The Muay Thai roundhouse kick is very deadly because it uses the whole body in the same way swinging a bat is used. The roundhouse kick is ultimately a full body motion kick. This kick generates force by weight transfer and connecting to the ground, versus the snapping motion that many other martial arts kicks use. once connected it can really put damage on your opponent, even knock him/her out. it is rarely used in street fights, people don’t want to take that risk of missing, but it is always used in the UFC.
In this article I will go over the basic Muay Thai kick mechanics of this move. It’s fairly simple and all it takes is a bit of practice and timing in order for it to become effective.
Start With Your Stance
The first thing you have to do before executing the Muay Thai roundhouse kick is get into proper stance. In a Muay Thai stance, the feet are generally in the traditional 45-degree angle also seen in Boxing. However, unlike Boxing when in a Muay Thai stance you will standing more in an upright position in order to explode up onto the ball of the foot to throw kicks. Also, unlike boxing, the weight in your stance is distributed more to the rear leg. Additionally, the weight is in the ball of the feet on both the rear and the lead foot, whereas in boxing, the weight is in the ball of the foot only in the rear leg.
The first step is to get into your stance and then push up on the ball of your post foot. Your post foot will be the foot of your rear leg in this stance. Getting on the ball of your foot will also help you generate more hip action when rotating. If you remain flat footed you won’t generate enough power when throwing the kick to have an impact on you opponent.
Muay Thai Stance Before kicking
Pivot Hard With Foot
In essence your post foot (back leg) should be opening up and pivoting to open up your hips when you drive through your kick. As you pivot the lead foot, that heel will rotate towards your opponent. You should slightly bend the front knee of your lead leg because it will enable you to generate more torque and power. This means your kicking hip ends up in a parallel position over the hip of your base leg.
Swing The Same Side Arm Down
You can whip your hand down to your hip in order to gain more speed and generate more power, but do that knowing that you will leave your head exposed, and your opponent can see the opening and hit you with a strike.
Connect With The Roundhouse Kick
When executing the roundhouse kick be sure to connect with the shin right above the foot. Your kicking leg should be straight, for the most part, as you make contact with your opponent. Remember, the leg comes across your opponent like you’re swinging a bat, this is a full body motion move. Once you’ve made contact, bring that leg back the same way you came in, and do it quickly. Leaving your leg out there even for a fraction of a second is another good way to leave yourself vulnerable to a counter and/or take-down. Kick hard and fast, and then move.