If you’re wondering how to defend against the low kicks used in Muay Thai, you’ve come to the right place. Low kicks are one of the most used strikes in the art of eight limbs, so you must master how to defend against them if you plan to compete.
Low kicks don’t look like much to an untrained person, but they’re one of the most powerful attacks used in Muay Thai. It only takes a few hard kicks to your calves or the outer part of your thigh to drastically limit your movement.
Many Muay Thai and mixed martial artists have scored technical knockouts by landing low kicks that leave their opponents unable to continue fighting.
How To Defend And Counter Low Kicks In Muay Thai
There are various ways to go about defending against a low kick. Some of the more effective approaches include:
1) Check It
Checking a leg kick is the most basic way to defend against it. When done correctly, it forces your opponent to take the brunt of the impact, not your leg. A well-done check can even leave your opponent unable to continue fighting due to an injury to their leg.
The technique involves lifting your leg and pointing your shin outward so your opponent’s kick lands on it. You’ll still feel a little something, but it’ll hurt your opponent more than you.
Here’s how to properly check a kick in Muay Thai:
- Lift Your Leg: The first step toward checking a kick is lifting the foot of the leg targeted off the ground. You want to lift it high enough so your shin is perpendicular to the ground. Your upper and lower leg should meet at a 90-degree angle.
- Point Your Toes: Keep your toes pointing down as you lift your legs. Some fighters prefer pointing their toes upward, so it’s more of a preference issue.
- Angle Outward: Turn your shin outward so the incoming kick hits the bony part of its top instead of the softer part at the bottom.
2) Move Out Of The Way
Your feet can also be valuable tools for defending against low kicks. Moving your leg out of the kick’s path is a better way to deal with low kicks since you don’t take any damage when done correctly. Some of the ways you can use your movement to avoid low kicks include:
- Step Back: Sometimes, a simple backward step is all you need to slide out of the way of incoming low kicks. Maintain your fighting stance while moving back so you can launch a counter as soon as the kick misses.
- Sidestep: A quick side step can also remove your leg from the path of an incoming low kick. Sidestepping also creates angles that prevent your opponent from immediately following up while leaving you in a position to throw counters.
- Hop: A quick hop can also be enough to get both of your legs out of the path of a low kick. The key is to push off your front foot to propel your body backward.
3) Catch And Punish
Catching an opponent’s leg is perfectly legal in Muay Thai, so practice leg catches to deal with low kicks. Catching your opponent’s leg doesn’t just defend against low kicks; it also allows you to land a hard counter or sweep them.
Catching a low kick is a lot trickier than catching one thrown at your body, but it’s an excellent way to mix things up after successfully checking or dodging a few low kicks.
Here’s what it looks like:
- Keep your body close to your body while in your fighting stance. This will make it easier to trap your opponent’s leg against your body.
- From your guard, drop the arm on the same side from which the kick is coming while raising the leg on the same side to check the kick. Your goal is to use that arm to trap the kick against your shin.
- Wait until the kick is about to connect with your shin before dropping your near arm to trap it. Dropping your arm prematurely leaves you vulnerable to attacks like question mark kicks.
- Once the leg is trapped, quickly follow up with a straight punch with your rear hand, a leg sweep, a push backward, or a roundhouse kick. Don’t get comfortable while holding your opponent’s leg since they can still punch you in the face.
4) Absorb And Punish
You’ll never be able to block, evade, or catch every low kick thrown at you, so dedicate some time to learning how to minimize the damage they cause. Not checking a low kick means both of your feet are still on the ground, which allows you to follow up with hard counterstrikes.
Some things you can do to reduce the damage caused by low kicks include rolling with it or tensing up your leg muscles. Tense muscles absorb less damage than relaxed muscles. Always follow up with a hard strike when your opponent lands a low kick to make them pay for it.
5) Counter
Some of the best counterstrikes against low kicks include:
- Cross: One common way to counter low kicks is to take a backstep out its way and follow up with a lunging cross.
- Low Kick: Some Muay Thai fighters make it a habit to always respond with a low kick of their own after their opponent throws one.
- Kick The Attacking Leg: You can also counter a low kick by kicking your opponent’s attacking leg. This is a more advanced way to deal with low kicks, but it can be effective once you get the timing down.
Spend Lots Of Time Mastering How To Defend Against Low Kicks
If you plan to compete in Muay Thai, you’ll have countless low kicks thrown at you, so spend lots of time learning how to defend against them and follow up with your own attacks.
Remember to keep your hands up when defending against low kicks so you don’t fall victim to sneaky techniques like question mark kicks.
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