A good fighting stance is important for all MMA and martial arts techniques, so practice this starting position until you can enter it without thinking. Always stay loose in your fighting position. If you’re too stiff, your techniques will be slower and less powerful. If you’re left-handed, you may be more comfortable in a reverse fighting stance, with your left leg back. If your opponent is in a standard, right-handed stance, then it’ll be easier to attack the inside of their front leg rather than the outside.
Pointing your toes to the left is important for kicking with power. If you keep your toes forward, you won’t be able to follow-through. To stay light on your front foot, balance on the ball of your foot rather than keeping your foot flat. This will give you more balance. If you’re using a reverse fighting stance, then turn your right foot to the right instead.
The thigh is a perfect target for a leg kick because the quad muscle locks up when it’s hit, so you can incapacitate your opponent with a solid kick. The ideal location is a few inches above your opponent’s knee. Keep your grounded leg slightly bent so you stay loose. Some kick boxers also aim for their opponent’s shins, but this wouldn’t be as effective as a solid hit to the thigh. You also risk hurting your leg if you make contact with your opponent’s shin.
You can also tuck your chin a bit so your shoulders defend your face.
Kicking with your foot is dangerous because you have many small bones there that could break.
You can also try to spin if you make contact. This is a good follow-through that adds power to the kick. If you have trouble executing a spin, try rotating your head first. Turn quickly and look at your opponent, then let your body follow. You’ll get less dizzy this way.
You can use a few other hand techniques as well. A jab-cross, where you punch with your front then rear hand, further distracts your opponent. Elbow attacks also work well. For more deception, try throwing a few jabs with no kicks after them. Then, when your opponent doesn’t expect it, follow one of your jabs with a kick.
This is easier if you add a quick step or hop with your grounded leg. Lift your kicking leg, lower it, then hop slightly with your grounded leg to propel your leg for a new kick.
You can make a combination here for a stronger attack. For example, throw a jab to get your opponent off-balance, fake a kick so they lift their front leg, then throw a kick underneath their block to attack their rear leg. Since all your opponent’s weight is on their rear leg, you could seriously hurt someone with this technique. Only use it in a match with a trained opponent.
Use the same roundhouse-style kick when you attack with your other leg. This is the best type of kick for leg attacks. You could also hit your opponent’s rear leg with this attack, since you’re kicking from another angle.
