Top 3 Ways To Land A Clean Body Kick | EXCLUSIVE CONTENT FROM LIAMHARRISONTRAINING.COM
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Body Kick·Liam Harrison
Here are my Top 3 ways of landing a clean body kick. This is content straight from my website www.LiamHarrisonTraining.c…
Body Kick
SubFamilyボディキック(Bodi Kikku)
TransliterationTranslation: body kick
Overview
The Body Kick subfamily covers roundhouse kicks targeting the opponent's torso, including the ribs, liver, spleen area, and floating ribs, delivered at midsection height. [1] Body kicks are among the most tactically effective strikes in Muay Thai and kickboxing because they accumulate damage over rounds, degrading the opponent's endurance and willingness to engage, while individual clean body kicks can produce instant stoppages by impacting the liver or solar plexus. [1],[2] The body kick is scored highly in Muay Thai judging, where heavy body kicks are considered indicators of dominance and ring control. [2],[3]
History & Origin
Body kicks have been a cornerstone of Muay Thai scoring and strategy since the sport's formalisation, with Thai judges awarding significant points for clean, powerful round kicks to the midsection. [1] Dutch kickboxing further emphasised body kicks within combination striking, integrating them with boxing punches in a systematic attack methodology. [1],[2] In MMA, body kicks gained strategic importance as fighters recognised their ability to sap opponents' energy and set up finishing sequences. [2],[3]
Effectiveness
Lineage
Body kicks are fundamental in Muay Thai and kickboxing. [1]
Competition Record
Body kicks are one of the most effective scoring techniques in Muay Thai and MMA. [1]
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Biomechanical Mechanism
Primary Action — Ballistic leg extension or rotation — the shin or foot impacts the target at high velocity
Joints Involved — Hip (flexion/rotation), knee (extension for front kicks, flexion-extension for roundhouse), ankle (stabilised)
Force Vector — Linear (front kick/teep — hip flexion and knee extension) or rotational (roundhouse — hip rotation with shin contact)
Kinetic Chain — Pivot foot rotation → hip turn → femur whip → shin contact — the leg acts as a heavy bat with the hip as the pivot
Position & Entry
From fighting stance (rear leg) — Pivot on the lead foot, swing the rear leg in a circular arc, strike with the shin, rotate the hips fully through the target
From fighting stance (lead leg) — Switch-step or throw directly, shorter arc but faster, used for speed and range management
As counter (after checking) — Check the opponent's kick, plant the foot and immediately return the roundhouse
Videos
Beginner Tips to Help You Improve Your Muay Thai Body Kick
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Body Kick·Muay Thai PROS
Shop: https://mtpfightgear.com My Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/muaythaipros/ Learn how to throw a Muay Thai bod…
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Ratings
Risk of injury to the person this technique is applied to
6
High6/10
Most common KO kick; generates ~1,000N force to head (Falco et al. 2009)
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
✓Target the floating ribs, liver (right side), or spleen area (left side) with the middle of the shin
✓Step slightly offline with the lead foot before kicking to create an angle and avoid the opponent's centre line
✓The body kick accumulates damage over rounds: even blocked body kicks fatigue the arms and slow the opponent
✓In Muay Thai, the body kick is the primary scoring technique and the backbone of the Thai style
✓Throw the kick after punches to the head — the opponent's hands rise to protect the face, exposing the ribs
✓Exhale on impact and drive through the body as if aiming for the spine behind the target
✓Use the body kick against orthodox opponents by targeting the liver on their right side from your standard stance
Common Mistakes
!Aiming too low and hitting the hip bone, which hurts the kicker and does minimal damage
!Not turning the hip over, resulting in a slapping kick with the foot instead of a driving kick with the shin
!Kicking the opponent's elbow — this damages your shin; set up the kick so their elbow is displaced by punches first
!Dropping the lead hand completely during the kick — a body kick with no guard invites the counter hook
!Throwing body kicks predictably after the same setup every time — vary the entry
!Standing too close so the knee connects instead of the shin — the mid-shin is the ideal impact zone
!Not following through when the kick is caught — if they grab your leg, you needed more hip commitment and follow-through
Related Techniques
Counter Techniques
Setup Chain
1Stance and Range — verify correct distance for the kick to land at full extension
2Chamber the Leg — lift the knee to prepare the kicking trajectory
3Execute the Kick — extend the leg through the target with the appropriate striking surface
4Recover — retract the leg and return to fighting stance
Sources & References
Primary Source
Muay Thai: The Art of Fighting (Yod Ruerngsa, Khun Kao Charuad & James Cartmell, 2002)
1BookMuay Thai: The Art of Fighting (Kraitus, 2002)
Alias sources — [1] Muay Thai: The Art of Fighting (Kraitus & Kraitus, 1988) [2] Karate-Do Kyohan (Funakoshi, 1935) [3] Muay Thai Unleashed (Delp, 2006)
2BookKarate-Do Kyohan (Funakoshi, 1935)
Effectiveness sources — [1] Muay Thai Unleashed (Delp, 2006) [2] Muay Thai: The Art of Fighting (Kraitus & Rennehan, 2002)
3OtherJapanese Combat Sports Katakana Convention
Standard katakana transliteration of Western martial arts terminology (外来語) — used in Japanese MMA, boxing, and BJJ communities
4CitationMuay Thai: The Art of Fighting (Kraitus, 2002)
Alias sources — [1] Muay Thai: The Art of Fighting (Kraitus & Kraitus, 1988) [2] Karate-Do Kyohan (Funakoshi, 1935) [3] Muay Thai Unleashed (Delp, 2006)
5CitationKarate-Do Kyohan (Funakoshi, 1935)
Effectiveness sources — [1] Muay Thai Unleashed (Delp, 2006) [2] Muay Thai: The Art of Fighting (Kraitus & Rennehan, 2002)
Community
Athletics
Requires
hip flexibility, rotational hip power, balance on support leg
Favours
long legs for reach, flexible hips for high kicks
Key muscles
hip flexors, glutes, quadriceps, obliques, calves
Sub-techniques
Liver Kick
GenusThe Liver Kick targets the right side of the opponent's body at the level of the floating ribs, aiming to impact the liver — an organ highly sensitive to blunt trauma that, when struck cleanly, produces immediate incapacitating pain and involuntary collapse. [1] The liver sits beneath the right ribcage and is only partially protected by the lower ribs, making it vulnerable to powerful roundhouse kicks delivered with proper aim. [1,2] A clean liver kick produces a delayed but unavoidable pain response that causes the legs to buckle and the body to fold, regardless of the recipient's toughness or willpower. [2,3]
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Standard Body Kick
GenusThe Standard Body Kick is the fundamental midsection roundhouse kick, executed by pivoting on the lead foot, rotating the hips fully, and driving the shin into the opponent's ribcage or abdomen with a full hip-through motion. [1] The kick strikes with the lower third of the tibia (shin), and the kicker rotates completely through the target, allowing the hip to turn over for maximum power transfer. [1,2] This is the most frequently thrown kick in Muay Thai and kickboxing competition. [2,3]
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Switch Body Kick
GenusThe Switch Body Kick is a body-level roundhouse kick preceded by a rapid switch of the feet, where the fighter hops and swaps the lead and rear leg positions before immediately launching the kick from what was the lead leg. [1] The switch adds power to the lead-leg kick by momentarily placing it in the rear position, engaging the full hip rotation and weight transfer typically associated with rear-leg kicks. [1,2] The switch motion also serves as a timing disruptor, as the hop-and-swap creates an unexpected rhythm change that makes the kick harder to anticipate. [2,3]
Explore
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I land a body kick against someone who's good at blocking?
Liam Harrison recommends using a fake to set up your opponent—throw a feint that causes them to react defensively, then land the actual kick as they escape the fake and their leg comes back down, which is when they're most vulnerable.
What should I focus on to generate power in a body kick?
According to Muay Thai PROS, watch your hip rotation and twisting motion when throwing the kick, as the power comes from the rotational drive of your hips rather than just the leg.
How should I follow up after landing a body kick?
Liam Harrison suggests you can mix up your follow-ups based on your style—after landing the kick, you can skip, punch, kick again, or do whatever suits your fighting approach; it doesn't have to be another kick.
How does the Body Kick work?
The Body Kick subfamily covers roundhouse kicks targeting the opponent's torso, including the ribs, liver, spleen area, and floating ribs, delivered at midsection height. Body kicks are among the most tactically effective strikes in Muay Thai and kickboxing because they accumulate damage over rounds, degrading the opponent's endurance and willingness to engage, while individual clean body kicks can produce instant stoppages by impacting the liver or solar plexus.
Where does the Body Kick come from?
Body kicks have been a cornerstone of Muay Thai scoring and strategy since the sport's formalisation, with Thai judges awarding significant points for clean, powerful round kicks to the midsection. Dutch kickboxing further emphasised body kicks within combination striking, integrating them with boxing punches in a systematic attack methodology.
Is the Body 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 Body Kick?
Danger rating 6/10. High — most common KO kick; generates ~1,000N force to head (Falco et al. 2009)
How do I set up the Body Kick?
The standard setup chain: Stance and Range → Chamber the Leg → Execute the Kick → Recover.
How do I defend against the Body Kick?
Standard counters include: Check (Shin Block) — raise the shin to intercept the kick before it lands / Catch and Sweep — catch the kicking leg and sweep the standing leg / Step Inside — close distance inside the kick's effective range to smother it.
What are the variants of the Body Kick?
Common variants: Standard roundhouse (rear leg) (full hip rotation, shin strikes the target); Lead leg roundhouse (switch kick) (switch-step to generate power from the lead side); Low roundhouse (leg kick) (targeting the thigh to damage the opponent's base); Head kick (high roundhouse targeting the temple or jaw).
How effective is the Body Kick in competition?
Body kicks are one of the most effective scoring techniques in Muay Thai and MMA.
What are common mistakes when doing the Body Kick?
Top errors to watch for: Aiming too low and hitting the hip bone, which hurts the kicker and does minimal damage / Not turning the hip over, resulting in a slapping kick with the foot instead of a driving kick with the shin / Kicking the opponent's elbow — this damages your shin; set up the kick so their elbow is displaced by punches first / Dropping the lead hand completely during the kick — a body kick with no guard invites the counter hook.
What are other names for the Body Kick?
The Body Kick is also known as Bodi Kikku, Tee Lam Tua, Mawashi Geri Chudan, Middle Roundhouse.