Become Fighter
How to throw a rear low kick
A round kick to the outside of the thigh, driven by the turn of your whole body.
The rear low kick is a round kick thrown with your back leg at the thigh. It is the workhorse of kickboxing. Landed again and again, it slows your opponent down and takes away their movement.
The power does not come from the leg swinging. It comes from the hip, which turns over as you pivot on the standing foot. The leg is just the tool the hip carries through.
Key points
- Warm up your hips first. Do leg swings and hip circles before you kick.
- Step slightly out with the lead foot to open the angle, then kick.
- Pivot on the ball of the lead foot until the heel points at the target.
- Swing the rear hip over and let the leg follow through the target.
- Hit with the shin, not the foot or the toes. Point the toes down and away.
- Keep your hands up and your chin down.
- Bring the leg back and land in your stance, ready for the next strike.
Common mistakes and how to fix them
- Kicking with the foot or the toes. Aim the shin at the target and point the toes down. If you feel the instep hit, you are too close or too flat.
- Not pivoting the standing foot. Rotate the heel until it points at the target. A flat foot twists the knee and cuts the power.
- Swinging only the leg. Lead with the hip. The leg should feel like it is thrown by the body, not by the knee.
- Dropping the hands when you kick. Keep both hands at your cheeks. If you cannot, slow down and kick lower.
- Kicking cold. Always warm up the hips and groin first. A cold hip is how pulls happen.
Combinations that use it
- kb-low-low: Low kick, Low kick
- kb-1-low: Jab, Low kick
- kb-1-2-low: Jab, Cross, Low kick
- kb-low-body: Low kick, Body kick
- kb-check-low: Check, Low kick
- kb-teep-low: Teep, Low kick
Related techniques
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 Round kicks module of Kickboxing foundations.
Coming soon to the App Store and Google Play.
More from Round kicks
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.