8 Beginners kick techniques for Muay Thai

Although Muay Thai is known for using eight limbs, it’s fair to say that kicks have a pretty big role in how it works. Whether you’re a beginner or even a complete expert, you will need to know how to kick as without it, you will fail.

Within the realm of throwing kicks, there are many to learn as well. At the lowest point, Muay Thai kicks can be thrown to hit the calves. On the other end of the spectrum, you can also aim for the head. Depending on the scenario, either kick can be just as effective as each other. This is good news if you’re a budding Thai boxer, as it means there’s something for everyone – no matter your body type.

How to improve your Muay Thai kicks as a beginner

When you’re new at Muay Thai, some of the kicks can look overwhelming. Of course, you shouldn’t be aiming to get a Saehnchai-style cartwheel kick on your first session. Having said this, it’s definitely something to aim for in the future.

Flexibility training

One way to improve your Muay Thai kicks is to get as flexible as possible. Thankfully, this is doable through yoga. Even if you only have 5 minutes per day, dedicating this time to yoga will help you massively in the gym. Ideally, you should try to stretch your leg muscles for kicks. By doing this, you should be able to reach awkward angles with greater ease. This means you can then add power to the equation and then you’ll be on to a winning combination.

Power training

Speaking of power, there is yet another simple way to improve power. Here, you should aim to kick a hanging bag as hard as possible (without hurting yourself). You will often see Muay Thai fighters doing this. In short, the quicker your kick, the more power it will generate. Just make sure you’re using correct form. Anyway, here are the top eight Muay Thai kicks that beginners should learn.

Push Kick – Teep

The Teep kick is probably the first kick that most people learn. This is primarily a defensive kick that is thrown to create distance between yourself and the opponent. Here, you stand on your resting leg and throw the lead leg into the chest of the opponent.

The point of this is to kick them as far away as possible. Preferably, you can even floor your opponent or wind them if a Teep kick is powerful enough. Typically though, you won’t see a Teep knocking anyone out as it’s mostly used to make space. Although the Teep is very effective, it’s also simplistic and can be taught to anyone.

Roundhouse Kick – Te Tat

The Roudhouse kick is also commonly used in Karate and Taekwondo. However, it is also seen in Muay Thai. The Roundhouse kick begins by lifting up your lead leg and loading the chamber, then pivoting, firing your leg upwards, hitting the opponent, and then doing the previous steps in reverse. Typically, the Roundhouse is done to strike the head.

However, you can also aim at the ribs as well, depending on your preference. As you can imagine, this kick also relies on flexibility and balance. Still, it can be used by beginners. Even if you’re not flexible, you can aim lower on the body and still do damage.

Diagonal Kick – Te Chiang

If you’re struggling with throwing a Roundhouse kick then a good entry point is to use the Te Chiang kick, which translates to Diagonal kick. As the name suggests, this is a kick thrown at a diagonal angle. This is normally aimed toward the neck or the rib cage. Unlike the Roundhouse kick though, this is based on speed and is easier to set up with fewer steps. If you watch some Nak Muay, you will see them throw several diagonal kicks in a row whilst working on a bag. So, if the distance is too close for you to throw a Roundhouse, then you still may be able to find enough time and space to throw a Diagonal kick instead.

Reverse Roundhouse Kick – Te Klap Lang

As you may have figured by now, Muay Thai is pretty big on using the Roundhouse kick. One interesting variation of the Roundhouse kick is the reverse version. This means that if you can throw a conventional Roundhouse kick then you should be capable of doing the Reverse Roundhouse kick as well.

The main difference is that the sole of the foot is aimed at the side of the head. Typically, it’s the other side of the foot that lands when doing a normal Roundhouse. Because of this, it means your entire body should be positioned toward the side of the opponent in comparison to the normal version.

Side Kick – Te Tad

Another kick that does what it says on the tin is the Side kick. Also known as the Te Tad, the Side kick is performed from your side. In other words, it relies on being side-on to your opponent as opposed to facing them. When starting the kick, you should raise your striking foot off the ground (this should be the leg nearest to the opponent).

From there, should then kick to the side, meaning the sole of your foot should connect with the opponent. This can either be against their head or flat on the chest. Ideally, your body should be shaped like the letter ‘Y’ if you’re aiming for their head.

Obviously, this kick relies a lot on groin flexibility which means it may be difficult to perform if brand new. Don’t worry, until then you can aim for the chest which should be much easier. You can also train Side kicks whilst squatting which will slowly but surely improve your groin flexibility and technique.

Downward Roundhouse Kick – Te Kot

Typically, the Roundhouse kick relies on kicking the lower part of your body upward. Basically, this means you end up pointing your toes towards the sky. A similar, yet different kick is the downward Roundhouse kick. Here, the kick is set up in the same way and is the same for the most part. The difference is with the finish.

Here, your toes should be facing toward the floor as you connect with the opponent’s body. This is done by pointing your knee at the floor which will in turn make your feet face the same direction. Ultimately, the preference between the downward Roundhouse kick and regular Roundhouse kick is completely up to the individual. Remember, Muay Thai is a diverse fighting style and everyone is different.

Jumping Kick – Kradot Te

One of the most exciting parts of watching Muay Thai involves watching Jumping kicks. If you train hard enough then you too can pull off the Jumping kick. At heart though, Muay Thai is about effectiveness over style, so it’s also true that the Jumping kick is fundamentally sound. Imagine the diagonal kick but done with the resting leg jumping off the floor.

Undeniably, there is an element of athleticism needed to throw this kick – however it has its benefits. The main benefit of a Jumping kick is that you can generate extra power when flying through the air. This is because it creates extra speed and adds gravity to the finishing kick. To improve your technique, practicing hopping is surprisingly effective.

Axe Kick – Te Khao

If you know about other martial arts such as Karate then you’ll know about the Axe kick. This also requires flexibility but is needed in the calf and thighs when performing this kick. From here, you’ll want to be face-on, opposite your opponent.

When this is done, you’ll want to raise your foot so it’s over your head with your toes pointing upward. The point isn’t to hit the opponent in the face with your toes. Instead, you’ll want to miss the head on the way up and kick it on the way back down.

This means you should aim to hit the opponent in the head with your heel. This can easily knock people out due to the power of the heel, compared to the power of the toes. Overall, this can be a fairly advanced move but if you’re flexible enough then it’s certainly doable.

Want to improve your kicking power? Check out these kick bags.