The lead switch kick is a highly versatile technique that fighters can utilize across multiple combat sports such as Muay Thai and Mixed Martial Arts. The lead switch kick is often your closest weapon to your opponent – making it an important strike to add to your arsenal. Today, Evolve Daily is pleased to share a guide on how to throw a powerful lead switch kick.
Stance
The lead switch kick is most commonly thrown from a traditional Muay Thai stance – most of your weight should be on your rear leg. This allows your lead leg to bounce and move freely for various offensive and defensive techniques.
After you throw your lead switch kick, it is imperative that you return to your fighting stance. Even if you miss, you should land in your original fighting stance. This makes it safer to throw, in some ways than your rear kick; if you miss with your rear kick, you will likely end up in the opposite stance, potentially open to counters.
Clean Technique
One of the secrets to a powerful lead switch kick is the speed of the switch itself. This initial movement is what determines the speed and power of the kick.
Although there are many variations on the lead switch kick, they all have an explosive, quick switch step. This initial switch step acts as a springboard, allowing you to push off the ground explosively to increase the power of your kick.
Another element that is shared amongst fighters with a proficient lead switch kick is the swing of the lead arm to amplify momentum and increase balance. This is a controversial topic, as some fighters and coaches recommend keeping your hands up to block incoming punches. While swinging your lead arm does remove the options of blocking and shielding, you can still maintain defensive responsibility by posting or pinning your opponent’s arms with the lead arm swing.
More advanced strikers can vary the technique of the switch itself, adding another layer of complexity to the lead switch kick. Golden Era legend Damien Trainor, known for his explosive lead switch kick, starts his switch by moving his lead foot a split second before his rear foot. This actually makes the switch faster overall, as well as giving him more control of where he places his rear foot after the switch, which determines the range of the kick. Damien Trainor shows his signature style of switching in the clip above.
ONE Championship fighter and Muay Thai World Champion Jo Nattawut uses what is sometimes referred to as a whisper switch. The name comes from the unique switch step, which has very little telegraph. Instead of switching his lead leg backward, Nattawut takes a small switch step out to his lead side while simultaneously turning his back foot into a kicking position. The speed of this switch step makes it a powerful tool to have in your own striking arsenal.
Technique Variety
Once you learn the basic switch kick, you can elevate your skill level by drilling variations of the technique. Having different types of lead switch kicks for different situations will make you a versatile fighter, able to adapt to whatever your opponents throw your way!
The most basic variation you can drill is to practice changing levels with your switch kick. By default, most fighters throw the switch kick at their opponent’s body. While this can be effective, it is also easily read by your opponent, leaving you open to counters and takedowns.
Throwing a lead switch kick to the inside of your opponent’s lead leg can be devastating and potentially fight-ending. Many fighters condition the outside of their lead leg to low kicks; however, this is far less common for the inside of the lead leg and the rear leg in general.
In addition to being less commonly conditioned, the inside of the leg is home to the obturator, femoral, and saphenous nerves. Hitting any of these targets will limit your opponent’s ability to use the corresponding leg, reducing their movement and power!
You can also trick your opponent into thinking you will kick their body, then go for an inside leg sweep. The mechanics are identical to a lead switch kick! You want to target the bottom of their calf with the bottom of your shin or instep. As you sweep their lead leg, your lead arm will post and push their upper body in the opposite direction. Watch the above video of a demonstration on the inside foot sweep at 3:43 in the video above.
Once your opponent starts to react and check your lead switch kick, change your target to the outside of their rear leg! You want to ideally make contact with their peroneal nerve, which is just above and on the outside of your opponent’s knee. Hitting this spot accurately can cause a fighter to completely lose the ability to use that leg, effectively ending the fight. Muay Thai legend Saenchai is known for mixing up his lead switch kick to target various parts of his opponent’s bodies to great effect!
The heavy bag is an essential tool to increase the power of your lead switch kick. Once you have the technique down in shadowboxing, it is time to practice your lead switch kick on the heavy bag.
If this is your first time conditioning using the heavy bag, start very light to give your shins time to acclimate. Over time, your shins will increase in density, allowing you to kick hard while keeping your legs safe.
Stand in front of the heavy bag in your fight stance, well outside of range. Throw a switch kick, then return to the same spot, in your fighting stance. Repeat this over and over to develop a truly dangerous lead switch kick. Many top fighters attribute their striking prowess and crisp technique to countless hours spent training on the heavy bag—especially when it comes to perfecting the lead switch kick. Watch the video above to learn about common mistakes people make when practicing this technique on the heavy bag.
Our guide on throwing a powerful lead switch kick would be incomplete without mentioning the legendary fighter Buakaw. Buakaw has one of the most feared switch kicks across combat sports; his switch kick has many varieties, is lightning quick, and has tremendous power. The video above showcases Buakaw’s devastating lead switch kicks. We hope it provides inspiration for your own training!
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