Regarded as one of the best Muay Thai fighters in the world, Sam-A Gaiyanghadao has a really exciting fight style and is known for his lightning fast kicks. Well, his left roundhouse kick was a technique he always worked on, so it comes as no surprise that it went on to become his signature move.

“To make my kicks fast, I strengthened my legs by running 20 kilometers daily,” reveals Sam-A. “My trainer and I worked on my left roundhouse kick by watching fights and analyzing techniques… Eventually, I realized that I could kick faster when I kicked by swinging straight up and rotating at the last second.”

Ready to take your Muay Thai training to greater heights? Today, Evolve University shares Sam-A Gaiyanghadao’s Essential Kick Combinations:

1) Sam-A’s 5 Essential Roundhouse Kick Combinations

The roundhouse kick is one of the fundamental strikes in Muay Thai. Although it is among the first techniques you’ll learn, it’s one of the toughest ones to nail down. After all, it requires a perfect blend of balance, co-ordination, control, and of course, flawless form.

In this video, multiple-time Muay Thai World Champion Sam-A Gaiyanghadao demonstrates 5 essential roundhouse kick combinations, which you can utilize when you’re sparring or drilling with a heavy bag. If you watch closely, you’ll notice that Sam-A comes up on the ball of his foot when he pivots and throws his kicks. This is an important detail to take note of, because doing so helps to generate maximum speed. Also, he positions himself at a 45-degree angle, so as to get into a better position and hit his desired target.

Tip: While it might seem more exciting to throw swift, explosive kicks, you should focus on getting your technique on point before even worrying about the speed and power of your kicks. It helps to shadow your kicks in slow motion in front of a mirror to refine your technique, so that when you speed it up, your form would still be perfect.

2) Sam-A’s 4 Essential Head Kick Setups