Top 5 Devastating Ways to Land the LOW KICK | Liam Harrison Breakdown
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Inside Low Kick·Liam Harrison·Added by Admin
The low kick is one of the most devastating weapons in Muay Thai and kickboxing — and nobody does it better than Liam “T…
Inside Low Kick
Genusインローキック(In Rō Kikku)
TransliterationTranslation: inside low kick
Overview
The Inside Low Kick is a roundhouse kick targeting the inside of the opponent's lead or rear leg, striking the inner thigh (adductor muscles) or the inner knee area. [1] The inside low kick attacks a less commonly defended angle, as most fighters train to check low kicks coming from the outside, making the inside angle a tactical surprise. [1],[2] Striking the inner thigh can compromise the opponent's stance width and balance, and repeated inside low kicks weaken the adductors, making it painful for the opponent to maintain a stable base. [2],[3]
History & Origin
Inside low kicks have been used in Muay Thai for generations, though they received less attention than outside low kicks in Western martial arts until recent decades. [1] The technique gained prominence in MMA through fighters who used inside low kicks to destabilise opponents' stances and set up takedowns or other strikes. [2],[3]
Effectiveness
The inside low kick strikes the inner thigh, targeting the vulnerable medial muscles. [1]
Lineage
From Muay Thai low kick techniques. [1]
Competition Record
Used in Muay Thai and MMA. [1]
Images
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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
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
Videos
1 video
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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}
— WKF — Kicks below the waist prohibited in sport karate
WKF Competition Rules 2024PDF— WT — Kicks below the waist prohibited
WT Competition Rules 2024PDFLegal
— Unified MMA — Legal striking technique
Unified Rules of MMA, August 2025PDFKyokushin — Legal at full power {src— IKO Kyokushin Tournament Rules}
— WAKO — Legal in Low Kick and K-1 formats
WAKO Competition RulesPDFK-1/GLORY — Legal — low kicks are a core technique {src— K-1/GLORY Kickboxing Rules}
— IFMA — Legal — leg kicks are highly scored in Muay Thai
IFMA Muay Thai RulesPDFTraining Notes
✓Attack the inner thigh of the opponent's lead leg using the rear or lead shin
✓The inside low kick targets the adductor muscles on the inner thigh, which are painful and hard to condition
✓Throw it when the opponent's weight is on the target leg — this amplifies the impact because the leg cannot absorb by moving
✓The inside low kick is harder to check than the outside low kick because the checking motion opens the groin
✓Step slightly to the outside with the lead foot to create the angle for the inside kick
✓It is particularly effective against southpaw opponents from orthodox stance — their lead leg is right in the centre
✓Combine with outside low kicks to attack both sides of the leg, making it impossible to defend one without exposing the other
Common Mistakes
!Kicking too high and hitting the groin area, which is a foul in every ruleset
!Not stepping to the outside angle first, which makes the inside kick travel across the centre line — easier to block
!Using the instep instead of the shin — the foot bones are fragile against the hard inner thigh
!Throwing the inside low kick predictably, always from the same setup — mix it with outside low kicks
!Not following up after the inside low kick — it creates a momentary imbalance that can be exploited
!Leaning away from the kick too much to generate the angle, compromising balance
!Forgetting that the inside low kick opens you to the counter right hand if your guard drops
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] Muay Thai Unleashed (Delp, 2006) [3] UFC Broadcast Terminology (2020)
2BookKarate-Do Kyohan (Funakoshi, 1935)
Effectiveness sources — [1] Muay Thai Unleashed (Delp, 2006)
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] Muay Thai Unleashed (Delp, 2006) [3] UFC Broadcast Terminology (2020)
5CitationKarate-Do Kyohan (Funakoshi, 1935)
Effectiveness sources — [1] Muay Thai Unleashed (Delp, 2006)
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
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I set up a low kick without getting it blocked?
According to Liam Harrison, you should read your opponent's patterns by throwing feints at different heights—throw a high fake to see how they react, then go low to the leg when they're not expecting it. The key is making your fake and real kicks look identical so your opponent can't distinguish between them.
Why do I keep getting countered after throwing low kicks?
Liam Harrison emphasizes that after you throw a low kick, you must 'slide-out' and step back out of range immediately—don't stay close and throw multiple kicks in succession, or your opponent will have time to counter. The quick retreat prevents them from timing their counters.
How do I land a low kick when my opponent has their weight on their back foot ready to block?
Liam Harrison explains that if your opponent's weight is on their back foot, they will always block a low kick no matter how fast you throw it. Instead, use a fake punch to the throat combined with a hook to shift their weight back to that side, creating an opening for the low kick.
What's a simple, effective tactic for landing low kicks that works at all levels?
Liam Harrison states that throwing a punch-cross-hook combination is one of the simplest tactics he's used throughout his career—the hook pulls the opponent's weight back onto the leg kick side, creating an opening. He notes that most opponents he's heavily kicked have fallen for this basic combination.
How does the Inside Low Kick work?
The Inside Low Kick is a roundhouse kick targeting the inside of the opponent's lead or rear leg, striking the inner thigh (adductor muscles) or the inner knee area. The inside low kick attacks a less commonly defended angle, as most fighters train to check low kicks coming from the outside, making the inside angle a tactical surprise.
Where does the Inside Low Kick come from?
Inside low kicks have been used in Muay Thai for generations, though they received less attention than outside low kicks in Western martial arts until recent decades. The technique gained prominence in MMA through fighters who used inside low kicks to destabilise opponents' stances and set up takedowns or other strikes.
Is the Inside Low Kick legal in competition?
Unified MMA: legal — Legal striking technique; WBC/Boxing: banned — All kicks prohibited in boxing; WKF: banned — Kicks below the waist prohibited in sport karate; Kyokushin: legal — Legal at full power; WT: banned — Kicks below the waist prohibited; WAKO: legal — Legal in Low Kick and K-1 formats; K: legal — 1/GLORY — Legal — low kicks are a core technique; IFMA: legal — Legal — leg kicks are highly scored in Muay Thai
How dangerous is the Inside Low 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 Inside Low Kick?
The standard setup chain: Stance and Range → Chamber the Leg → Execute the Kick → Recover.
How do I defend against the Inside Low 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 Inside Low 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 Inside Low Kick in competition?
Used in Muay Thai and MMA.
What are common mistakes when doing the Inside Low Kick?
Top errors to watch for: Kicking too high and hitting the groin area, which is a foul in every ruleset / Not stepping to the outside angle first, which makes the inside kick travel across the centre line — easier to block / Using the instep instead of the shin — the foot bones are fragile against the hard inner thigh / Throwing the inside low kick predictably, always from the same setup — mix it with outside low kicks.
What are other names for the Inside Low Kick?
The Inside Low Kick is also known as In Rō Kikku, Tee Tad Nai, Inside Leg Kick, Inner Thigh Kick.