Mechanics / Kicks / Shadow

Rear high kick / whip

The body kick carried to head height by the knee, the support leg and the lean.

The body kick carried to head height, with the support leg extending and the trunk leaning away. A high kick is a body kick whose knee was carried higher on the way up. The extra height comes from the support leg extending and the trunk leaning away, not from the back arching. The model's height is not a target; the shape is. The study is here to show what stays the same at head height.

The actions, phase by phase

Muay Thai guard

1. Base. Keep a stance from which either leg can lift.
2. Hands ready. Bring the hands into your coach-taught guard.
3. Balance. Keep the torso upright enough to manage kicks and checks.
4. Reset. Re-establish the base after every action.

Watch for. This illustration does not show clinch posture or an opponent.

Rear high kick

1. Stance. The same turn as the body kick, with the knee carried higher on the way up.
2. Knee up. The support leg extends and the trunk leans away so the hip can rise.
3. Whip through. The shin travels through at head height; the arm on that side swings down for balance.
4. Recover. Bring the leg back under you before the hands come down.

Watch for. The height here is the model's, not yours. A high kick needs the flexibility and the set-up that a coach builds over months; the study shows the shape and nothing about whether you should be throwing it.

Height from the hip, not the back

1. Knee up higher on the way, not the foot swung higher at the end.
2. Let the trunk lean away so the hip can rise under the leg.
3. Only as high as you own today; the model's height is the model's.

Three faults a pad holder sees

1. Height forced from the back. the trunk leans away from the kick; the lower back does not arch.
2. Support leg bent. the support leg extends under the athlete so the hip can rise.
3. Leg locked at the top. the knee keeps a little bend at contact.

A starting prescription

2 rounds of 45 seconds with 45 seconds between them. Six per round at the height you own today. Stop if balance goes. Load the study into the session builder with these numbers and change them to suit the round you are preparing for.

What this loop is, and is not

Solo rehearsal of a shape you have already been taught. No partner, no contact, no pad impact, and no coach has reviewed this loop. It shows where the joints go, not whether they should go there for you.

Where it sits

Stage: Mechanics. Before it: Rear low kick / chop. After it: Switch kick / lead leg. See also the glossary, the warm-up and the method and its limits.