You can throw a low kick from either the near or far leg. When throwing a low kick from the far leg, it is necessary to charge the striking limb through the so-called split: a quick start technique when throwing kicks. If we exaggerate, the stepping mechanism is similar to a sharp jerk of a runner, where he uses his far leg as a spring to overcome inertial forces as quickly as possible. It is performed due to a sharp push of the leg from the supporting platform, which charges the subsequent impact action, using the energy of elastic deformation of the muscles of the pushing limb and the reaction force of the support, thereby generating maximum acceleration and imparting the necessary force, speed and power to the blow. It is important, in this case, to turn the toe of the supporting leg to obtain the greatest useful stroke of the impact action.
When delivering a blow, you need to pay attention to the positioning of the hands and shoulder girdle of the hand-to-hand fighter: the fighter’s hands go to reverse, balancing it and protecting the chin and body. The strike, as such, is performed not so much with the leg, but with the whole body, involving the biological system of the striker in a rotational movement and transmitting the shock impulse to the attacking limb. The reverse movement of the hands, at the same time, not only stabilizes the fighter, but also accelerates him, helping to quickly overcome the inertia of rest.
The muscle strength of the kicking leg does not play a decisive role in the low kick technique. Much more important, in our opinion, is the correct distribution of mass in the hand-to-hand fighter’s body at the moment of impact, as well as the method of transmitting the impact impulse from the support to the striking leg. For a better understanding of this mechanism, you can exaggerate this moment through lead-in exercises and jump from one leg to the other, alternately transferring your body weight between the supports. This will help you better understand the principle of generating a shock pulse and learn how to adjust the strike distance.
When practicing with emphasis, it is advisable to combine a low kick with punching combinations with your hands in order to learn how to distribute the mass during the serial execution of striking actions, to become centered and to feel the mechanics of launching a blow in dynamics. Be careful about the positioning of the knee and hip of the striking leg: do not twist it or lean towards the side of the strike, as this will dissipate the impact impulse and put you in a vulnerable position relative to the opponent. Try to strike in as straight a direction as possible.
A low kick is thrown into both the outer and inner thighs, knocking out the person’s supporting leg. Often, a low kick to the inside turns out to be much more effective in self-defense on the street than its counterpart to the outside, since it is applied along a straight trajectory, which, most often, is completely invisible to the defender, and injures the medial and cruciate ligaments of the knee, and if The accuracy, timing and concentration of energy are great enough, it can even tear the meniscus. In this case, the enemy will be instantly defeated and is guaranteed not to be able to continue his aggression.
When throwing a low kick from your near foot, there are two ways to initiate the kicking action. The first method is using the same step that we used when striking from the far leg, and the second is by twisting the muscles of the legs and pelvis.
When performing a strike from the near leg, it is also necessary to remember about turning the toe and the optimal trajectory of the impact action with a further gap in the distance.
If we need to use the near leg as a push leg and perform a step, we need to learn how to organically and naturally change the position of the legs. In this case, the near leg goes back to push, and the far leg rushes forward at forty-five degrees relative to the opponent. This results in a change of stance and a sharp reduction in the distance with the opponent, which allows you to deliver a hard, penetrating blow.
If we strike using a twist of the pelvis, we first perform a dodge from a possible oncoming attack, thereby charging the future striking action, and then fire a low kick forward by means of a jump, moving the far leg forward and turning it to subsequently generate a shock impulse.
After practicing the strike on projectiles, you need to learn how to apply it in practice. To do this, stand in pairs with your partner and at slow speed begin to work with the first and second number, where the first number attacks, and the second defends, followed by the use of a practiced blow.
Slow initial processing speed is a necessary condition. This is explained by the fact that you must learn to charge and strike correctly. Without a competent technique for performing a striking action, it will not be possible to put force into it, and, as a result, the damaging effect will be weak, which we often see in amateur fights. This is explained by the fact that when studying technique, priority was given not to the quality of work, but to speed, which, in our opinion, irrevocably spoils the fighter’s technique and is a pedagogical mistake.
Using a low kick on the street is associated with some risks of injury if the application is unsuccessful, because the low kick technique involves striking a vulnerable part of the body - the shin. It usually hits the opponent's thigh, causing muscle spasm and depriving him of the opportunity to continue aggression. However, with insufficient training of the striking limbs, delivering a given blow to the wrong place can have the opposite effect, causing paralyzing pain when colliding with a rigid part of the opponent’s biomechanical structure.
To avoid this misunderstanding, it is necessary to carefully prepare the striking surfaces and the opponent for the application of a low kick, bringing him with his technical actions into a position in which it will be extremely difficult for him to defend against it. The initial training of a low kick on a bag is carried out using protective equipment in order to overcome the guard reflex and establish the correct technique. However, as the striking limbs are hardened, it is recommended to abandon it.
When using a low kick to counterattack, you need to fit into the opponent's movement, simultaneously performing a strike and a dodge. This will allow you to achieve a much more noticeable damaging effect due to the addition of speeds and not get caught by an oncoming blow. Among other things, after performing such a technique, you can easily stabilize by returning to a fighting stance and continue the fight either by breaking the distance or by aggressively attacking.
The ability to break the distance and go on a counteroffensive are extremely important skills that need to be practiced until they become automatic. That is why in our training we pay special attention to the mechanics of striking, various ways of getting closer to the enemy and getting to a safe distance. We do this both through special leading exercises and through working in pairs on assignment. The low kick mechanics we are practicing are universal and can easily be transferred to any other blow, including a blow to the groin. However, you can practice it in a duel exclusively in the sports version, after which you learn how to use it in conjunction with
Jab
The jab is a fast, stinging punch with the front hand. The jab can be applied in several ways, relaxed and powerful, it can be a jab as a preparation for an attack, as an attempt to get out of an opponent's attack, a jab in a combination. A little more about the types of jab.
Standard jab- applied from a side stance with the front foot stepping towards the opponent. When returning the hand back, a step is taken with the back foot, returning you to your stance, but next to your opponent.
Jab to the body - used either as a feint to open the opponent's head guard, or as a counter-punch. This strike cannot be classified as heavy artillery, however, it can serve you well. The blow is delivered with a body tilt to the right and forward (for right-handers), a sharp push of the right leg and a sliding step of the left leg towards the opponent.
Tepper - a light jab that forces the opponent to activate his defense. You don't need to invest in this jab, just throw light punches to conserve your strength and prepare a powerful right hand. Try to practice this type of jab in training and apply it in sparring, the result will pleasantly surprise you.
Cross
The cross is a powerful strike with the far hand. It is often applied towards the opponent, as a counterpunch, through the opponent’s hand, or after preliminary preparation with other strikes, for example, a jab. Hitting technique:
1. Push of the right leg;
2. Transferring the body to the left leg;
3. Rotation of the body and shoulder girdle;
4. Throwing out the hand as a completion of the blow.
At the same time, do not forget to cover your chin with your right shoulder, protecting it from an oncoming blow. Remember that when throwing a cross you are opening the liver, the blow to which will be very painful, so immediately lower your elbow into place.
The cross is a blow that you hit with confidence and put maximum effort into it. Prepare a cross, scout your opponent's defense, make him make mistakes, disguise the blow, and soon in fights you will be knocking out your opponents with a right cross.
Uppercut
An uppercut is a blow that is delivered from below, from below to the side, to the body or head of the opponent. Quite often they forget about it, however, the blow, as practice shows, causes quite a lot of damage. Many body knockouts are done with an uppercut. Let us examine in order how this blow is delivered:
1. Bent knees. The kick begins with springing the legs, and on straight legs it becomes problematic to execute the kick.
2. Position of the hips. Hips should remain down. There is no need to "jump" during the strike; this will not make you achieve greater speed and force of the strike. And if we talk about a double uppercut, then you can forget about the speed of execution when jumping.
3. Hip rotation. The hips should rotate in the same way as all other punches: jab, cross, hook, etc. It is this movement that gives the finished power to your uppercut.
4. Hand throw. It should coincide in time with the rotation of the body. Before striking with your hand, you must not lower your hand, thereby opening yourself up to your opponent and “telegraphing” the blow. The movement should be short and without swinging.
5. Return of the hand. The return should take the shortest possible path - in a straight line from the end point of the impact to your chin. Make sure that your hand does not fly further than the intended point during the strike, even if you miss.
Punching bags, wall pads, horizontal bags, mitt work and pair work are good options for practicing uppercuts in training.
Hook
A hook is a devastating blow. It is applied both to the head and to the body, on the spot and with a step forward or backward. Hook Power
lies mainly in the correct movement of the body. How to throw a hook correctly?
Technique for correctly throwing a right hook from a front stance.
1. Transfer your body weight to your right leg;
2. Extension of the legs and hips, rotation of the torso counterclockwise;
3. Throwing a bent arm in an arc at a position of 90 degrees relative to the floor.
It is important to keep your left hand under your chin for protection. For a left hook from a front stance, everything is the same, only in reverse.
The left hand hook from a side stance is more demanding on coordination. A left hook can be carried out forcefully, while leaving, circling around the opponent. Each of these types is demanding in its own way.
The power version of the strike involves transferring weight to the left leg, slightly bending towards it, then sharply straightening on the legs with the release of the left arm. Ideally, you could see the execution of this blow from Mike Tyson.
The spin hook looks like this: You rotate your body clockwise to avoid an oncoming attack, with a side step and throw a punch. If the blow is made counter, it will be an extremely hard blow, stunning the opponent.
Low kick
Low kick is one of the most devastating kicks. Sometimes one low kick is enough to end the fight. These blows dry out the opponent's legs, making them stiff and heavy. And, as you know, if you don’t move during a fight, defeat is not far off. Low kicks are punched with both feet, there are external and internal low kicks. It is easier to hit with an external low kick, which is why the percentage of fights after it is higher than that of an internal one. However, it is worth knowing that the place that is pierced by the inner low is much softer than the outer side of the leg. The low kick hits both the lower thigh and the opponent's knee. Both options have their advantages and should be used depending on the situation. It is important to know that the low kick is not hit by the instep of the foot - this is a common mistake that leads to a large number of injuries and fractures. A correct low kick is thrown through the lower part of the shin: this way the blow becomes less traumatic for you and more painful for your opponent. How to throw a low kick? Consider a kick with the left foot in a right-handed stance:
1. Push with your left leg and transfer your body weight to your right leg;
2. Raise your left leg, pressing your shin to your thigh. Raise until the foot is level with the knee of the right leg;
3. Rotate the supporting leg and body while simultaneously straightening the leg, but it is necessary not to straighten the leg completely. The shin strike is applied from top to bottom. This is achieved by turning the knee down;
4. Leaning the body back to avoid a counterattack;
5. Returning the leg to its original place.
Do not throw your hands when performing a strike! Many knockouts were made on a counterattack with a low kick. They hone their low kick in training in Kyokushin karate, kickboxing, Muay Thai and mma.
High kick
Usually, a high kick refers to several variations of kicks: to the head and to the body. Many people also combine this kick with mawashi geri from karate, but the technique of these kicks is slightly different. This strike requires the following actions from you: raising the knee of the striking leg as high as possible, turning the foot of the supporting leg in the direction of the strike and simultaneously extending the striking leg.
What to remember when hitting? Don't throw your arms, try to keep your head protected. Keep your back straight or slightly tilted back - this will help you maintain balance. Strikes with the so-called "carried", i.e. a blow, after which, in case of a miss, you will be turned around by inertia, both pros and cons are stored. By turning 360 degrees in front of your opponent, you momentarily lose sight of him, which means you take a big risk. On the other hand, “carrying” strikes are monstrous in their power, so whether to use this strike option or not is up to you to decide depending on the situation.
Do not neglect the step - stepping up to bring the striking leg to the best position. This must be done in order to have time to strike from the side where the enemy currently has a gap.
Front kick
It's time to talk about how to throw a low kick. Looking at how the fighters perform it, many people think that there is nothing complicated in the technique, and they can repeat this blow without much difficulty, but this is not so. In fact, the low kick is more difficult than it looks. Kicking itself is more difficult than kicking, and it’s not difficult to guess why. When we kick, we remain on the ground on one leg, while our stability is significantly reduced, and we can easily lose our balance. You can lose, but if you practice, everything will be fine - you will not lose your balance, and your opponent, lying on the ground, will not understand what happened. Actually, the blow is good, and it’s worth learning it, but only after punches have been learned. But on the other hand, think about the words of Bruce Lee, which had the following meaning: “I am not afraid of the one who practices 1 blow 1000 times, but the one who practices 1 strike 1000 times,” and this really makes sense. Yes, it is not necessary to learn a lot of strikes if it is for self-defense, but the main thing is punches and kicks, I think, it is worth knowing. The low kick, the technique of which is not so simple, is one of the main kicks that is often used by fighters. It is carried out along the lower part of the body, and therefore often goes unnoticed by the enemy, which is good. 
A low kick can be the punch that will help you end a fight that hasn't even started. That is, after hitting the legs once, the opponent will sit down and will not get up for a long time. Actually, this blow should be so strong. It is most often applied to the thigh, but can be applied to any part of the leg. They often hit a low kick under the knee so that the leg gives way and the opponent falls or loses balance. An unprepared person who does not have full thigh muscles will very quickly sit down on the ground to rest and ask you to apologize if he is wrong. Wouldn't it be great to resolve everything relatively peacefully? If you are for a peaceful solution to the problem, but your opponent does not share your desire, then the low kick can be an excellent argument in your favor.
The blow itself is delivered with the shin, namely its lower part, or less often with the instep of the foot. You can hit with the instep of your foot, but without warming up you can damage your leg, and there’s nothing to say about an unprepared person. As for the shin, you can hit with any part, but the bottom is preferable, since the lower the area, the longer the path it travels, and the more it can be accelerated, and as a result, the stronger the blow.
Low kick, striking technique
The right and left kick are slightly different kicks in terms of technique, but still some truths are the same for both kicks.
- Turn of the foot
- Raising the knee to impact level
- Rotation of the pelvis and body
- Acceleration of the leg and shin
I want to immediately talk about the lower leg. The sharper the angle between the thigh and shin, the stronger the blow will be, since the shin separately from the thigh can gain additional acceleration. And in the end, with the inversion of the foot, torso and pelvis, as well as the additional speed of the lower leg, we get a very good blow.
Along with the beginning of the pelvic rotation, the knee turns in the direction of the impact, and the acceleration of the lower leg begins.
Low kick. Left foot kick technique
Let's first look at the technique of striking with the left foot. If you are right-handed, like most people, then you will stand in a left-sided stance, with your left foot in front. It is not necessary to strike with the left when the left foot is in front. It is on the street that this blow will be most suitable, since it can be carried out literally from a normal position. We simply stand, stomp, place our foot sideways, and perform a low kick with our left foot. The farther your left foot is in front, the less power the strike will have as the distance is reduced, but if you are well prepared, you can hit productively from a regular stance. The best option for the left is to immediately place the right foot in the desired position.
- Let's put our foot down
- Raise the knee along with the rotation of the pelvis
- While moving the legs, straighten the shin and place it on the opponent’s thigh.
The leg should not be level during the impact. In any case, it will be slightly bent at the knee.
As for hands and protection. The left hand is backhanded, and the right hand protects the chin.
Low kick. Right foot kick technique
Again, there are not very many differences, but they are there. When striking with the right foot, it is the same; it will be much more convenient if the left foot immediately becomes firmly sideways, but this may not always work, so additional rotation of the left foot will be necessary. You need to turn your foot more by resting more on the hills in front of your toes, but in no case do you tear off the heel too much. The heel should slide along the ground. The inversion of the foot is carried out together with the inversion of the pelvis and body, while the knee rises, turns in the direction of the impact, and speed is gained with the leg and shin. Since the right foot is the back one, the distance between the starting point and the ending point is longer than when striking with the left foot (front), and therefore the impact will be stronger. But since the distance is greater, it is more noticeable.
Protection. The left one protects the chin, and the right one protects the liver.
Note
Don’t foolishly attack the punching bag and hit it while you can, as this will lead to aching pain in the shin some time after the workout. Approach this matter gradually - first 20 strokes, then increase. Often, the bottom of the bag is very hard, and it is best to avoid this area at first, hitting the softer layers. You can use equipment to protect your legs, but personally I don’t see the point in this even at the beginning. It’s better without protection and little by little, so that your legs don’t hurt later, since the protection will still need to be removed.
High kick(high kick)
Head kicks are some of the most powerful and knockout kicks of all. High side kick in international meaning and in Thai boxing is usually called “ high kick" This kick is used not only in Muay Thai, but also in many other martial arts. True, it can be applied with different force and speed, depending on the rules of the competition. The most powerful version of the strike is considered to be the Thai version.
« High kick» Apply to the head or neck. The striking part here is the fighter’s shin. He makes up for his power with speed; such a blow is quite noticeable, which is why many Muay Thai fighters learn “ high kick" with the left foot, of course, the strength decreases, but the chances of a successful attack are much greater, and on the contrary, the chances of an oncoming counterattack are lower.
The principle of the kick is exactly the same as the “middle kick”, the only difference is that the leg hits higher.
How to perform a high kick in Muay Thai:
Get into a left-sided stance, raise your right leg, bent at the knee, as high as possible. You turn the foot of the supporting leg and at the same time straighten your leg, striking the head area. The body may deviate slightly, but try to keep your back straight.
Initially " high kick» can be practiced like in karate, i.e. quickly kick and take your leg back. Then you will need to hit with your feet, so the blow will be as powerful as possible. When practicing in this mode, such a blow will turn you around a little and returning your leg back according to the classic scenario will be more difficult, so in this case you will have to completely rotate on your supporting leg and, having landed your kicking leg near you, quickly turn towards the enemy and take the combat stand.
Low kick (low kick)
« Low kick"along with knees and elbows is the hallmark of Thai boxing. This phrase can be roughly translated as “low blow.”
« Low kick in Muay Thai Usually applied to the central part of the thigh, on the outer or inner side. Less often hits the calves and shins. The purpose of such a blow is to limit the opponent’s mobility or to “dry” his leg so that the opponent can no longer continue the fight. The striking surface is again your shin.
Pros " low kick"The point is that such blows are quite fast and difficult to block, and good stretching is also not required.
The only downside is the risk of injury. To reduce the risk of injury and to hit freely without straining from pain, the shin is padded for a long time, thanks to which we can make special blocking actions against enemy low kicks and hit a little more painfully. However, in professional m-1 competitions you can sometimes find cases where a person puts all his weight into a blow and hits his knee, breaking his leg. Such cases are rare, but no one is immune from them, so always think about how and with what it would be more correct and safe to hit in a given situation.
Let's start practicing the low kick in Muay Thai:
We stand in a fighting stance and raise the leg bent at the knee, as with a “middle kick”. We turn the foot on the supporting leg and at the same time, using the hip joint, straighten and rotate the leg towards the opponent’s hip area. The key difference from a middle kick is that your supporting leg bends a little more during the impact and the kick itself is driven into the thigh at approximately a 45-degree angle.
The sports club where I started kickboxing was very famous for its kicks to the legs. At competitions, most of the kickboxers from our team ended fights early with low kicks. Tough, daring and effective, but very often ignored by professionals. But, if you hit the same point on the enemy’s thigh 2-3 times with a practiced blow, he will no longer be able to continue the fight. Yes, needless to say, he will be limping for a few more days. Training in this club shaped mine, where special attention is paid to low kicks.
Beats low kick very similar to, only applied from a medium distance to the lower zone - to the thigh area of the left and right legs, both from the inside and the outside. The striking surface is the instep of the foot, but most often it is struck with the shin. The big advantage of the low kick is that you don’t need to have a good stretch to hit it well, and it has better stability compared to other kickboxing punches. This makes them ideal for use in street combat. Low kicks are very dangerous unless you have hamstring muscles. Therefore, initially bruises and bumps will be your allies. I will definitely tell you how to properly stuff the drumstick in a separate article. In the meantime, try to control the force of the blow and not hit the opponent’s knee or block.
Technique for performing a low kick with your left foot:
- From a fighting stance, pushing off with your left foot, we transfer your body weight to your right.
- Raise your left leg, bending it at the knee. We press the shin to the thigh, and pull the foot down.
- When the foot of the left leg, rising, is at the level of the right knee, on the front of the right foot we turn the body from left to right. At the same time straightening the leg, we throw the shin from left to right and strike from top to bottom into the opponent’s thigh.
- The target of the blow is the inner thigh of the left leg or the outer thigh of the right leg.
- At the moment the shin is thrown out, the knee turns slightly downward.
- We tilt the body back, which allows us to maintain balance and avoid an oncoming blow.
- The supporting leg is slightly bent at the knee.
- The movements are performed quickly and continuously, while keeping the hands in place (in defense).
- After striking, the leg returns along the same trajectory back to .
The photo shows side kicks (low kick): on the left – with the left leg on the inner thigh; on the right - with the right leg on the outer surface of the thigh.
Carrying low kicks are common in Muay Thai. The blows are much harder, and having missed, without changing the trajectory, we turn 360 degrees and take the original combat stance.
A low kick with the right foot is performed using the technique described above. The target for the strike is the outer thigh of the left leg and the inner thigh of the right leg. To strike the inner thigh of the right leg, you need to take into account that along the trajectory of the strike the enemy’s left leg acts as an obstacle (if he stands in a left-sided stance, like you). To avoid colliding with his front leg, you need to take a long step with your left leg to the left and forward and only then strike with your right leg. This is a difficult blow to execute and requires extreme precision. But, rest assured, it will be very painful for your opponent, since this is the weakest area.
Low kick finds its application in attack, in counterattack, in any combinations and combinations - it is universal. Therefore, practice it and put it into practice and see how useful it is!
