We have 3 fundamental tips for harder kickboxing kicks. This way, you can show everyone in your next training session how hard you can really kick.
The 3 tips are for the roundhouse kick (or turning kick), one of the most effective weapons in kickboxing and thai boxing. Many people do not perform the roundhouse kick correctly.
With the tips below, you can perform the roundhouse kick better and therefore kick harder.
Tip 1: use your shins
Using your shins is an important part of almost every Muay Thai kick. Ideally, you learn during your first lessons which part of your leg you should kick with. Nevertheless, many beginners struggle to kick with their shins.
Beginners often kick with their instep, and that is not good. First, a kick with your foot/instep hurts less. A full shin against your opponent’s thighs, ribs, or head hurts much more than an instep.
In addition, kicking with your instep is more dangerous for you. Your feet contain many small bones, which can easily break if your opponent blocks your kick with their shin. This is why kicking with your shins is so important.
A useful tip for kicking with your shins: step further inside before you kick. This brings you closer to your opponent and automatically makes you kick with your shins.
Tip 2: rotate your hips
Many people who are just starting kickboxing or thai boxing make this mistake: they do not rotate their hips during the kick. As a result, you cannot hit your opponent properly, because without hip rotation, you are simply kicking straight upward.
You should think of a real Muay Thai roundhouse kick like a baseball bat: you draw it back and then swing it all the way through.
You need to kick in exactly the same way if you want to get maximum power from your kicks.
Tip 3: turn your foot inward
This tip builds on tip two. Another thing you often see with beginner kickboxers is that they want to rotate their hips, but do not rotate far enough.
This is often because their supporting foot points straight at their opponent, which prevents them from rotating their hips sufficiently.
With these 3 tips for harder kickboxing kicks, you will improve your kicks. Try to combine all three tips in your kick, and you will see how much harder your kicks become.
