5 Common Muay Thai Roundhouse Mistakes: Perfect Your Kick
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Bent-Body Long Roundhouse Kick·fightTIPS
Zebra Home Gym Packages► https://zebraathletics.com/brand/home-gym-packages/ The Muay Thai roundhouse kick is one of th…
Bent-Body Long Roundhouse Kick
SubFamilyベント・ボディ・ロング・ラウンドハウス・キック(Bento Bodi Rongu Raundohausu Kikku)
Translation: Bent-body long roundhouse kick
Overview
The Bent-Body Long Roundhouse Kick uses extreme lateral body lean to maximise reach at the cost of balance. [1] By bending the torso away from the kicking leg, the practitioner extends the effective range significantly, reaching targets that would be impossible with standard posture. [1] This variant is common in Thai boxing where clinch-range body kicks require maximum extension. [1]
Leaning RoundhouseExtended Roundhouse
History & Origin
Effectiveness
Offers specific tactical advantages over the standard roundhouse kick in appropriate situations. [1]
Lineage
Cross-style martial arts kicking tradition; documented in kick compendiums. [1]
Competition Record
Primarily a training, demonstration, and point-fighting technique. Rarely seen in full-contact MMA or kickboxing due to acrobatic risk and telegraphing. Appears occasionally in TKD and point-fighting karate tournaments. [1]
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Biomechanical Mechanism
Primary Action — Roundhouse Kick mechanics modified for bent-body long roundhouse kick variant
Joints Involved — Hip, knee, ankle — specific to roundhouse kick trajectory
Force Vector — Modified roundhouse kick trajectory
Leverage Principle — Hip rotation and leg extension generate force along the roundhouse kick arc
Position & Entry
From fighting stance — Chamber and execute the bent-body long roundhouse kick
From close range — Adapted version for tight distance
Variants
High variant
Mid variant
Low variant
Videos
HOW TO DO A ROUND KICK, FULL TUTORIAL
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Bent-Body Long Roundhouse Kick·Official RAWTRICKS
Whats up guys, Round kick (Martelo) bringing you the Full tutorial, stretching and conditioning. This kick is one of …
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What Instructors Say
The bent-body long roundhouse kick is a Muay Thai striking technique emphasizing power delivery through the shin while maintaining a bent leg at contact, distinguishing it from snapping karate or taekwondo variants. Both fightTIPS and Official RAWTRICKS emphasize hip rotation as fundamental: the grounded leg must turn completely away from the target, with the heel facing inward, to generate power and prevent injury from striking with the foot or ankle. fightTIPS stresses that practitioners must extend the leg *through* the target rather than before contact, maintaining a bent knee at impact to achieve a chopping, follow-through effect. Both instructors highlight that flexibility and explosiveness are complementary attributes for effective technique. fightTIPS provides additional tactical guidance: stepping at a 45-degree angle before kicking improves alignment and penetration, arm and shoulder rotation amplifies hip drive, and setting up the kick with punches (jabs, crosses, hooks) prevents predictability and defensive readiness from opponents. Official RAWTRICKS prioritizes foot positioning drill work, stressing that heel-to-target alignment is prerequisite for power generation and injury prevention. Both agree that technique mastery precedes height variation—kicks may target leg, body, or head depending on positioning and distance. fightTIPS identifies common mistakes including insufficient hip turn (creating a soccer-kick trajectory), early leg extension, inadequate arm usage, poor footwork setup, and telegraphed single kicks without offensive distraction.
Synthesized from 2 instructors
- fightTIPS — 5 Common Muay Thai Roundhouse Mistakes: Perfect Your Kick: Detailed five common errors: insufficient hip rotation, premature leg extension before target, poor arm and shoulder engagement, inadequate stepping setup, and lack of punch combinations. Emphasized pushing through the target with a bent leg and using 45-degree angle footwork.
- Official RAWTRICKS — HOW TO DO A ROUND KICK, FULL TUTORIAL: Focused on foundational elements of flexibility and explosiveness, with emphasis on foot positioning and heel-to-target alignment as critical for power generation and hip safety. Advocated technique-first progression before height variation.
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Ratings
Risk of injury to the person this technique is applied to
6
High6/10
Roundhouse Kick variant with standard striking power
Skill level needed to execute this technique reliably
Intermediate
Whether this technique is allowed under major competition rule sets
Illegal
WBC/Boxing — All kicks prohibited in boxing {src— WBC Rules of Boxing}
Legal
— Unified MMA — Legal striking technique
Unified Rules of MMA, August 2025PDFKyokushin — Legal at full power to body and head {src— IKO Kyokushin Tournament Rules}
— WT — Legal, body kick 2 points, head kick 3 points, spinn...
WT Competition Rules 2024PDF— WAKO — Legal in Full Contact and Low Kick formats
WAKO Competition RulesPDFK-1/GLORY — Legal {src— K-1/GLORY Kickboxing Rules}
— IFMA — Legal — kicks are a core Muay Thai technique
IFMA Muay Thai RulesPDFTraining Notes
✓Master the standard roundhouse kick before attempting the bent-body long roundhouse kick (De Bremaeker & Faige, 2010)
✓Practise with pad work for targeting accuracy
Common Mistakes
!Attempting without solid roundhouse kick foundation
!Poor balance
!Insufficient power generation
Related Techniques
Counter Techniques
Setup Chain
1Feint → Bent-Body Long Roundhouse Kick → Follow-up combination
Sources & References
Primary Source
Essential Book of Martial Arts Kicks (De Bremaeker & Faige, 2010)
1Book[1] De Bremaeker, M. and Faige, R. (2010). Essential Book of Martial Arts Kicks: 89 Kicks from Karate, Taekwondo, Muay Thai, Jeet Kune Do, and Others. Tuttle Publishing. ISBN 978-1-4629-0558-4.
2Citation[1] De Bremaeker, M. and Faige, R. (2010). Essential Book of Martial Arts Kicks: 89 Kicks from Karate, Taekwondo, Muay Thai, Jeet Kune Do, and Others. Tuttle Publishing. ISBN 978-1-4629-0558-4.
[1] De Bremaeker & Faige, Essential Book of Martial Arts Kicks (2010)
Community
Athletics
Requires solid roundhouse kick foundation
Good balance and coordination
Notes
Documented in De Bremaeker & Faige, Section 3.9. The author's tokui-waza (favorite technique): 'This variation of the roundhouse kick is the second best preferred technique of this author... No wonder, as nobody really expects a kick to come from above.' Sometimes called the 'Brazilian kick' in karate circles. (De Bremaeker & Faige, Essential Book of Martial Arts Kicks, 2010)
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I generate more power in my roundhouse kick?
Turn your heel all the way inside to face your target—if you don't turn your heel in, you won't generate power and may hurt your hips. Also turn your hips over completely by rotating your grounded leg's toes away from the target, which creates the proper hip rotation needed for power (Official RAWTRICKS).
What's the correct way to step before throwing a roundhouse kick?
Step with your support leg out at a 45-degree angle before kicking, rather than standing straight in front of your target. This positioning makes it much easier to kick through with full extension (fightTIPS).
Should I use my arms and shoulders when throwing a roundhouse kick?
Yes—use your arms to assist the kick by turning your shoulders over. Many people keep their hands low or glued to their head, but letting your hands move naturally (like combing your hair back) helps with the rotation (fightTIPS).
How do I set up a roundhouse kick effectively in combat?
Don't throw the kick alone; set it up with punches first to get your opponent blinking and heavy on their feet. A jab-cross-kick or jab-hook-kick combination is far more effective than a single kick, and prevents shin-on-shin contact (fightTIPS).
How does the Bent-Body Long Roundhouse Kick work?
The Bent-Body Long Roundhouse Kick uses extreme lateral body lean to maximise reach at the cost of balance. By bending the torso away from the kicking leg, the practitioner extends the effective range significantly, reaching targets that would be impossible with standard posture.
Where does the Bent-Body Long Roundhouse Kick come from?
The Bent-Body Long Roundhouse Kick is a specialised variant documented in cross-style kicking methodology. It represents an advanced development of the standard roundhouse kick.
Is the Bent-Body Long Roundhouse Kick legal in competition?
Unified MMA: legal — Legal striking technique; WBC/Boxing: banned — All kicks prohibited in boxing; WKF: legal — Legal, chudan (body) kick scores 2 points, jodan (head) kick scores 3 points; Kyokushin: legal — Legal at full power to body and head; WT: legal — Legal, body kick 2 points, head kick 3 points, spinning body 4 points, spinni…; WAKO: legal — Legal in Full Contact and Low Kick formats; K: legal — 1/GLORY — Legal; IFMA: legal — Legal — kicks are a core Muay Thai technique
How dangerous is the Bent-Body Long Roundhouse Kick?
Danger rating 6/10. Roundhouse Kick variant with standard striking power
How do I set up the Bent-Body Long Roundhouse Kick?
The standard setup chain: Feint → Bent-Body Long Roundhouse Kick → Follow-up combination.
How do I defend against the Bent-Body Long Roundhouse Kick?
Standard counters include: Step inside range / Block and counter / Low kick to support leg.
What are the variants of the Bent-Body Long Roundhouse Kick?
Common variants: High variant; Mid variant; Low variant.
How effective is the Bent-Body Long Roundhouse Kick in competition?
Primarily a training, demonstration, and point-fighting technique. Rarely seen in full-contact MMA or kickboxing due to acrobatic risk and telegraphing.
What are common mistakes when doing the Bent-Body Long Roundhouse Kick?
Top errors to watch for: Attempting without solid roundhouse kick foundation / Poor balance / Insufficient power generation.
What are other names for the Bent-Body Long Roundhouse Kick?
The Bent-Body Long Roundhouse Kick is also known as Bento Bodi Rongu Raundohausu Kikku, Leaning Roundhouse, Extended Roundhouse.