All You Need to Know About Performing Powerful Muay Thai Leg Kicks

Muay Thai is one of the most popular martial art forms that was first introduced in Thailand during the mid-18thcentury. The Muay Thai martial art technique derives its name from the place of origin, and roughly translates to ‘Thai Boxing’. It is also widely known as the “Art of 8 Limbs” since it leverages the 8 prominent points of contact including fist, elbows, knees and shins. This combat sport uses stand-up striking positions along with numerous clinching techniques. Impactful leg kicks can be a game-changer in this combat art form and those who are good kickers have a competitive advantage. Let’s delve deeper to learn more about Muay Thai leg kicks.

What is the Muay Thai Leg Kick?

At the core of the Muay Thai martial art form lies the concept of “8 Limbs”. The idea is to use your shins, elbows and knees as weapons against your opponent in a contest. Human legs are undoubtedly the strongest limbs in our body since we rely on them to keep our body up and running. Leg kicks in the Thai Boxing form hold a special significance and are extensively used during these combats.

 

The Muay Thai Leg Kick is a technique that is frequently used in a contest to defend against an opponent by using the shins and knees. The idea is to use contact points from the lower limbs and develop a defence against competitors in Thai boxing matches. Low kicks in Muay Thai combats can help you deliver the most impactful blows to your opponent when carried out in the right manner.

How to perform a Low Kick?

A successfully charged low kick can disrupt your opponent’s momentum altogether. Timing plays a crucial role when it comes to throwing a powerful leg kick. The best time to practice a low kick during a fight is when your weight is being shifted heavily onto one leg. The amount of damage you can do to your competitor depends greatly on the power generating capacity while charging a low kick.

 

It is advisable to move as much of the body weight as possible towards the striking direction. The main objective of landing low kicks is to target the body’s longest nerve, i.e., the sciatic nerve. This particular nerve runs from the lower back through the thighs & legs and ends up at the feet. When you charge a kick on this nerve, it will instantly destabilize your opponent’s mobility and dexterity.

 

For effectively performing a low kick, you need to place your legs ahead of your body and aim for the sciatic nerve. Once you have decided the exact body part you are aiming for, you need to pivot your left leg and quickly swing the right one to charge the kick. Repeatedly charging low kicks can also help you damage your opponent’s bones, muscles, joints and ligaments.

 

While performing a low kick, it is important to note that your body must move in the same direction. Once you have landed the kick, you should focus on leveraging your momentum to disable the opponent. It is imperative that you never let your guards down and always protect your body and head from counterattacks. Displacing your opponent’s weight using punches and pushes helps to create the right window for charging low kicks.

How to perform a Calf Kick?

Calf kicks are used in Martial Arts combat to distract or injure an opponent by charging blows on their calf muscles. Performing frequent calf kicks on your opponent during a Muay Thai fight can cause cramps and tears to the calf muscles. A calf kick can be explained as a low roundhouse or shin kick that intends to injure an opponent’s calf area in the lower limbs.

 

Creating the right angle before striking is vital for performing a successful calf kick that can cause substantial damage to your opponent. The basic idea around calf kicks is to strike your opponent’s calf expanse by using the shin bone on your legs. It makes more sense to land a calf kick using your shins as they are the sharpest parts of your lower limbs. While you are performing a calf kick, you need to keep your hands by your face and arms upwards. This will help you save yourself from any possible counterattacks.

 

The calf kick always aims to target the lead leg of the opponent. The lead leg is the one that is usually kept forward by your opponent. You should always aim to target the lead leg because it is closer to your shin and will help you charge a powerful blow. To generate more powerful calf kicks, you must always twist your hips while charging the kick.  If you want to amplify the damage using your calf kicks, you need to land at least 5 kicks on your opponent’s calf.