Attacking the rear leg tutorial
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Rear Leg Drop Roundhouse Kick·Kevin Ross Official
Been asked frequently to do a tutorial on attacking the rear leg, which many people find difficult. So here you go. Drop…
Rear Leg Drop Roundhouse Kick
SubFamilyリア・レッグ・ドロップ・ラウンドハウス・キック(Ria Reggu Doroppu Raundohausu Kikku)
Translation: Rear leg drop roundhouse kick
Overview
The Rear Leg Drop Roundhouse Kick is a drop roundhouse specifically initiated from the rear leg, combining the greater power of a rear-leg kick with the surprise element of the drop. [1] The rear leg generates more rotational force during the drop, making this the more powerful variant of the drop roundhouse. [1]
Rear Drop 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
An acrobatic kick variation primarily seen in demonstrations and point-fighting tournaments. Not practical in full-contact competition due to the ground recovery time required. [1]
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Biomechanical Mechanism
Primary Action — Roundhouse Kick mechanics modified for rear leg drop 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 rear leg drop roundhouse kick
From close range — Adapted version for tight distance
Variants
High variant
Mid variant
Low variant
Videos
1 video
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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
Expert
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 rear leg drop 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 → Rear Leg Drop 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 3.10. A rear-leg roundhouse kick combined with a dropping motion — uses the full power of the rear leg with an added downward angle. (De Bremaeker & Faige, Essential Book of Martial Arts Kicks, 2010)
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I generate power in a rear leg drop roundhouse kick?
Kevin Ross emphasizes driving your weight forward aggressively—think about headbutting your opponent as you step in and drop down. Your hips must shift correctly and stay committed forward; if you stay back or step out before kicking, you lose all your power.
What's the proper footwork for setting up this kick?
Step in close to your opponent, drop down to close the distance and jam them up so they can't counter, then drop the rear leg kick while extending as far as possible to reach deep with your shin on their rear leg.
What's a common mistake when throwing the rear leg drop roundhouse?
Many fighters step off to the side or backward before throwing the kick, which removes all the power from the technique. Instead, drive back in after any footwork adjustment to maintain forward momentum.
How does the Rear Leg Drop Roundhouse Kick work?
The Rear Leg Drop Roundhouse Kick is a drop roundhouse specifically initiated from the rear leg, combining the greater power of a rear-leg kick with the surprise element of the drop. The rear leg generates more rotational force during the drop, making this the more powerful variant of the drop roundhouse.
Where does the Rear Leg Drop Roundhouse Kick come from?
The Rear Leg Drop Roundhouse Kick is a specialised variant documented in cross-style kicking methodology. It represents an advanced development of the standard roundhouse kick.
Is the Rear Leg Drop 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 Rear Leg Drop Roundhouse Kick?
Danger rating 6/10. Roundhouse Kick variant with standard striking power
How do I set up the Rear Leg Drop Roundhouse Kick?
The standard setup chain: Feint → Rear Leg Drop Roundhouse Kick → Follow-up combination.
How do I defend against the Rear Leg Drop Roundhouse Kick?
Standard counters include: Step inside range / Block and counter / Low kick to support leg.
What are the variants of the Rear Leg Drop Roundhouse Kick?
Common variants: High variant; Mid variant; Low variant.
How effective is the Rear Leg Drop Roundhouse Kick in competition?
An acrobatic kick variation primarily seen in demonstrations and point-fighting tournaments. Not practical in full-contact competition due to the ground recovery time required.
What are common mistakes when doing the Rear Leg Drop Roundhouse Kick?
Top errors to watch for: Attempting without solid roundhouse kick foundation / Poor balance / Insufficient power generation.
What are other names for the Rear Leg Drop Roundhouse Kick?
The Rear Leg Drop Roundhouse Kick is also known as Ria Reggu Doroppu Raundohausu Kikku, Rear Drop Roundhouse.