BASIC KICKS
Body Kick – The body kick is the most common kick in Muay Thai. This is the first technique that you will learn in Muay Thai because it is the most used technique in the sport. The body kick is the most powerful attack that can have devastating effect on an opponent if it lands clean. Mastering the body kick will ensure that you become a complete fighter.
Low Kick – The Muay Thai low kick is a devastating weapon that can be used to inflict pain on an opponent. If the kicks are used correctly they can drop someone with a couple good kicks to the leg. The low kick is a quick attack that is used at the end of many Muay Thai combinations that are used.
Head Kick – The head kick is a technique that can render an opponent unconscious if it lands. The difficulty of the head kick is that if an opponent sees it coming they can simply lean back and you will be out of position. Head kicks are one of the 3 major kicks in Muay Thai that you should attempt to master.
ADVANCED KICKS
Straight Kick – The straight kick is a Muay Thai kick that uses the front lead leg to kick the face of an opponent. The target is the jaw of the opponent and if you land it can leave your opponent unconscious. The straight kick is effective because you kick between the opponents guard. A good example of an effective straight kick was Victor Nagbe’s KO over Kem Sitsongpeenong when he kicked right through the guard.
Half-Shin, Half-Knee Kick – The half shin, half knee kick is a technique that is utilized when an opponent is coming into close range. This kick lands flush on the opponent with your shin and knee across his mid-section. It is a technique that can be utilized to stop an opponent who is coming forward. It is more of a defensive maneuver, but if you throw it with power you can hurt your opponent with it.
Axe Kick – The axe kick is a technique that comes above the opponents head and then chops down like an axe chopping wood. In order to utilize this technique, the practitioner needs to be flexible enough to get their feet high in order to come down with it. This is a technically difficult kick to perform. The axe kick is a karate kick (famously used as the bread and butter kick by K1 fighter Andy Hug during matches). You typically won’t see an axe kick used in traditional Muay Thai matches, though it is thrown by some fighters in K1, GLORY, and MMA-style matches.
Jump Kick – The jump kick is a kick that can be performed by jumping into the regularly kick. This is a great technique that you can use when an opponent is moving backward and you are trying to close ground. Jump kicking into an opponent will push them back.
Step Up Kick – Is performed by jumping up and then kicking out at an opponent. This is not a technique.