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By Kru Hemanth Kumar Published on: Wed Mar 9, 2022
While the usual range is one-full length of the leg, sometimes you need a close-range kick. The angle kick which is about stealth takes off directly from the ground-level, targeting the opponent’s lower rib cage. Then there’s the low kick where the shin moves in a rotational angle towards the midsection of the upper thigh.
Seasoned Muay Thai fighter and 3-time bronze winner in the world championships, Kru Hemanth Kumar has also perfected Self-Defence techniques targeting vulnerable pressure points. He has spent three decades teaching and training in multiple styles of Muay Thai.
When you find yourself in a tight corner, a close-range kick can be quite effective to take your opponent out of the equation completely. In Muay Thai, where movements are often so fast as to seem like a blur, the angle kick can be a swift means to put an end to your attacker’s advance.
The kick takes off directly from the ground-level, targeting the opponent’s lower rib cage. The shin is the primary weapon here while the ankle serves as a secondary one. What is particularly interesting about this kick is that it moves from the inside angle, near invisible, escaping the opponent’s eye and thus guaranteeing success most of the time.
While the rib cage is usually the target, the angle kick can also be used to strike the upper part of the arms, neck, face and head, adding versatility to the movement. A commonly used combination move involves the switch followed by an angle kick. You’ll find it used quite extensively during Muay Thai fights.
Now if the angle kick was all about speed, the next kick is all about lethality and this is what makes the low kick popular both on the streets and in the ring.
While this kick is also performed from the ground-level, here the shin moves in a rotational angle towards the midsection of the upper thigh. The low kick can also be targeted at the back of the thigh, the frontal portion above the knee cap, the calf muscle or side of the lower leg.
Picture it like felling a tree. Two or three strikes will immobilise the opponent’s leg temporarily, causing him to drop off his feet, unable to defend himself. If a fighter cannot move, then the fight is all but over and victory near. Irrespective of an athlete’s physical condition, a series of low kicks can immobilise him and even cause permanent damage to the nerves in the lower limbs.
That brings us to the end of the training in Muay Thai kicks. But we’ll be revisiting them through combination moves in later posts. For now, keep practising these kicks and you’ll find your speed, power, balance and control improve steadily with time.
Remember to check out our next blog post which covers a fundamental aspect to your training – Warm Up and Stretches.
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