Mechanics / Kicks / Shadow

Rear low kick / chop

The body kick's turn with the shin arriving at thigh height, angled down.

The body kick's turn with the shin arriving at thigh height and angled down through the target. The low kick to the thigh is thrown more than any other kick in the sport because it is hard to see coming and it adds up. The turn of the support foot is identical to the body kick; what changes is that the shin arrives at thigh height and angles down through the target rather than lying flat across it.

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 low kick

1. Stance. Same start as the body kick: hands up, chin down, weight ready to move.
2. Turn support. The support heel turns out and lifts so the hip can come over.
3. Chop down. The shin arrives at thigh height and angles down through the target, the foot relaxed behind it.
4. Recover. Let the leg swing back to the stance rather than stopping it dead.

Watch for. The study shows the angle of the shin and the turn of the support foot. It cannot show the thigh it lands on, the check it might meet, or how much to commit. Do not throw this at full power into air.

Shin down through the line

1. Same turn of the support foot as the body kick.
2. The shin chops down through the thigh line; the foot stays relaxed.
3. Let the leg swing back rather than stopping it in the air.

Three faults a pad holder sees

1. Kicking across instead of down. the knee stays above the foot so the shin chops downward.
2. Support foot does not turn. the support heel turns out past 55 degrees on every kick.
3. Foot leads the shin. the shin is the surface; the foot trails, relaxed.

A starting prescription

3 rounds of 60 seconds with 30 seconds between them. Ten low kicks per round, slow, reset between each one. 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: Horizontal elbow / guard. After it: Rear high kick / whip. Sessions that use it: Low kick round. See also the glossary, the warm-up and the method and its limits.