Watch someone walk down the street: as their right leg steps forward, their right arm naturally swings back. The same basic movement, the Round Kick Arm Swing, adds speed and power to a Muay Thai kick.
Many people learning the Round Kick focus so much on their hips and legs that they overlook their arms. Fortunately, two simple cues for your arms can make a big difference.
In this post, we’ll look at a short lesson from Shane Fazen of the fightTIPS YouTube channel.
Shane explains how to use your arms with two easy-to-remember cues: Reach for the Gun and Fling the Sweat. I teach these same two cues in my private Muay Thai lessons in Portland, Oregon.
In this post:
The Lesson
Video: Shane Fazen, fightTIPS, YouTube.
Each section below has a time stamp; click it, and the video in the post jumps to that moment.
Why the Round Kick Arm Swing Matters
When you walk, your arm and the opposite leg move like a pair of scissors. That swing builds momentum and helps carry your body forward.
The same scissor motion happens in a good Round Kick, as you swing the arm and throw the kick together. The arm pulls your body around, and your leg comes through faster.
Defense or Power?
Some styles teach you to keep both hands up by your face and kick from the leg alone. Shane says that is not wrong, and if your goal is defense, keeping your hands up makes sense.
If you want the most power, though, you have to swing your arm. That swing is where the extra momentum for the kick comes from.
The Setup: Reach for the Gun
Start in your fight stance, ready to throw a Rear Round Kick. Shane kicks with his right leg from an Orthodox Stance.
In the setup, each hand has its own job to do:
- Lead Hand: Drop it down by your hip, as if you are reaching for a gun in a holster.
- Rear Hand: Reach across to your Lead Shoulder, with your elbow up in front of your face.
This position keeps you well protected: your elbow blocks your chin, and your forearm covers your jaw and face.
The Kick: Shoot the Sky and Fling the Sweat
Now lift your leg and throw the kick, and as your leg extends, both arms move together:
- Lead Hand: Pull the gun out of the holster and shoot the sky.
- Rear Hand: Fling the sweat off your shoulder, past your opponent’s face.
Shane’s rule is simple: the faster you shoot the gun and fling the arm, the faster the kick goes.
Tip: As you step, say the cue to yourself: reach for the gun, then fling the sweat.
On the Heavy Bag
Shane explains the difference between a typical Karate or Tae Kwon Do Snap Kick and a Muay Thai Round Kick.
He first demonstrates a Snap Kick on the heavy bag while keeping his arms in place. Although the kick has speed, it doesn’t generate the same full-body power as a Muay Thai Round Kick.
Next, he adds the arm swing to the same kick, in this order:
- Take the cheat step: Step out with your Lead Foot to start the kick.
- Lead Hand reaches for the gun, and Rear Hand touches the Lead Shoulder. This turns your shoulders, starts the twist in your hips, and stretches your hip flexor.
- Go with the flow: Your body wants to step forward, so let it.
- Lift the knee: Bring your knee up before the leg goes out.
- Extend and swing: Snap the leg out as you shoot the sky and fling the sweat, fast and hard.
That twist from the setup is what loads the kick. When you let it go, the power travels from your arms, through your hips, and into your leg.
The Same Swing for the Switch Kick (AKA Lead Round Kick)
The arm swing works for the switch kick, too: from an Orthodox Stance, shuffle your feet to switch your stance. As your feet switch, your lead leg goes back and becomes your kicking leg. Your right hand goes for the gun, and your left hand goes for the opposite shoulder.
Then bring your knee up and swing your arms, the same as before. The hands simply trade jobs because your feet traded places.
Low, Body and Head Kicks
The arm swing works at every level, and the setup stays the same for the legs, body or head. You still reach for the gun and the opposite shoulder before every kick.
What changes is the path your arm travels as your leg goes out:
- Low Kick: As you chop down into the leg, your arm swings up a little.
- Body Kick: Your arm stays about level with the ground.
- Head Kick: Your arm swings down a little.
Your Kicking Arm Can Help You Judge Distance and Distract Your Opponent
Swinging your arm does more than add power to your Round Kick. It can also distract your opponent and make it harder for them to see the kick coming.
You can also use your arm to push against your opponent’s head, shoulder, or arm as you kick. This can disrupt their balance, create an opening, and make your kick harder to defend.
Legendary Dutch kickboxer Peter Aerts used his swinging arm to help set up some of his famous Head Kick knockouts. Reaching toward his opponent’s head or body let him distract them, push them off balance, and judge distance.
Aerts knew that if his arm could reach his opponent, his much longer leg could land a Head Kick. He used this simple way of judging distance to set up some of his most devastating knockouts.
A great example is his famous Head Kick knockout of Maurice Smith.
Click here to watch the KO at the 17:05 mark.
Round Kick Training in Portland
Your arms decide how much speed and power reach your kick. Reach for the gun and the opposite shoulder to set it up. Then shoot the sky and fling the sweat as your leg goes out.
Shane ends the lesson with a question about your goal for the kick. Keep your hands up if you want defense, and swing your arms if you want speed and power. Either way, repeat it over and over until the movement feels natural.
In my Muay Thai private lessons in Portland, Oregon, I watch your arms, hips and legs on every kick.
For the full kick from the ground up, read my six steps to the Rear Round Kick.
To see how Thai trainers teach it, read how to kick in Muay Thai.
If you live in the Portland, Oregon area and want to improve your Muay Thai technique, I offer one-on-one lessons.
You can learn more or get in touch through the contact form on TrainWithSean.com.
