Muay Thai Roundhouse Kick – Technique & Tactical Use

In Muay Thai, the roundhouse kick is the art of mastering distance, power, and precision all at once.

Thai Boxing is one of the deadliest martial arts in the world, certainly because it is ‘The Art Of Eight Limbs.’ While the sport allows using every limb of your body to attack the opponent, it also permits hitting every part, obviously except the groin. Roundhouse kick is one of the fundamental and most dangerous moves in Muay Thai. Like the Teep kick, it is taught to every beginner and seems basic at first look, but even the most talented fighters take years to master the Muay Thai round kick. It is a quick and powerful technique that fighters often use to break the opponent’s defense, maintain a safe distance, or as an offensive strike.  

The best thing about the roundhouse kick is its versatility. You can aim it at the opponent’s legs, body, or head, both as a defensive and offensive tool. Most fighters use this technique to strike a certain area of the body, weakening and frustrating the opponent to make a costly mistake. Master the roundhouse kick and combine it with other techniques to create the ultimate equalizer.   

Mechanics of the Muay Thai Roundhouse Kick | How to Throw

You must learn to throw a proper turning kick before stepping inside a ring and calling yourself a Muay Thai fighter. This is the most common move that uses force from the whole body and requires great precision, mobility, and balance to land at the perfect spot. 

• Stand in your natural fighting stance, either Orthodox (right-handed) or Southpaw (left-handed), with your knees slightly bent. Your back leg will be the one doing the kick.
• Take a step almost 45 degrees to the side with your front foot. This will allow your hips to open up and generate power for the kick. Your attacking leg should be completely loose, guided by the hips, shoulders, and torso.
• Now, ready your kick by lifting your leg to a point where you’re balancing only on the ball of your front foot. Rotate your hip and shoulders toward the kick to generate power.
• Swing the kick in a circular motion as if kicking something sideways with your shin, not the foot. Your shin should hit the target area at peak leg speed. 
• Your leg should not stop after making contact but continue motion as if striking through the opponent. Shadowboxing is the best way to practice this 360 motion.
• Quickly reacquire your stance and maintain balance after the kick to land a follow-up strike or defend against counterattacks. Also, practice keeping your opposite hand in place to protect your face while kicking.     

What does a Roundhouse Kick do in Muay Thai?

Like any other combat sport, Muay Thai has a few fundamental moves that every fighter must learn and practice to perfection. In all its variations, the roundhouse kick helps you develop skills like hip rotation, balance, and timing, which are important in learning advanced techniques like:

• Spinning back kicks and elbows, which require similar rotational movements.
• Knee strikes, where balance and hip thrusts are key for power.
• Head kicks, where flexibility, balance, and precision are essential, and the roundhouse kick prepares you for targeting higher regions with control and power.

Since the roundhouse kick involves immense power and quick striking with the shin, it is the go-to move for many fighters to imbalance and weaken their opponents. When executed correctly, the roundhouse kick can:

• Deliver maximum impact using the shin, causing substantial pain or even knockouts.
• Target different levels of the opponent’s body (legs for weakening, body for draining energy, or head for a knockout).
• Break an opponent’s rhythm and defense, creating openings for further strikes.
• Affect an opponent’s mobility, especially when aimed at the legs (known as leg kicks), which can weaken their ability to stand and move effectively.
• When executed with proper force and precision, especially when aimed at the opponent’s head or neck, the kick can lead to a knockout due to the sheer power generated by the rotational momentum and impact of the shin.

Effective Roundhouse Kick Combination Techniques to Throw

Combat sports are not just about sheer power and skillset but also about outsmarting your opponent with distractive tactics. Many Muay Thai fighters use unique combination strikes to disrupt the opponent’s focus, causing them to lower their guard and become vulnerable to powerful blows. 

Straight Hand and Lead Kick 

Although very basic to execute, it is one of the most effective and unprecedented combos. 

• Stand with your arms in your fighting position and the lead leg straight at 45%. 
• Next, bend your leg and get the lead foot in the kicking position. At the same time, push your hand forward as if you’re punching and follow smoothly with your front leg.
• Now that you’re closer and the opponent focuses on blocking your fake punch, you’ll get a few seconds to strike.
• Step your front leg almost 45 degrees to the side and throw a powerful roundhouse kick to the opponent’s body.

The straight-hand lead kick is very effective in unbalancing opponents and draining out power from their bodies; a few well-timed kicks to the same area will weaken the opponent, forcing him to make a costly mistake.

Uppercut Hook Body Kick 

This trio combination demands quick motion and effectively punishes the opponent’s ribs or midsection, potentially setting up for a knockout. The first two hand strikes lift their guard, opening the midsection for exploitation.

• Begin with an uppercut aimed at the opponent’s chin or body, keeping your front foot open and ready for immediate movements.
• Bring your hand only halfway back from the uppercut and throw an immediate hook to the side. Also, bring your lead foot into the kicking position while executing the hook. 
• Now, as the opponent’s defense is centered on protecting from punches, throw a rear roundhouse kick to the body, exploiting the opening created by the hook. 

Since you have plenty of time to load the final kick, it will have immense power to put an already off-balance opponent to the ground.

Thai Hop Body Turn to Body Kick 

The first thing you need for this trio moves combination is to stand at a safe distance where the opponent can’t hit you directly. 

• Thai Hop towards your opponent while shifting weight onto the rear leg, allowing for a more powerful rotation. This will surprise the opponent and force him to counter or go defensive, so you must keep your hands ready.
• As you land in the opponent’s range, turn him with your front hand to avoid incoming knees and elbows and deflect his position.

Now that you’re facing that opponent’s back and have a full plate of free eateries, don’t get carried away. Remember the fundamentals of kicking and act accordingly. 

• Look at your target (midsection or ribs), step out, swing your lead arm, and strike with a powerful roundhouse kick.

The Thai Hop Body Turn to Body Kick is not an easy combo to master and correctly execute. You must practice consistently and stay focused to develop the striking, speed, and timing required for this combination.     

Fake Teep Touch to Body Kick 

This is a highly effective and hard-to-counter combination involving a double blindfold before the actual strike. You must stand at a fighting distance from your opponent to execute this combo.

• Lift your front leg like you’re about to hit a Teep kick. As the opponent gets in a defensive position, bring your foot back.
• Since every fighter is trained to keep their hands in position to defend the upper body as well during Teep defense, you can’t hit an effective strike just yet.
• Quickly follow the fake Teep with a front-hand touch to the opponent’s face. This touch will blindfold the opponent momentarily, enough for you to execute the final blow.
• As the opponent is blinded, take a step backward to generate force in your lead leg and throw an effective roundhouse kick to the opponent’s body.

You are likely to land the Fake Teep Touch-to-Body Kick because the opponent won’t expect two consecutive fake strikes. This combination is effective for catching your opponent off-guard and disrupting their rhythm. 

Defense and Counter Against the Roundhouse Kick

While there are several ways to throw the roundhouse kick and add it to combination strikes, your diversity and fighting ability is shown by how well you can endure and defend. The easiest way to block a roundhouse kick to your ribs is by using a three-point block, which involves your bicep, forearm, and palm of the other hand. But, this method isn’t allowed in the traditional Muay Thai rules. You’re not disqualified for using it, but the opponent gets extra points.

Catch the Kick and Counter

One effective way to lower the thrust of the incoming kick and avoid damage to any part of your body is to catch the kick. This move requires perfect timing; otherwise, you might end up enduring pain and being vulnerable to more strikes. 

As you judge the incoming roundhouse kick, move with the kick and catch it with your armpit. Hold the kick air-tight when you catch it so the opponent can’t pull their feet out and create space you don’t want. Now, once you have the opponent’s leg in control, it is time to quickly counter:

• Turn the Opponent and Strike: Once you catch the leg, create some space and swing the leg to turn the opponent, putting them in a compromised position. Now, you can counter with a roundhouse kick of your own.
• Push and Rush with Attacks: With their leg trapped in your armpit, you can push the opponent with the other hand to get them off balance. After pushing, you must stay on top and throw your own roundhouse kicks, hooks, and jabs. 
• Shin Sweep: The first thing a person thinks of after catching an opponent’s leg is to sweep and put them on the ground. Muay Thai allows this through the shin sweep technique, which involves hitting the opponent’s standing shin with a leg kick. Before sweeping them off balance, you must push their head, neck, or shoulders toward the ground, causing them to go completely off-balance. The sweep will now be the last straw that breaks the camel’s leg. 

Blocking the Kick

One of the most common defenses against the roundhouse kick is blocking it. When you judge an incoming kick, lift your lead leg off the ground, bending your knee at about 90 degrees. Since roundhouse kicks come in a circular motion, turning your shin and forearm at a 45-degree angle is crucial to absorb the impact effectively. This prevents a powerful kick from spinning your body and throwing you off balance. You can lift your leg to any height necessary, depending on the level of the incoming kick. The leg check keeps you protected, whether aimed at your legs, body, or head.

While you won’t have as many countering options as you had when catching the leg, you can still strike with very effective counters:

• A Return Roundhouse Kick: After blocking, swiftly drop your leg and return with a low roundhouse kick to the opponent’s legs or body, maintaining your momentum.
• A Quick Punch or Knee: Once you’ve blocked the roundhouse kick, quickly step forward and throw a punch or a knee to capitalize on the opening.

The opponent might be able to block your counterattacks, but doing so will surely diminish their consistency and momentum.

Evading the Kick

Evading is another excellent way to defend against a roundhouse kick. Instead of absorbing the impact, you move out of the way, making the kick miss entirely. You also get plenty of time for a counterattack as the opponent completes his spinning round. 

If the opponent attacks your leg, draw the leg back; if they attack the torso, scoop your hips back; if they go for the head, lean your upper body backward. Ensure you don’t move back too much and stay in range to reply with counterstrikes. 

Since the opponent will turn his back towards you to complete his roundhouse kick motion, the best counter is to throw a roundhouse kick of your own to their back. This technique is highly effective since body strikes in Muay Thai help you gain several points. 

Final Words: Roundhouse as the Most Powerful Tool in Muay Thai

The roundhouse kick is the deadliest in Muay Thai and teaches you how to master distance, power, and precision. When thrown correctly, it can hit your opponent with incredible force, targeting the legs, body, or head. What makes the roundhouse kick special is its use of the whole body, especially the hips, to create power. To be effective, the kick requires good timing and control.

To land a successful roundhouse kick, you must be at a proper distance to reach your target without losing balance. The power in your kick is generated by rotating the hips; turning the body while aiming for the right spot ensures precision. Whether used on offense or defense, the roundhouse kick can change the course of a fight with its speed and strength. 

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