Footwork and Training Methods to Improve Your Lead Leg Round Kick 

"Does your lead kick suck? Of course it does. They all suck" ahhh. That's a relief. Thought it was just me.

Your assumption is correct.. you gain more range by lowering your level on the low kick because you are changing the angle that the leg extends.

Redness on your shin says everything. Another good one Mike.

Love how clean your gym is

My lead roundhouse is Terrible, going to practice it today. Perfect timing on this video.

2:14 I like this secret. I also really like the stepping to the right to set up the lead leg you showed, its the same footwork as what you would use for the right hand in boxing and the angle you end up is really good for the lead kick. I have seen many karate tournaments where this has been used in close range with a lead leg kick to the head and it just flattens or KO's the target if it hits. Can't wait to see more lead leg stuff, especially set ups and counters!

Thank you, for another great description of the Muay Thai kick! This is just as descriptive as your last video on the rear leg kick. Which was awesome!

I love how you teach and learn at the same time, and give us something to think about. Well done, brother.

what helped me was many reps of the Pendulum kick, and thinking about leading with the hip

Lead leg kick is like the jab. It's the fastest, so you wanna make it strong.

Found this channel today. I already love it! You all do good work and know how to explain things with ease. Definitely a daily view for me. Keep it up!

After getting the full concept of turning the support leg and hip. We usually teach our students to practice throwing the opposite side shoulder of the kick to help generate power. Usually practiced off of a cross or quick pendulum step. It tends to help a lot with hip drive.

The lower you squat, the more distance there is between each leg. When you pendulum, you a bringing the rear leg up to move the momentum forward. It's the same reason why a wider, deeper, bladed stance gets more distance in TaeKwon-Do/Sport Karate. Or why you "feel like" you get more height when you jump from a squat. the attitude you have while you do a technique in a very specific way says a lot about how it's going to be done as well. A lot of any technique comes from the psyche behind it. When you feel like you can do better, you do better.

One of the simplest yet helpful videos I’ve seen on leg kicks. Thank you.

Sometimes, four inches is all you need ^_-

Great video. This is something I'm working on in class now. We're training front leg kicks and double front leg combos.

thanks for these videos, too bad I can't stop in or anything, feel like you guys could teach me a ton about my round kick. keep it up

Thanks for this vid.can’t wait to train this.another great vid!!!

Thanks. I use the pendelum and have always emphasized turning that hip over, and even getting lower for a quicker ranged strike. The part towards the end is also a little practice exercise I have just kind of started doing over time, but I always felt clunky so am glad to see that you also do that and I'm not a total idiot.

Hey Mike, this video's really helpful, I will definitely be watching this again while practicing my lead kick. Just wanted to say thanks and that you're a good coach (even though this video's old lol)

Nice video. Lately I have been training in the gym and focusing on getting stronger. Sadly, I have neglected my fight training while doing that. After watching this video, I have gotten the motivation to go back to doing it on my rest days (assuming that my leg DOMS aren't too painful haha).

You are awesome! Thank you for this video and I will definitely practice this one out!!

Great video! Definitely gonna try these out next time I'm at the gym.

this is first video out of many kicking instructions that i am pleased to watch.

02:58 this is why I love this guy. That's years of dealing with amateur foolishness surfacing.

Could you do a full breakdown of your jumping kick? Looks dope!

Good information! You do those kicks really well. The way I like to do this kick best is with a rear foot slide after kicking straight from the floor with good hip turn. The groin is the primary target. My instructor taught me this kick by telling me "I'm going to kick you in the groin with my front leg. Tell me when you are ready to block it." Ok - Bam!! He hit me so fast I couldn't believe it.

This is exactly what I needed to see. I had no idea how to kick effectively with my lead leg.

Love the stomp step at 1:40. It's a great way to coil in for added power.

Wicked video thanks man helped alot

Really like your channel...just found it recently. Love your practical advise. My front wheel kick is weak too no matter how much I practice. In actual matches I've scored more with outer crescent kick than any other kick. ..,reason being it usually lands side of face. As you know judges give more weight to head kicks (they shouldn't but do). FWIW and to explain even more....the style I was in matches were decided by 4 corner judges and a ref/judge in the center. No stoppage after a point. We just went 4 minutes and they picked a winner. Anyway a couple times I actually got the shit beat of me but won the match because I was able to land several of the crescent kicks from almost inside the clinch.

I've been training for about a year and my lead kick has just been awful. this video really helped me to start improving that kick, just a bit, but its getting better.

if you step forward, its no longer the lead leg

Icy Mike is a bad ass 💪

I love this video just show all you need in the first 10sec. 0:00 rear foot step front 0:02 rear foot step right 0:06 switch stance 0:08 jump

EXCELLENT TUTORIAL

Great video thank you. I do a forward step with my right leg and I'm good. I have injured my foot so many time by kicking the bag right that I prefer that way now. Funny thing tho I'm better at kicking the pads than the bag itself.

My front leg round kick is downright pretty if I do say so myself. I won my last fight with it (knockdown followed by rnc)

Your assumption is spot on… My lead leg kick does suck :( but it’s getting better now that I watched a great video on it. Thanks brother

Awesome shiy everytime.

Thanks for that! Some great tips! :)

Yup, I can't really generate much force with the lead kick unless the power comes from my hip turning. Haven't tried the jumping version, though, might try it for fun. I notice you're using more of your shin than I was when I started kicking the bag again. I kept coming away with ankle injuries but I smartened up. Now I have to try to reduce hip flexor problems that keep happening.

Good info,ty

0:42 I feel personally attacked.

Good stuff. Thanks

Thanks again.n this is what I need to improve 💪😃👍🤝

Omg pivot rotation is new for me thanks

What helps me with the lead leg round house is pushing off the ground with the front foot (like a spring) and flicking the rear legs hip down into the ground to get the power. Its from like a TKD stance tho which is different from being squared up like you were.

Thanks, thats what I need.

This helped a shit ton. Thanks.

Thank you!

Pretty Neat. Gonna try it.

One way I'll throw the lead leg is to wind it up with a slip or throwing a cross to the lead side. Kind of like you are about to throw the liver shot but you unwind into the kick instead. Unwinding right into your kick generates some additional pop, you can also add in a little hop into that cheat step on the unwind (like a leaping hook).

You're humble and hilarious dude

Hey Mike, got any tips for improving reaction time/reflexes. Maybe even some solo drills for that kind of stuff?

great video. I practice Front leg round house kick a lot. That is one of Bruce Lee's signature kicks. He deflects the jab and then kick with the front leg to the head. His footwork was tremendous and pivots ob the back foot. I have been practing that since the 80's. My front house round kick was considered one of he best in my class because I spent months, years working on it. Great video! As I become older and older, I work mainly on my footwork more than anything. At 52, I am not going to go toe to toe with some 25 yo no matter how strong I think I am. Haha. I am going to use footwork and evade and find opportunities. younger folks don't like to work on footwork..LOL have a great Day, Mike

@hard2hurt your question at 2:28 when your bending your knee more you activate the back part of your leg and your back muscles more look closely and you will see you are able the lean more backwards because of it which opens up your hip more it also changes the heavy point on your body since your moving your front foot almost a foot forward ( im not good at american metric system )

Iv learned that too! That if your lower you can sometimes generate more power and range always

Excellent video! The cheating kick reminds me of Joe Lewis from the 70s and his Angular Attack system though he usually used side thrust kick. The jumping roundhouse does work if the opponent is stationary, like when they are hurt or gassed. I like to use it to pound their arms so that they lower them a bit and then try for a clean head strike. It also has the advantage of not requiring rotation on the base leg so those of us with bad knees can really torque the kick in without worrying about our base leg knee. Especially when you are on a bad high friction surface like carpet and have sticky sole shoes like runners.

Thank you so much I was doing drills and realizes I never have tried to learn lead round kick so I said oh I’ll just throw it I fell on my ass I quickly realized that I can’t just throw it out thank your for these tips

I'm a Shotokan karate fighter. We heavily rely on our front leg in combat. The front leg kick gives u more options. Hook, axe, side and lead leg round kick as well. Front leg all day baby!

All good stuff. My teacher always told me to focus on spinning my rear foot on the ball so that my rear heal faced forward when throwing the front kick. Getting the hip over and throwing the leg correctly were all important, but he really emphasized the spin and rotation on the back foot. And for the record, by front kick doesn't suck.... it blows!

That hop kick at 4:28 is what I used to destroy my old laptop early one morning a few years ago. It was very effective. Keep up the good work Mike.

Your hip moves a bit more forward when you are lower to the ground so thats why it adds couple inches to the range. Alot of Thai's use this tactic on bodykicks.

Thank you.

this is the best round kick tutorial on RU-vid...

Everyone should learn how to dance salsa and the brain will work out the mechanism naturally. Great video BTW. You can also drive off the lead foot to create the momentum. A lot of Muay Thai guys tap their lead foot constantly. It's just like dancing 🕺

i just started to do muay thai and my lead kick is…let’s just say i look uncoordinated asf doing it, these tips did wonders brother

As someone who also doesn't switch there's a few things I've learned in developing front leg kick power. First is to turn your supporting foot till your heel points at your target that way you get maximum power and pivot, plus you're still in a good position to recover. Next you sink down bending your support leg (when you're kicking low if you kick midline or highline your support leg should really be straight) but keep your posture that means don't lean back it will weaken the kick. Also doing lots and lots of dexterity drills for kicking is super important. Multiple kicks without touching the floor, different kicks with the same leg. The more fluid and dextrous that front leg becomes the more dangerous it will get, plus your kicks will land easier since you have more options.

Umm......okay....are you watching me train.....I was busy throwing vomit at a bag all day in the back yard, and you post this.....you are like a Jedi huh? As usual, thank you this actually already helped make me feel a bit better about taking it slow, your method specifically has helped me get back up to speed, so to speak, it's been some time since I've had the bag and clear skies etc. Your posts are very valuable.

tnx master 🙏❤️

Great jumping lead kick

I like pengulum step, or left round kick from boxing range with switch jab as my setup

Great Guy. Do you help your students decide which glove weight makes sense for them?

Great vid the lead leg can be thrown in different variations yesir it all implies that specific kick for a specific situation in a fight dynamic movement is important yesir the various methods in throwing the lead leg Roundhouse differs from traditional muay thai to K 1 to Glory to MMA because of the difference in dynamics that are in accord to the specific combat sport for instance Dutch style incorporates that panddellum lead leg also with the emphasis on stepping out as you shown and lowering your base on the lead leg kick shows respect to the defense of getting out the way of possible counter punch mma does to due to the possibility of a take down however, in kickboxing you dont have to worry for the take down yesir Great vid just wanted to concur and chime in awesome stuff

2:14 your centre of gravity is lower, your legs are more spring loaded as they bend more, hence you cover more distance when you release. Same for the stance in basketball.

Coming from a TKD background we teach/practice the lead leg pendulum round kick a lot and because I'm also a short guy with even shorter legs this is an issue I'm more than a little familiar with. Really the squat = range thing is really about 2 separate elements: flexibility, and hip push. Basically your leg is always the same length, but its furthest reach comes when your kick horizontal to the floor. Very few people have freakin gymnast flexibility in the hips and can kick fully horizontal from standing straight up. If you inspect your footage from about @2:00 but especially @2:29, you can see that by squatting down in your kick you are actually leaning your body back and hence angling your hips up more allowing closer to horizontal lead leg kick with limited hip flex. Its why we tend to lean away a little when we go for head kicks too. I notice that when you go for the deep squat you're also pushing your hips closer to the target (only a few inches) but that's also contributing to a longer reach on your lead leg kick. That's a technique we focus on when going for max reach. I really like your focus on bottom foot rotation. Its something I drill into my students that is a critical step in round kicks. Pivoting your bottom foot and pointing your heel at the target forces your hip to rotate in the direction of the kick, increasing power. It also allows your power to turn horizontally into the target instead of slashing diagonally upwards which robs power (@Kwonkicker explains this in his round kick tutorial better than I can). What I like to teach people at a higher level is to sync that pivot and hence hip rotation with the kick to add that extra rotational momentum to the kick to increase power, which is most noticeable on the lead leg kick which has the least windup.

😁 real talk, finally! My lead leg kick sucks, so yours!! True shit, we always think we kick like Joe Rogan till we watch the replay!!! Awesome 😊

Mike , I keep it lighter on my lead leg . I try to do about a 60 / 40 split on my weight front to back . With slightly more weight on my rear leg the front round kick comes up pretty easily . That is good for checking leg kicks and firing off a counter front round or front snap kick . I also keep my stance tight enough to disguise weight transfers and make kicks off the lead leg come off the ground easier . I have TKD roots so we do all of lead leg work. Curious what your thoughts are on the comment . Excellent videos by the way

Once I know my knee is back to 100% I'm gonna try that jumpy kick on the bag 💯

Power generation is one of the most unique things to teach. It varies so wildly from person to person, technique to technique. Some have freakish, natural power in one area, but almost none in another . Finding a way to get them to understand it is the hard part because none of us learn the same. For example, i had a student that just couldnt get a strong back kick no matter how detailed i got. So I called it a Mule kick instead and BOOM she was slamming it straight in and out like a Champ. And that got me to thinking about all those old animal styles and how people could relate to them versus breaking it down like modern Kenpo might , so I started focusing on the student instead of the style. What sports have they played, what jobs have they had, stuff like that.

Great video, already 2% better

This helped me win

nice jump kick, good balance on the way up..... keep ur legs relaxed when following through the kick and allow it to swing through the bag, essentially ur swinging a dead leg which is a heavy leg like a baseball bat.... thats the physics iv understood when studying the roundhouse kick, pretty much everything your describing plus a swinging a dead leg

Muito bom o vídeo parabéns.

There it is.

How about covering the calf kick. I've had great success in applying 2 max. Much less mass to get fluid shock. It's a crusher.

Another sneaky way to throw the lead leg is to lean forward on that leg, tip your chin/head forward to bait them to attack and when they come in, lean back onto your back leg while doing the shuffle step forward and send that lead leg up (but while your head is moving back/evading). The head/shoulder movement from the evasion can be channelled into the force of the kick too. I've found that extending and placing your lead jab arm near to where you're about to strike with the lead leg tends to align your body correctly for the lead leg strike while also potentially keeping an arms distance between you and the target as they lean in and you lean back into the kick (also might trick them into thinking you're gonna try intercept them with a jab when secretly the round kick is about to hit a millisecond later).. I'm talking about a head kick with the lead leg here ideally used as a counter attack/with a very slight shuffle step forward but at the same time as your upper body pulls back, so it's effectively a stationary attack, it's an intercepting attack. Also.. I used to skate (skateboard) and I think this is what taught me good form when it comes to my kicks. There is really something to be said for transfering skills from one art to another. The co ordination/balance needed for skateboarding translates really nicely into fighting form as far as kicks go anyway. It's easy to fall over getting this sneaky type of head kick wrong or by missing the target actually, so it is kinda silly or at least a journeyman to expert level technique to actually attempt in a real confrontation or anything. Sparring is one thing but using it in a fight would be something else like. Bruce Lee level reflexes are probably required hahaha. No doubt other sports/arts Tennis or something like that could segway into certain aspects of a fighters punching form for example as well. I mean, especially when it comes to timing, relaxation of the arm, lots and lots of little factors I imagine.

To the question about being lower and reaching further - that's not really what's happening but I think I see the source of the confusion. When you didn't lower you were actually increasing your reach much more than when you were "lowering." The reason that it "feels" shorter is that the bag is not mirroring your distance change, vis a vis in order to make proper contact with the bag, which you are trained to sense with your body, you feel a little cramped. You have a habit (at least in the video) of landing your kick while the bag is swinging towards you so that you can feel your shot land with the most amount of power - there's nothing wrong with this in and of itself obviously but try pushing the bag and then doing the "non-lowered" movement while you're chasing the bag and I think you'll find that you actually have a lot more reach, especially when you turn your hip over. That's off the top of the head so if it reads a little clunky forgive me. -Best

I know what you mean by squatting down to make the kick work better, I am 6"1 south paw and I rarely use a switch for my lead kick, works well for me to skip the switch, especially hard leg and body kicks. I'm sure my height provides some type of advantage with not having to switch.

nice!

Men!! Those Roundhouse low kicks properly loaded & executed do so much damage!!!..once landed a proper one,on the back of the bag somehow my 4year old daughter had somehow sneaked just close & the momentum of the bag hit her n threw her some few feet away..she was OK.....bought her Mom pizza that day & she kept on wondering why!!!!

Nice I was training last week doing lead leg roundhouse and I was having such a hard time with it not only the power but also the accuracy on my kicks especially the higher they go. Most of the time I felt like I was just flicking the pad and I need to fix that. Sorry I don't know if what you're showing is the proper lead roundhouse in that you're using the switch to set it up, There is also a way in which you can throw the kick that goes up into a diagonal instead of round and over on the horizontal that can be much faster.

Have the same problem, that's why I'm practicing the heavy bag in southpaw And when I switch, I use the oblique kick

It's almost like your body is laying down and extending your legs when you kick! That's why you get an extension on the Kik

@hard2hurt When your hip is lower you throw your leg more parallel to the floor, which gives you more range

Awesome stuff as always! Thank you!

For the squat thing: i think of it like that: the closest distance beteeen say, A and b is the vertical line beteeen their closest places. When you crouch lower, it gets all horizontal which eliminates the y axis so you reach further. And i dont rly know but you also may be able to extend your hip better in that position tho i think this one is bs i'd say the first one lol.

Something to note is what you're showing here are very good ways of generating more power in the lead leg, which is usually the weaker leg. It's also perfectly okay to have a weaker lead leg attacks. You just have to be able to generate enough power for the lead leg to be annoying to an opponent. You don't need to have full knockout power. You can use the lead leg to harass with short quick snappy kicks to the calf, side knee, ankle or thighs.

You get more range when you squat down because you are also instinctively shifting your hips forward and your torso back. This brings your legs closer to the target AND your head further from the target at the same time. Kind of the same principle as a lead side kick or lead teep, if you're bending the knee of your back leg, then explode that leg up onto the ball of your foot (incorporating a twist if it's a side kick) whilst snapping your hands and torso back at the same time, you are not only being defensively sound, but creating better range and generating more power. What you gain in these areas, you sacrifice a little in speed, but with practice and muscle memory the difference becomes negligible.