Muay Thai Kicks – The Most Effective Kicks to Destroy Opponent

#3 – To The Head

As Michael Schiavello, the K1 fight commentator would say, “THE BIG KABOSH!”

This strike has one purpose. To knock your opponent out, with no chance of recovery.

A properly executed Muay Thai head kick uses the shin as its point of contact.

Adapting to this can be a little difficult if you’re not flexible enough.

So obviously, flexibility is a must.

The weight of the leg translates directly to the kick. In other words, it doesn’t matter where it lands on the head, so long it lands.

Ideally though, you want your shin to strike across your opponents jaw.

Remember:

1. The Thais ‘follow through’ on most over their attacks. This means their actually target is always behind their opponent.
2. For power, aim to place your shin about a foot to the side of your opponents head.

TIP

• Professional guys only throw head kicks in combinations or with feints.
• Try obscuring you opponents vision by sticking your fist in his face, (don’t pull it back) before kicking his head.
• If you’re kicking with your right leg then use your right fist.
• Every Thai boxer is good at round-house kicks, but it’s worth checking out a highlight reel of ‘The Boxing Computer’ Yodsanklai Fairtex, putting them into action.

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The Push-Kick/Teep Muay Thai Kicks

This is the only way the front kick is used in Muay Thai.

The technique focuses less on doing damage, and more on off-balancing your opponent. In Muay Thai kicks, the balance is a big thing. The judges will give you points if they see you can screw with your opponent’s equilibrium, without losing your own. Try to improve your Muay Thai stance here.

#1 – To The Body

This is where you’ll see the teep most often applied. The typical target is the navel.

• When striking it with the ball of your foot, you’re bound to make contact with the ‘center of gravity’.
• A person’s center of gravity is two finger widths below the navel.
• Your opponent will automatically need to readjust himself with such a kick.
• In other words, you’re disrupting his balance.

TIP

• Never lead with a teep. You’ll be the one to lose your balance if you do.
• Waiting for your opponent to move before striking will also cause more damage to him. This way the teep becomes more dangerous, making your opponent think twice before he moves.

Teeps are a defensive weapon.

• The best time to use them is while your opponent is moving.
• During motion your balance is constantly changing.
• With every step you take, your body’s distribution of weight has to shift from one foot to the other.

Thai boxers are experts at intercepting their targets as they are moving forward.

The most dramatic result is when this is done as your opponent is kicking.

He’ll swing his arms wildly trying to maintain his balance, and still fall on his arse.

#2 – To The Legs

A push kick to the leg has
two highly effective variations. Kick the back leg or kick the inner thigh of the front leg.

The muay thai stance puts a lot of weight on the back leg. Thai boxers do this so they can easily raise their front leg to check kicks. Therefore, if you destabilize the back leg, your opponent will be in a world of trouble.

The results of this techniques can be nasty. In Muay Thai, a lot of fighters try to get one or two kicks in as the opponent falls.

Now imagine kicking the back leg of your opponent. He falls face first to the ground but brakes his fall with his hands. He’s essentially on all fours. Before he can completely get up (and before the referee can jump in) you kick him in the head.

TIP

• Push-kicks to the legs are single attacks, placed in-between combinations. For example, a jab and roundhouse kick combination with a push kick after a short pause.
• Intercepting a moving opponent is a good idea.
• If you want to see the best at work for pretty much anything in Muay Thai, look no further than Saenchai Sor Kingstar. He’s an amalgamation of perfect balance and technique.

Told you it was nasty. You actually see stuff like this happen in full Thai-rules matches.

On the other hand, the teep kick to the inner thigh is used to break an oncoming combination. It’s an uncharacteristically fine kick and is not intended to hurt anyone.

It’s executed with a high guard to defend from any oncoming punches.

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Special Mention: Downward Round Kick

This is a technique you rarely see. Most Thai boxers tend to forget that it exists, but that is what makes it so dangerous.

This is essentially a round-house kick aimed at striking your opponents head or shoulders, in a downward motion.

It requires good timing and flexibility.

This kick needs you to turn your whole hip over.

When executed properly, you’ll be facing in the same direction as your opponent.

The movement is also astonishingly powerful. Since this kick isn’t used much it tends to catch people off-guard.

TIP

• Adding this kick to your arsenal is a good idea.
• Using this technique once in a blue moon will catch your opponent unaware and have devastating results.