfortable, gives you more power, and allows you to keep your balance)

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*When kicking (or performing any MT technique) it is important to remember that the feet, hips and shoulders all move as ONE UNIT! There should never be any twist to your body. If the feet rotate to the left, your hips and shoulders rotate to the left with them. By moving the body as one unit, the boxer is able to get his or her full weight into his or her techniques.

***ok, I'm done. If I've forgotten something, ask.***

--
Khun Kao Charuad
SuriyaSak Muay Thai at USDC
www.elbowko.com
www.lloydirvin.com

khunkao@mindspring.com

Edited into one article from a few posts to rec.martial-arts by Khun Kao Charuad.