Does your Round Kick make a loud slapping sound when it hits the heavy bag? That usually means you’re making contact with the top of your foot instead of your shin. The kick sounds powerful, but it isn’t delivering the impact you want. In Muay Thai, you want to kick with your shin, not your foot.
The shin provides a solid striking surface and allows you to transfer more of your body’s force into the target. Kicking with the foot instead can increase your risk of injury because the foot contains many small bones and joints.
This post looks at a short lesson from professional fighter and coach Marcel Niebur. It was published on Sean “Muay Thai Guy” Fagan’s YouTube channel. Coach Niebur shows two heavy bag drills that help you land your Round Kick with your shin.
In this post:
The Lesson
Video: Coach Marcel Niebur on Sean “Muay Thai Guy” Fagan’s channel, YouTube.
Try the two drills below, one at a time. Each drill has a time stamp. Click it, and the video in the post jumps to that moment.
Why You Should Kick With Your Shin
A kick that lands with the foot is a flick. It comes in from the side, and if your sparring partner blocks it, the kick does little. The block can even injure your foot.
A kick that lands with the shin is different. Your body weight drives into the target, allowing you to deliver a more powerful strike.
Here is why that matters:
- It hits harder: Your hips and body are behind the shin, not just your leg.
- It is harder to block: Even when your sparring partner blocks the kick, the impact can still knock them off balance.
- It sets up what comes next: A good shin kick keeps your balance and fighting position. From there, you can follow up with more strikes or defend against a counterattack.
The Key: Knee High First
Coach Niebur stresses one key detail in the lesson: Lift your knee high first, then extend your shin into the target.
Think of a Kung Fu technique called the Side Hammerfist Strike. To perform this strike, you first bring your elbow up and out to the side of your body. From there, your forearm swings outward in a hacking motion, striking the target with the bottom of your fist.
The same basic principle applies to the Muay Thai Round Kick. Your knee acts like your elbow, and your shin acts like your forearm. First, bring your knee up into position. Then, swing your shin outward and through the target.
If your knee stays too low, your leg swings too wide, causing your foot to make contact first. Lift your knee before you extend your leg, and your shin lines up for a cleaner strike.
Drill 1: Kick and Hold
For this drill, you need a solid target that stays in place. Use a large, heavy punching bag that doesn’t swing much when you kick it. You can also have your training partner hold a Kick Shield or Thai Pads. The goal is to focus on proper kicking technique without having to adjust to a moving target.
Throw a Body Kick the normal way, but don’t make it fast and explosive. When your shin lands on the bag, stop and hold it there.
Check these points each time:
- Step out first: Step to the outside, the way you would for any Rear Round Kick.
- Up on your toes: Rise up on the ball of your standing foot.
- Swing your arm: Your Rear Arm swings, and your other hand stays up by your face.
- Stay centered: Your body stays over your feet, moving toward the bag.
- Knee in front of the bag: Your knee points across the front of the bag, not off to the side of it.
- Lean In: Drive your body weight forward through your shin, pressing firmly into the heavy bag while holding your kicking position.
Hold that end spot for one, two or three seconds. Then put your leg back down into your stance and do it again.
Tip: If you lose your balance during the hold, slow the kick down and focus on staying stable. Better balance in the hold gives you more control when you throw the kick at full speed.
Drill 2: The Swinging Bag
Many people know the drill where the bag swings side to side, and you kick it as it passes. That drill trains your timing, but this one trains your form.
Push the bag straight away from you, so it swings back toward you. As it comes at you, kick it so the bag lands full on your shin.
If you swing your leg from the side and make contact with your foot, the bag will continue to swing. Drive your shin into the bag and hold your kicking position. When your weight presses into the target, you can stop much of the swing.
That is what makes the drill honest. The bag tells you right away whether you landed with your shin.
Tip: Say the cue to yourself before each kick: knee high first, then the shin.
Bonus: It Makes Holding the Kick Easy
Kicking with your shin also helps later, when you learn moves that start from a kick. Coach Niebur shows a kick and hold right after the kick lands.
If you land with your foot, holding that spot is almost impossible. Your leg is in the wrong place, and you have to fix too much.
If your knee is already high and your shin lands, holding is simple. You kick, stay right there, and keep your balance on one leg.
What to Take Into Your Own Training
The lesson is about a kick that works, even against a good block.
Here is the short version:
- Knee high first, then the shin.
- Kick and hold on a still bag.
- Kick the bag as it swings back at you.
- Hold your balance at the end of every kick.
Kick With Your Shin in Portland
To make consistent contact with your shin, focus on lifting your knee first and driving your shin through the target. The Kick and Hold Drill builds the correct kicking position, and the Swinging Bag Drill tests it.
A heavy bag can help you identify where your kick makes contact, but it cannot correct your mistakes. In my Muay Thai private lessons in Portland, Oregon, I watch each kick and help you land it with your shin. For the base every kick comes from, read my post on the Muay Thai stance. If you are new to the sport, read what to expect at your first Muay Thai class.
If you’re in the Portland, Oregon area, reach out to me when you’re ready. Use the contact form on TrainWithSean.com.
