Mechanics / Kicks / Shadow

Rear round kick / recover

The round kick and the turn of the support foot that pays for it.

Rehearse a familiar kick shape with an emphasis on the landing. The rear round kick is the signature strike and its power is not in the leg. It is in the turn of the support foot, which lets the hip come over, and in the chest turning through the kick. The shin is the contact surface; a foot that arrives first is a broken foot. This loop shows the turn and the recovery at a pace you can read.

The actions, phase by phase

Muay Thai guard

1. Base. Keep a stance from which either leg can lift.
2. Hands ready. Bring the hands into your coach-taught guard.
3. Balance. Keep the torso upright enough to manage kicks and checks.
4. Reset. Re-establish the base after every action.

Watch for. This illustration does not show clinch posture or an opponent.

Rear round kick

1. Stance. Use a range and contact method already taught in class.
2. Turn support. The support heel turns first and the hip follows it around.
3. Swing through. The shin is the surface that travels through, not the foot; the knee keeps a little bend.
4. Recoil / reset. Recover your stance under control.

Watch for. The study shows the support heel turning and the shin leading. It cannot show the depth of the turn, the timing or the contact force, and it has not been checked by a coach. Review a coach demonstration before contact practice.

Balanced finish

1. Leave generous space around you.
2. Keep the unopposed kick low and controlled.
3. Avoid forcing rotation or kicking at full power into air.

Three faults a pad holder sees

1. Support foot does not turn. the support heel turns out past 55 degrees and lifts onto the ball of the foot.
2. Leg locked straight. the knee keeps a little bend at contact; a straight bar is a swing, not a kick.
3. Foot leads, shin follows. the shin is close to horizontal at contact and the foot trails behind it.

A starting prescription

3 rounds of 45 seconds with 45 seconds between them. Six kicks per round, low, with a full recovery to the guard between them. Load the study into the session builder with these numbers and change them to suit the round you are preparing for.

What this loop is, and is not

Solo rehearsal of a shape you have already been taught. No partner, no contact, no pad impact, and no coach has reviewed this loop. It shows where the joints go, not whether they should go there for you.

Where it sits

Stage: Mechanics. Before it: Lead teep / re-chamber. After it: Rear knee / reset. Sessions that use it: The kick notebook. See also the glossary, the warm-up and the method and its limits.