Become Fighter
Hook, axe and flying kicks: what to leave out: Kickboxing guide
Know which showy kicks are worth your time and which cost more than they earn.
Kickboxing has a lot of dramatic kicks: the hook kick, the axe kick, flying knees and jump spinning kicks. A few are useful in the right hands. Most are low-percentage and carry real risk to the knee, hip and your own position.
This lesson is not a technique lesson. It is a filter. A coach decides which of these belong in your game, and until then the safer kicks you already know will win more rounds.
Key points
- The axe kick drops the heel on the head or collarbone. It is slow to load and easy to read, so it needs a close distance and a flat target.
- The hook kick swings the heel round to the side of the head. It is deceptive but demands mobility and gives up your balance if it misses.
- Jumping and flying kicks leave you with no base if they miss. Save them for the gym.
- If a kick leaves you off balance with your back turned, you need a very good reason to throw it.
- Ask your coach to choose one trick kick for you and spend three months on it. Do not collect several.
Common mistakes and how to fix them
- Copying highlight-reel kicks. Highlights hide the thousand misses. Build a game that wins ordinary rounds.
- Throwing a trick kick when tired. Tired legs miss, and a miss can turn into an injury. Avoid them late in the round.
- Skipping the warm-up. High kicks need open hips and hamstrings. Warm up properly every time.
The rest is in the app
The step-by-step breakdown, the timed drill with the coach calling the shots and the quiz are part of Become Fighter Pro, where this lesson sits in the Advanced kicks module of Kickboxing foundations.
Get it on Google Play. Coming soon to the App Store.
More from Advanced kicks
- The lead round kick: Kickboxing guide
- The spinning back kick: Kickboxing guide
- The question-mark kick: Kickboxing guide
Combat sports training is hard on the body. Warm up, stay within your limits and check with a doctor first if you have a health condition. Practise in a clear space and stop if you feel pain or dizziness. Learn partner work only under a qualified coach.