In the world of Martial arts, a low kick it is not only a low kick, but also it is the tool which can change the outcome of the fight. When the blow is well thrown, we can make a lot of damage on the leg of our opponent and make him more on the defensive.

It is possible to throw the low kick with the lower part of the shin (near the ankle), to setup a combination, a distraction, but it is not the ideal to end a fight. When we throw the low kick to make damage, we want to give the strike with upper party of the shin (below the knee). To strike well the opponent on the thigh, several elements are to be taken into account:

• The Positioning – Find the good distance from the opponent, the good angle of attack (position of feet), the good alignment of the body, the right position for attack and defense.
• The Timing – Hit at the right time ex: when the person moves forward or in combination (see the article on the precision and the timing).
• The Motion and the Trajectory – Include all the details which make a powerful kick (Turn shoulders, swing the arms, turn hips at the right time, throw the leg towards the target with a good trajectory). The trajectory depends on the target and on its position (inside of the thigh, outside of the thigh, my opponent in its low center of gravity …).
• The Angle of the Kick – We want to hit in a way that the trajectory of the kick ends perpendicularly on the surface of the target.
• The Surface of Impact – The more the surface of impact is small, the more the strength will be concentrated. (Stomp kick with the heel from Jon Jones).
• The Power – The flow of energy necessary for the execution.

When the opponent moves forward to throw a jab, he puts his weight on his front leg, then he will have much more difficulty checking it, BANG – low kick. When the opponent backs up after my jab, BANG – low kick. A low kick with a good timing maybe very difficult to block. Variation can be a key element to be effective with low kicks. Even if a technique is effective, it is an error to throw it always in the same way. Adopt several techniques and include them in your combinations to get your own way and adopt also a multitude of manners to throw your techniques.

Low Kicks Classification

The movement of the opponent is going to dictate us the way the blow will be thrown and the location of the target (the place to hit on the thigh).

There is several way to throw a kick to the thigh of his opponent. Here is some techniques frequently used:

The practice is essential to develop low kicks. We have to repeat the movements on punching bags, shadow, sparring, to obtain most possible efficiency.