Muay Thai Training

Techniques

Middle kick

By Muay Thai Training team Published

Muay Thai stance and footwork in the ring

The middle kick is a fundamental Muay Thai technique where you swing the leg through to strike the body, leading the impact with the shin. Executed from a high guard stance, the power generates by stepping or pivoting on the supporting foot and rotating the hips fully into the movement.

During execution, the shoulders rotate naturally while maintaining control and balance. The strike completes by recovering the kicking leg immediately to return to your fighting stance.

This technique is used to strike through targets at body level using the shin. It requires sufficient balance throughout the movement so you can recover instantly back into your guard after impact.

How to do it

  1. Step 1 Start in your Muay Thai stance with your guard high.
  2. Step 2 Step or pivot on the supporting foot and rotate the hips toward the body.
  3. Step 3 Swing the kicking leg through with the shin leading the strike.
  4. Step 4 Let the shoulders rotate naturally while maintaining balance and control.
  5. Step 5 Recover the leg and return immediately to your stance.
Coach tip

Turn the supporting foot and hip fully. Strike through the target with the shin while keeping enough balance to recover quickly.

Common mistakes

  • Failing to turn the supporting foot and hip fully during the kick.
  • Striking with the foot instead of leading with the shin.
  • Losing balance during shoulder rotation, preventing a fast recovery.
  • Dropping the high guard before or during the strike.

Programs that train it

Related programs

Kicks Mastery Programs · 20 min

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