So you want to kick higher in Muay Thai. That’s great because you’ll be able to do that after you finish reading this article. You’ll see a slight improvement in the height you’re able to get to when you finish reading. However, real growth comes with dedicated and consistent practice.
Kicking higher in Muay Thai is critical since you sometimes want to aim at your opponent’s face, which is going to be difficult if he’s taller than you. Therefore, knowing how to reach such heights is going to be important to your fighting journey.
Whenever you see a fighter hitting his opponent in the face with any type of kick, you know the fighter invested a lot of time into honing and perfecting his kicking technique, which takes tons of practice and effort.
However, with the right knowledge, which you’ll gain in this article, you’ll be able to improve your kicking height in a shorter period than most Muay Thai fighters. You’re taking active steps toward learning and improving your fighting abilities, which is highly beneficial.
I think that’s enough introduction. Let’s now dive into the meat of the article, the reason you’re here; the drills you want to do to get higher Muay Thai kicks!
Drills to Kick Higher in Muay Thai
The first part of this article is going to be all about drills that will help you increase your kicking range of motion. Most of these will also improve your overall flexibility, explosiveness, and overall health.
Being more flexible has many benefits, the primary one being reduced risk for injuries. While the scientific world has different opinions regarding the relationship between flexibility and injuries, I’ve been able to experience this benefit in my personal life. So I’m confident in telling you that there’s no going wrong with being more flexible, which is also true for other life activities!
It is generally accepted that increasing the flexibility of a muscle-tendon unit promotes better performances and decreases the number of injuries. Stretching exercises are regularly included in warm-up and cooling-down exercises; however, contradictory findings have been reported in the literature.
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Now that you understand that these drills will make you a more flexible and healthier individual who can also kick higher, let’s dive into the first one!
#1 – Dynamic Leg Swings
- Stand next to a wall or use a partner for support.
- Swing your leg forward and backward in a controlled manner, progressively increasing the range of motion.
- Repeat for 10-15 swings on each leg, focusing on keeping your kicks smooth and fluid.
- This drill helps to warm up your hip flexors and improve your kicking range.
This might seem to you like it’ll have no impact on your kicking range of motion. However, you’ll be surprised that, with time and actually feeling the stretch, you’ll get much more flexible with this drill.
You can do it anywhere you’d like, which is a great benefit. All you need is to stand next to a wall or use any stable object for support, like a person or a table. Avoid using a lamp since you’ll end up cleaning the floor from all the shattered glass (that’s another drill to kick higher, FYI.)
On a more serious note, dynamic leg swings are fantastic to get higher kicks in Muay Thai. Keep increasing the range of motion as you repeat this drill. Don’t be afraid to push your body slightly over what you think it’s capable of doing. Of course, don’t overpush yourself, as that can lead to some painful experiences.
#2 – High Kicks with Resistance Bands
- Attach a resistance band to a stable anchor and then loop it around your kicking leg.
- Perform high kicks with resistance, focusing on controlled movements both on the way up and down.
- The resistance band will help build strength in your hip flexors and increase your kicking height over time.
I love to use resistance bands because they make everything that much harder. If you’re genuinely interested in seeing growth in your life, seeking pain and discomfort is the key to success in that sense. You’ll be able to make the normal state of Muay Thai, which is without resistance bands, seem much easier if you use resistance bands in your training.
So this is how to kick higher with this drill. You first want to attach your resistance bands to a stable anchor, which can be your hands, pole, desk, or anything that will not move when you apply pressure. You then want to loop the band around your kicking leg.
You now have more resistance applied to your legs, which will make kicking much harder to perform. As a result, once you try to kick high, you’ll have a more difficult time doing so, strengthening your hip flexors and legs. It’ll also increase your range of motion, which is what we want to achieve.
Using resistance bands often will also add power to your kicks, which is excellent news.
#3 – Kicking Bag Drill
- Use a heavy bag or a padded target at a height slightly higher than your current maximum kick.
- Practice kicking the bag using proper technique, aiming to surpass your usual height gradually.
- As you get comfortable, gradually increase the height of the bag to challenge yourself further.
The kicking bag drill is one of my favorite ways to practice my kicks and increase the height I’m capable of achieving. When you have a target in front of you, you’re more likely to push yourself to achieve it.
Let’s take two fighters as an example. The first is doing shadowboxing and the other is using a heavy bag and sets a target for the height he wants to kick at. Both fighters’ goal is to kick as high as possible. The second fighter is much more likely to push himself, as he has a target, a goal, he wants to achieve. Therefore, he’ll be more motivated to achieve that.
That’s what you want to do. Find a heavy bag or a training partner to hold pads for you and aim to a specific point you think you’re not yet capable of hitting with your kicks, whether it’s a roundhouse kick, high kick, spinning kick, or even with a teep.
Then, try to reach the target, and if you can’t, keep practicing and keep training. Sooner or later, with enough practice and constant effort, you’ll achieve it!
If you want to buy a heavy bag for your home, I wrote an article on Muay Thai’s best punching bags you want to get a hold of. So follow the link to see what they are!
#4 – Plyometric Kicking Drills
- Perform plyometric exercises like box jumps or squat jumps to enhance explosive power in your legs.
- Incorporate explosive kicks like switch kicks or jumping roundhouse kicks into your routine.
- These drills will help you generate more power for higher kicks.
Plyometrics is a type of exercise training that uses speed and force of different movements to build muscle power. Plyometrics training can improve your physical performance and ability to do different activities.
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The article I just published before this one is about the best exercises that improve strength as a Muay Thai fighter. I encourage you to read it if you want to increase muscle power and explosiveness outside your Muay Thai classes.
Anyways, you want to incorporate plyometric exercises in your weekly routine, whether you’re a fighter or someone who wants to remain healthy. This will allow you to isolate muscle groups and improve their ability to function overall, which is something that will benefit you regardless of the activity you’re doing – let it be Muay Thai, soccer, tennis, any other martial art, basketball, or baseball.
#5 – Dynamic Stretching Routine
- Develop a daily dynamic stretching routine to improve your overall flexibility.
- Include leg swings, hip circles, high kicks, and other dynamic stretches.
- Regular stretching will increase your range of motion, allowing you to kick higher.
Before your Muay Thai class, come a bit early and stretch your entire body. Do at least five minutes of constant and somewhat uncomfortable stretches. This will add up over time and allow you to constantly improve your kicking height.
The best thing you can do is set up a fixed time for stretching; you can either do it first thing waking up, at work, before your Muay Thai class, or set a specific time. Not only will it make you less prone to get injured, but it’ll also allow you to kick higher, which is the purpose of this article.
I stretch every single day after I’m done publishing an article afternoon. You can’t imagine how much more flexible I am now just because I do this every single day. Not only do I kick higher, but I also feel more comfortable with my body while being less prone to injuries.
Here’s the routine I personally do:
Find the one you find the most suitable for your needs. Target the legs and hip flexors for higher kicks!
Tips for Higher Muay Thai Kicks
Now that you know how to increase your kicking height, it’s time we review tips for instant higher kicks. Indeed, you might currently lack the basic understanding of how to get higher kicks. Once you grasp some of the concepts I’ll review, you’ll be able to increase your kicking height almost instantly.
So let’s dive into the first one!
#1 – Start Slowly
The first tip is to start slowly. Power and speed come after. You first must work on your accuracy and technique. This is definitely true for those who dive straight into full-power kicks. This is really the last thing you want to do.
Focus on technique and perfect it. If you want to learn about the proper technique and execution of the six essential kicks in Muay Thai, follow this link.
Once your technique is perfect, you’ll naturally kick higher, faster, and harder.
#2 – Focus on the Small Details
The second tip is to focus on the small details. What I mean when I say small details is to focus on the technique but understand the nuances of the kick you’re performing. For instance, many Muay Thai fighters make numerous mistakes when performing the teep. However, the primary mistake I see is not lifting the knee to their chest before extending the leg forward and making contact.
When you dive into the small details and implement them into your own fighting game, you’ll see so much more results, including increased power, speed, and, as you can imagine, height.
#3 – Be Patient and Treat Your Body With Respect
The last tip is to be patient and treat your body with respect. Rome wasn’t built in a day and it wasn’t built in a week. You must constantly practice by incorporating all the drills you saw in this article.
Set up fixed times to practice, so your brain will not want to skip it. I encourage you to treat your body with respect, as you two have the same goal, be as healthy as possible. Treat it with respect and it won’t give you a hard time.
Rest enough. Sleep enough to recover. Eat healthily. Avoid overstretching it.
Final Words
What we did in this article is discuss five drills for higher kicks. All the drills in this article will also improve your overall health, as they improve flexibility and are great workouts. Therefore, there’s no losing by incorporating these into your weekly routine.
Muay Thai is one of the most effective martial arts on the globe. Ensure you stay patient and consistent in your training, as results will inevitably begin flowing into your life.
Here are other articles you’ll benefit from reading:
5 Muay Thai Heavy Bag Drills That’ll Boost Your Fighting Skills
Spinning Kick 101 – Here’s How to Use It Effectively
Is Muay Thai and Kickboxing the Same?