Become Fighter
The switch kick: Muay Thai guide
A small, fast swap of the feet turns your lead leg into a full round kick.
The rear round kick is heavy, but it has a long way to travel. The switch kick gives you a round kick with the lead leg: you swap your feet quickly, then turn the hip over exactly as you learned before.
Thai fighters use it most to the body, especially against someone in the opposite stance. The whole skill is in the switch. Small and quick, and it is a weapon. Big and slow, and the opponent sees it coming.
Key points
- Swap the feet with a small, quick hop, not a big step.
- Keep your head level and your hands up during the switch.
- Kick straight away. The switch and the kick are one movement.
- Pivot the standing foot and turn the hip over, as on the rear kick.
- Land with the shin.
- Come back to your normal stance, not the switched one.
Common mistakes and how to fix them
- A big, slow switch. Move the feet only a few centimetres. The smaller the switch, the less the opponent sees.
- Bobbing the head up on the switch. Keep your head at the same height. A rising head tells the opponent a kick is coming.
- Pausing between the switch and the kick. Kick as the feet land. A pause leaves you in the wrong stance with nothing happening.
- Staying in the switched stance afterwards. Reset to your own stance every time, so the next combination starts from the right place.
Combinations that use it
- kb-1-switch: Jab, Switch kick
- mt-teep-switch: Teep, Switch kick
- mt-switch-2: Switch kick, Cross
- kb-1-2-switch: Jab, Cross, Switch 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 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.