@trainor103: Common Mistakes with the Muay Thai Roundhouse Kick The Muay Thai roundhouse kick, when done correctly, is one of the most powerful strikes in any martial art (note: one of….before anyone starts dropping spinning kicks in the comments). It’s like swinging a baseball bat….your goal is to smash through the target, not just touch it. 1. Straight Up A very common mistake, especially among beginners. This happens when you don’t pivot your standing foot. Without the pivot, you can’t properly turn your body into the kick, so you end up kicking straight up. This limits your range, reduces power, and turns it into more of a leg-only movement rather than a full-body strike. You also won’t be using the sharp edge of your shin, which is what you want. Worse, you might end up kicking directly into your opponent’s elbow….which is never fun. 2. Pull Back Another frequent error is being told to throw the arm back without understanding why. If you yank your shoulder back too aggressively, you end up pulling yourself out of the kick, sacrificing a ton of power. This also prevents your hip from turning into the strike properly. And with your upper body left square, you’re an easy target for counter punches….especially to the face. 3. Turned Over (What You Want) This is how it should look: your whole body weight is behind the kick. Your base foot pivots, allowing your hip to turn over smoothly. Your shoulder turns in line with your hip, maximizing range and power. This full-body commitment not only generates serious force, but the shoulder positioning also helps protect your chin. Efficient and effective. Want to learn how to build your technique from the ground up? Check out my full-length instructional Muay Thai Training – Developing World Class Striking, available now on the @warriorcollective marketplace (link in bio). #muaythai #fundamentals #roundhousekick #kickboxing #martialarts

Damien Trainor

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Region: GB

Tuesday 24 March 2026 09:46:11 GMT