Many Muay Thai fighters are wondering whether the Switch Kick is worth learning. To that, I have only one answer; the Switch Kick in Muay Thai is one of the most effective kicks and there are two reasons for that.
The first reason is that it will confuse your opponent. The disciples get so used to seeing orthodox fighting that they won’t expect you to switch legs and kick with your lead leg. It’s also the weaker one; so all in all, your opponent will definitely get surprised.
And the second reason is that it still allows you to generate tons of force, assuming you get the steps right. This is where most Muay Thai fighters go wrong. They don’t invest enough effort into learning the basic steps, so they end up not being able to generate a sufficient amount of force.
I’ve decided to write this article because I want more Muay Thai fighters to find success with the Switch Kick. I’ve seen a lot of success using it, which is why I’m so confident in my abilities to explain it to you and the ability of the kick to benefit your fighting abilities.
Anyways, let’s now dive into the first part of the article, which is the most important one to understand how to execute the Switch Kick properly. What we’ll do is break down the steps to perform it perfectly.
So stick through and let’s dive in!
How to Switch Kick in Muay Thai
The Switch Kick is one of the most popular and effective kicks in Muay Thai. You must at least familiarize yourself with it in order to become a more competent fighter. Indeed, investing time into it, even if you’re uninterested in using it, is wise. However, I’m sure you’ll want to use it once you realize the power it holds.
The primary benefit I see with the Switch Kick is the confusion your opponent will go through once you use it, especially if you have used a few kicks to set it up beforehand. If that’s the case, I’m confident your opponent won’t know where this kick came from.
So now, let’s dive into the steps you must take to perform the Switch Kick flawlessly. I’m sure you’ll find this part beneficial, as it’s really the most important part of this article.
Let’s dive in!
#1 – Start from a solid fighting stance
The first step, as I previously mentioned, is how you stand. Your fighting stance is how you begin every technique, which is so important to understand. Without a proper fighting stance, you won’t find a lot of success with Muay Thai.
So the first step you want to ensure you have down is your fighting stance.
Start in your Muay Thai fighting stance, with your feet shoulder-width apart, knees slightly bent, and hands up to protect your face. This is the tip of the fork, of course.
I wrote an entire article on how to perfect your Muay Thai stance, and I highly recommend you read it if that’s something you want to achieve.
Once your fighting stance is on point, you can proceed to the next step.
#2 – Switching the Stance
The second step is to switch your stance. Let’s say you’re right-handed. In that case, your left foot and left arm are in the lead. It also means that your rear foot and arm are your right. If that’s the case, you want to switch the stance and make your right side the lead.
To initiate the Switch Kick, quickly lift your rear leg off the ground and simultaneously switch the positions of your legs. Your front leg will now become your rear leg, and your rear leg will become your front leg. This movement should be swift and explosive.
The key point here is to make this movement swift and explosive. Many Muay Thai fighters take their time with the switch, and therefore, they’ll be unable to surprise their opponents. Of course, then, how can you expect to hit the kick? It’s the same as if you charge up any kick or strike too much before throwing it. Your opponent will see it coming.
#3 – Raise your knee
The third step is to raise your knee. Thus far, we’ve reviewed being in a solid fighting stance and switching your stance, so that your lead leg becomes your rear. Now, let’s review the first practical step on your way to throwing the perfect Switch Kick.
The third step is to raise your knee to your chest. Now, I’m purposefully breaking down the steps to perform the Switch Kick, as I’m sure you know that you must raise your knee before extending your leg in any kick you’re going for. That way, not only are you making the execution simpler, but you’re also giving yourself more room to generate power with your kicks.
If you only extend your leg, you won’t be able to generate nearly as much force as if you raise your knee first.
#4 – Turn your hips
So you’ve raised your knee to your chest. That’s excellent because you’re now able to extend your leg with more force, which will allow you to cause more damage and eventually win more fights quicker.
The next step is to turn your hips. I’m not suggesting you exaggerate this movement and give your opponent room to attack you. However, what I am suggesting is to use your hips as the primary driving force. If you do that, you’ll be able to generate more force. So turn your hips before you extend your leg.
#5 – Extend your leg
The 5th step, which is also the one that will allow you to make contact with your opponent—is to extend your leg. You have your knee raised to your chest, which sets you up perfectly for extension and causing more damage.
That’s great because you’ve set yourself up perfectly for an extension. Now, you’re much more likely to generate a substantial amount of damage. And, as a result, inflict more damage onto your opponent, which is our desired goal with kicks and strikes in general.
#6 – Recall and Defend
The last step of performing this wonderful, fierce kick, is to recall your leg and continue defending. Now when I say defending, I refer to the many options you have available. Some of them can be more suitable for some types of fighters. The primary point I want you to understand is that you must recall your leg before you think about doing anything.
So after recalling your leg to your fighting stance, you can defend by keeping your guard up and observing your opponent. However, my favorite way of defending is by using the popular quote:
Offense is the best defense
What does that mean for you? That means that you can continue throwing strikes or even get in close-range and begin throwing close-range strikes. If you want to learn more about the different types of strikes in Muay Thai, you can follow this link.
Make sure to prioritize defense above offense, which can be done through offense. However, just keep that in mind and avoid leaving yourself vulnerable. If you do, you’re giving your opponent a massive advantage.
And now, let’s investigate ways you can sequence different strikes in the most optimized way in Muay Thai. In simpler terms, let’s examine some of the best combinations with the Switch Kick.
Switch Kick Combinations (Muay Thai)
The second part of this article will review a few combinations you want to start learning and honing. If you’re unfamiliar with what combinations are, they’re one of the fundamental skills in Muay Thai. Without them, you wouldn’t be able to cause a lot of damage quickly.
Imagine having to throw one offensive technique at a time. I bet you would be so much less effective than if you were to combine techniques. Indeed, combinations are sequences of offensive and defensive techniques, designed to help you cause as much damage while intimidating the opponent as much as possible.
The switch kick is a powerful technique in Muay Thai that involves switching your stance and delivering a kick with your rear leg. Here are a few combinations you can practice incorporating the switch kick:
- Jab, cross, switch kick:
- Start in your orthodox stance.
- Throw a quick jab with your lead hand.
- Follow it up with a strong cross from your rear hand.
- Switch your stance by quickly stepping forward with your lead foot and pivoting on it.
- As you switch, swing your rear leg up into a switch kick, targeting your opponent’s body or head.
- Lead hook, cross, switch kick:
- Begin in your orthodox stance.
- Throw a lead hook punch, aiming for your opponent’s head or body.
- Immediately follow it up with a cross from your rear hand.
- Transition into a switch kick by switching your stance quickly.
- Launch a powerful kick with your rear leg, targeting your opponent’s body or head.
- Teep, rear knee, switch kick:
- Start in your orthodox stance.
- Push your opponent back with a front teep kick using your lead leg.
- As your opponent reacts to the teep, quickly raise your rear leg and drive your knee toward their midsection.
- Transition into a switch kick by switching your stance.
- Finally, launch a strong switch kick with your rear leg, targeting your opponent’s body or head.
Switch Kick Variations
Learning as much as possible in the martial art you’re studying—is a solid idea 99% of the time. The 1% is when you’re ONLY learning and not applying and implementing any of the skills and techniques you’re learning.
So that’s why I’ve decided to include this section. Knowing and learning more variations will help you (1) defend the Switch Kick better, and (2) diversify your toolbox and use it more wisely. That’s why you want to pay close attention to the list. So here it comes!
- Switch Kick to the Body:
- This is the basic switch kick targeting your opponent’s body.
- Execute a switch by quickly shifting your stance.
- Swing your rear leg across, aiming to strike your opponent’s midsection with the shin or foot.
- Switch Kick to the Head:
- Similar to the switch kick to the body, but the target is your opponent’s head.
- Switch your stance and raise your rear leg high, aiming to strike your opponent’s head with the shin or foot.
- Switch Kick to the Leg:
- Instead of targeting the upper body, you can use the switch kick to attack your opponent’s leg.
- Switch your stance and deliver a strong kick to the inside or outside of your opponent’s lead leg, targeting the thigh or calf.
- Switch Kick Counter:
- Utilize the switch kick as a counter-attack when your opponent throws a punch or kick.
- When your opponent attacks, swiftly switch your stance and launch a switch kick to their exposed area, catching them off guard.
- Fake Switch Kick:
- This is a feint technique that involves starting the switch kick motion but quickly switching back to your original stance.
- By faking the switch kick, you can deceive your opponent and create openings for other strikes or combinations.
- Switch Kick to the Liver:
- This variation targets the liver, a vulnerable area on the opponent’s right side.
- Execute the switch kick while angling your body to the side, aiming to strike the liver with the shin or foot.
Final Words
I’ve truly had a blast researching and writing this article. It’s always a pleasure learning more about the martial art you’re currently doing, which is why I’m super interested in writing more articles like this.
And now, it’s critical we address a specific point. What most people would do now is, well, nothing. However, that’s the worst thing you can do. You have all the knowledge you need to start performing the Switch Kick effectively. So now, what you want to do is begin training.
So get in your martial arts gym and start training. Good luck!
Muay Thai has many more effective kicks you must learn to call yourself a fighter. Follow the link to learn what they are!
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