Become Fighter
Punches into kicks: Muay Thai guide
Let the hands make them cover, then kick where they are open.
In Muay Thai the hands often open the door for the legs. A jab makes the opponent blink, a cross makes them cover up, and while their arms are busy high, the kick lands on the body or the leg.
This lesson adds the lead hook, because it does a second job: it turns your hips and loads the rear leg for a kick. Every combination here ends with a kick or a knee, and every one finishes back in stance with the hands up.
Key points
- Punch to make them cover. Kick where they are open.
- The lead hook turns the hips and loads the rear kick.
- After the cross, switch the feet and kick with the lead leg.
- No pause between the last punch and the kick.
- Hands come back to your face as the kick goes out.
- Finish in stance, or step off the line.
Common mistakes and how to fix them
- Pausing before the kick. The last punch and the kick are one rhythm. A gap gives them time to drop the guard.
- Kicking from planted feet after the punches. Pivot the standing foot every time. Without the pivot the kick has no hip behind it.
- Lazy punches just to get to the kick. Every punch must look real. If they do not need to cover, the kick has nothing to land behind.
- Dropping the hands on the kick. Bring the hands home as the leg goes out. Kicks get countered over a low guard.
Combinations that use it
- 1-2-3: Jab, Cross, Lead hook
- 3-2: Lead hook, Cross
- kb-hook-body-kick: Lead hook, Body kick
- mt-3-rear-elbow: Lead hook, Rear elbow
- 1-2-3-2: Jab, Cross, Lead hook, Cross
- 2-3-2: Cross, Lead hook, Cross
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 Combinations module of Muay Thai foundations.
Coming soon to the App Store and Google Play.
More from Combinations
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.