Khao Loi

SubFamily

เข่าลอย（カオ・ロイ）(Kao Roi)

Transliteration

Translation: flying knee

Overview

The classic Muay Thai flying knee strike where the fighter leaps off one or both feet and drives the knee upward into the opponent's head or body at the peak of the jump.

Also known as

Flying Knee^[1]Jumping Knee Strike^[2]Hiza Geri TobiJP^[3]

Used in

Muay Thai MMA Lethwei Kickboxing

History & Origin

Khao Loi (เข่าลอย), literally 'floating knee' in Thai, is the traditional Muay Thai name for the flying knee strike. ^[1] Kraitus and Rennehan document Khao Loi as one of the most revered techniques in the Muay Thai tradition, considered a 'fight-ending' weapon that demonstrates both courage and technical mastery. ^[1] The technique was a signature move of legendary Muay Thai fighters in the golden era of stadium fighting (1980s-1990s), and its successful execution was considered a mark of elite skill. ^[2] Delp notes that Khao Loi requires precise timing and explosive athleticism, as the fighter must launch the entire body weight behind the knee strike. ^[2]

Effectiveness

Khao loi (flying knee) is one of the most dramatic and devastating techniques in Muay Thai. ^[1]

Lineage

A traditional Muay Thai flying technique. ^[1]

Competition Record

The flying knee has produced iconic finishes in Muay Thai and MMA. ^[1]

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Biomechanical Mechanism

Primary Action — Driving the knee upward or diagonally into the target using hip flexion and body weight

Joints Involved — Hip (powerful flexion drive), knee (point of impact, flexed), core (posture and power transfer)

Force Vector — Upward (straight knee to body/head), diagonal (round knee from the side), or clinch-pull driven

Clinch Integration — Most effective when combined with clinch control — pulling the opponent's head down into the rising knee multiplies impact force

Position & Entry

From outside range (running or stepping) — Take an explosive forward step, jump off the lead foot, chamber and extend the kick while airborne

As surprise attack — Close distance rapidly with a leap, launch the kick at the apex of the jump

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Ratings

Danger Rating

Risk of injury to the person this technique is applied to

Very High8/10

Airborne knee strike; devastating KO potential (numerous UFC finishes)

Difficulty

Skill level needed to execute this technique reliably

Advanced

Competition Legality

Whether this technique is allowed under major competition rule sets

Illegal

WBC/Boxing — All knee strikes prohibited {src— WBC Rules of Boxing}

— WKF — Prohibited in sport karate

WKF Competition Rules 2024PDF

— WT — Prohibited

WT Competition Rules 2024PDF

— ITF — Prohibited

ITF Competition RulesPDF

— WAKO — Prohibited in most formats

WAKO Competition RulesPDF

Restricted

— Unified MMA — Knees to standing opponent legal, knees to ...

Unified Rules of MMA, August 2025PDF

K-1/GLORY — One clinch knee allowed before referee break {src— K-1/GLORY Kickboxing Rules}

Legal

Kyokushin — Legal to body {src— IKO Kyokushin Tournament Rules}

— IFMA — Legal — knees are a core Muay Thai weapon, clinch ...

IFMA Muay Thai RulesPDF

Training Notes

✓Khao loi is the Muay Thai flying knee — a leaping knee strike that is one of the sport's most revered techniques

✓Drive off the rear foot and leap forward, pulling the striking knee upward toward the opponent's chin or chest

✓The arms can grip the opponent's head in flight to pull them into the knee for added impact

✓Khao loi requires commitment — once airborne, there is no changing the trajectory

✓Set up the khao loi by pressuring the opponent backward with combinations until they are moving in a straight line away from you

✓In Muay Thai stadium scoring, a clean khao loi is considered one of the highest-impact techniques and impresses judges significantly

✓Dieselnoi Chor Thanasukarn was legendary for his devastating khao loi from the clinch

Common Mistakes

!Leaping without committing — a half-jump produces a weak, floating knee

!Not pulling the opponent's head into the knee when gripping is possible — the collision doubles the force

!Jumping straight up instead of forward — horizontal momentum is the key to the khao loi's power

!Landing flat-footed after the leap, jarring the body and preventing follow-up

!Throwing the khao loi when the opponent is pressuring forward — they will smother the knee or clinch you in the air

!Not setting up the leap with forward pressure — the khao loi works best against a retreating opponent

!Dropping the guard during the leap and eating a punch on the way in

Related Techniques

Combination — multi-strike sequence incorporating this technique for higher effectiveness

Counter Techniques

Block — absorb the strike with a protective guard position Evasion — move the target out of the strike's path Counter-Attack — time an offensive response during the recovery phase of the strike

Setup Chain

1Assume Fighting Stance — begin from a balanced position with guard up

2Generate Power — use hip rotation and weight transfer for maximum force

3Execute Strike — deliver the technique to the target with correct form

4Recover to Guard — return immediately to defensive position

Sources & References

Primary Source

Muay Thai: The Art of Fighting (Yod Ruerngsa, Khun Kao Charuad & James Cartmell, 2002)

1BookTaekwondo (Choi, 1965)

Alias sources — [1] Muay Thai Unleashed (Delp, 2006) [2] Muay Thai: The Art of Fighting (Kraitus & Kraitus, 1988) [3] Dynamic Karate (Nakayama, 1966)

2BookMuay Thai: The Art of Fighting (Kraitus, 2002)

History sources — [1] Muay Thai: The Art of Fighting (Kraitus & Rennehan, 2002) [2] 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

4CitationTaekwondo (Choi, 1965)

Alias sources — [1] Muay Thai Unleashed (Delp, 2006) [2] Muay Thai: The Art of Fighting (Kraitus & Kraitus, 1988) [3] Dynamic Karate (Nakayama, 1966)

5CitationMuay Thai: The Art of Fighting (Kraitus, 2002)

History sources — [1] Muay Thai: The Art of Fighting (Kraitus & Rennehan, 2002) [2] Muay Thai Unleashed (Delp, 2006)

Community

Athletics

Requires

hip flexion power, clinch control ability, close-range comfort

Favours

long thigh for greater leverage, strong hip flexors

Key muscles

hip flexors, quadriceps, core, grip (for clinch)

Sub-techniques

Standard Khao Loi

Genus

The fundamental flying knee executed by explosively pushing off the ground, driving one knee upward while pulling the opponent's head down with the hands to maximize impact.

Explore

Frequently Asked Questions

How does the Khao Loi work?

The classic Muay Thai flying knee strike where the fighter leaps off one or both feet and drives the knee upward into the opponent's head or body at the peak of the jump.

Where does the Khao Loi come from?

Khao Loi (เข่าลอย), literally 'floating knee' in Thai, is the traditional Muay Thai name for the flying knee strike. Kraitus and Rennehan document Khao Loi as one of the most revered techniques in the Muay Thai tradition, considered a 'fight-ending' weapon that demonstrates both courage and technical mastery.

Is the Khao Loi legal in competition?

Unified MMA: restricted — Knees to standing opponent legal, knees to head of grounded opponent banned; WBC/Boxing: banned — All knee strikes prohibited; WKF: banned — Prohibited in sport karate; Kyokushin: legal — Legal to body; WT: banned — Prohibited; ITF: banned — Prohibited; WAKO: banned — Prohibited in most formats; K: restricted — 1/GLORY — One clinch knee allowed before referee break; IFMA: legal — Legal — knees are a core Muay Thai weapon, clinch knees highly scored

How dangerous is the Khao Loi?

Danger rating 8/10. Very High — airborne knee strike; devastating KO potential (numerous UFC finishes)

How do I set up the Khao Loi?

The standard setup chain: Assume Fighting Stance → Generate Power → Execute Strike → Recover to Guard.

How do I defend against the Khao Loi?

Standard counters include: Block — absorb the strike with a protective guard position / Evasion — move the target out of the strike's path / Counter-Attack — time an offensive response during the recovery phase of the strike.

What are the variants of the Khao Loi?

Common variants: Straight knee (driving the knee straight upward into the body or head); Curved knee (round knee) (swinging the knee from the side in a circular path); Flying knee (leaping forward and driving the knee at the apex of the jump); Clinch knee (pulling the opponent into the knee from Muay Thai plum po…).

How effective is the Khao Loi in competition?

The flying knee has produced iconic finishes in Muay Thai and MMA.

What are common mistakes when doing the Khao Loi?

Top errors to watch for: Leaping without committing — a half-jump produces a weak, floating knee / Not pulling the opponent's head into the knee when gripping is possible — the collision doubles the force / Jumping straight up instead of forward — horizontal momentum is the key to the khao loi's power / Landing flat-footed after the leap, jarring the body and preventing follow-up.

What are other names for the Khao Loi?

The Khao Loi is also known as Kao Roi, Flying Knee, Jumping Knee Strike, Hiza Geri Tobi.

khao loi kao roi strike knee strike flying knee muay thai mma lethwei kickboxing jumping knee strike hiza geri tobi