Intermediate
Unit 3: Mid-Kick Offense
Rear/Switch
Advanced Mid Kick Drills
Mastering the Rear & Switch Kick
The King of Strikes
The mid kick is often called the "king of strikes" in Muay Thai for its devastating power. At an intermediate level, the goal is to move beyond throwing single kicks and begin using the rear and switch kicks together to create deceptive, high-volume attacks. These drills focus on the rhythm, timing, and setups required to land both your power kick (rear) and your fast kick (switch) effectively.
Challenging Mid Kick Drills
Drill 1: The Double Kick & Punch
Goal: To seamlessly transition from kicking to punching while maintaining balance and pressure.
Drill: Throw a hard **Rear Mid Kick**, followed immediately by a **Switch Kick**. As you plant your switch kick foot forward, throw a **Rear Cross** and a **Lead Hook**. This tests your ability to stay in the pocket after a kicking combination.
Drill 2: The Double Feint
Goal: To use multiple layers of deception to create an opening.
Drill: Feint a **Rear Mid Kick** to draw your partner's block. Follow with a feinted **Rear Cross** to the head to make them lift their guard high. As they react to the punch, throw a fast **Switch Kick** to their now-exposed body.
Drill 3: The Slip, Angle, & Kick
Goal: To use a defensive movement to set up your offensive angle.
Drill: As your partner throws a jab, **slip** to the outside. From this loaded position, throw a **Jab-Cross (1-2)** to back them up, then immediately take a sharp 45-degree **V-step** and throw the **Rear Mid Kick**.
Drill 4: The Feint, Punch, & Kick
Goal: To use a feinted kick to set up punches, which then set up the real kick.
Drill: Feint a **Lead Teep** to make them hesitate. Immediately follow with a hard **Jab-Cross** down the middle, and finish the combination with a powerful **Rear Mid Kick** to the body.
Drill 5: The "Dutch" Combo Exchange
Goal: To build combination fluency and counter-striking reflexes under pressure.
Drill: With a partner (wearing full gear), take turns throwing a set three-strike combination: **Rear Mid Kick -> Rear Cross -> Lead Hook**. The focus is on blocking the combo and immediately returning the same three strikes.
Drill 6: The Inside Switch & Knee
Goal: To follow up a successful kick with a clinch entry and knee.
Drill: From an open stance, use your lead hand to control their lead hand and land an **Inside Switch Kick** to the liver. As your foot lands, step into the clinch, pull their head down with your lead hand, and throw a powerful **Rear Knee** to the body.
Keys to an Advanced Mid Kick Game
- Sell the Feint: For feints to work, they must look real. Commit to the initial movement of the kick to force your opponent to react.
- Balance is Everything: When throwing multiple kicks, focus on staying balanced on your supporting leg. A strong base is essential for both power and the ability to throw a follow-up strike.
- Hips, Hips, Hips: Power in every kick comes from a full rotation of the hips. Turn your hip over on every strike to maximize your impact.
- Set It Up: Advanced kicks are rarely landed cold. Always use your hands, feints, or footwork to create an opening before you throw your kick.
Gliding/Walking
Advanced Distance Control Drills
Mastering the Glide & Walking Mid Kick
Weaponizing Your Footwork
At an advanced level, Muay Thai becomes a game of inches. The ability to close the distance explosively or create space subtly is paramount. The gliding and walking mid kicks are essential tools for this. The glide allows you to cover a large amount of ground surprisingly quickly, while the walking kick allows you to maintain forward pressure. These drills are designed to integrate these kicks into your offensive and defensive strategy.
Challenging Distance Control Drills
Drill 1: The Gliding Blitz
Goal: To close a large gap with an explosive, surprising attack.
Drill: Start just outside of kicking range. Throw a hard **Jab-Cross (1-2)** that falls short to draw your partner's attention. As they react, immediately execute a **Gliding Rear Mid Kick**, covering the distance to land the kick with power.
Drill 2: The Walking Pressure
Goal: To march an opponent down with continuous kicking pressure.
Drill: Start in kicking range. Throw a **Walking Rear Mid Kick**. Land forward and immediately throw a **Walking Lead Mid Kick** with the other leg. Continue this "walking" motion across the floor, forcing your partner to constantly retreat from your kicks.
Drill 3: The Fade to Glide Counter
Goal: To use a defensive fade to create space, then immediately reclaim it with a counter.
Drill: As your partner throws a jab, **fade** or pull back to make it miss. This creates a gap. Before they can reset, explode forward with a **Gliding Rear Mid Kick** to counter them as they are still extended.
Drill 4: The Walking Kick to Punch
Goal: To use the forward momentum of the walking kick to flow into powerful punches.
Drill: Throw a **Walking Rear Mid Kick** and land forward in a southpaw stance. From this new stance, immediately throw a powerful **Rear (Left) Cross** and a **Lead (Right) Hook**.
Drill 5: The Gliding Feint
Goal: To use the glide to feint a kick and land punches.
Drill: From outside range, perform the footwork for a **Gliding Rear Mid Kick**, but only lift your knee (the feint). As your partner drops their hands to block the anticipated kick, plant your foot and throw a **Rear Cross - Lead Hook** to the head.
Drill 6: The Double Walk
Goal: To maintain relentless forward pressure after a punch combination.
Drill: Throw a **Jab-Cross (1-2)** to get your partner moving backward. Immediately follow their retreat with a **Walking Rear Mid Kick**, then a **Walking Lead Mid Kick** to continue marching them down.
Keys to Mastering Distance Control
- Explosiveness is Key for the Glide: The power of the gliding kick comes from the explosive push off your lead foot. It should be a sudden, surprising movement.
- Stay Tall During the Walk: When throwing walking kicks, maintain good posture. Avoid leaning too far back, which will compromise your balance and power.
- Disguise Your Intentions: Use punches and feints to hide your gliding or walking kicks. An unpredictable attack is an effective attack.
- Commit to the Movement: Whether gliding or walking, commit fully to the forward movement. Hesitation will telegraph your intentions and rob your strikes of power.
Pendulum
Advanced Pendulum Kick Drills
Mastering Speed, Deception, and Setups
The Deceptive Weapon
The pendulum kick (or "skip kick") is a masterclass in deception. By using a quick hop to switch your footing, you can launch a lead leg kick with the speed and unpredictability of a jab. It's not a power strike, but a tool to disrupt your opponent's rhythm, score points, and set up your more devastating power shots. These challenging drills focus on integrating the pendulum kick into advanced combinations.
Challenging Pendulum Kick Drills
Drill 1: Pendulum to Power Kick
Goal: To use the fast pendulum kick to draw a block, creating an opening for a power kick.
Drill: Throw a fast **Pendulum Mid Kick** to your partner's lead arm to make them shell up. As soon as your foot returns, immediately throw a hard **Rear Low Kick** to their now-exposed lead leg. The rhythm is "speed, then power."
Drill 2: The Pendulum Feint to Cross
Goal: To use the pendulum motion as a feint to land a powerful punch.
Drill: Execute the "hop" of the pendulum kick, but instead of kicking, plant your lead foot down hard. Your opponent will likely drop their hands to block the anticipated kick. As they do, fire a powerful **Rear Cross** straight to their unprotected head.
Drill 3: The Double Pendulum
Goal: To build the endurance and coordination to attack with high-volume, deceptive kicks.
Drill: Throw a **Pendulum Mid Kick** to the body. As your foot retracts, instead of resetting, immediately perform another hop and throw a second **Pendulum Kick**, this time aiming for the head. This tests your balance and ability to change levels with your kicks.
Keys to a Masterful Pendulum Kick
- The Hop is Everything: The "pendulum" motion comes from a small, explosive hop where your rear foot replaces your lead foot. This hop is what generates the kick's speed.
- Speed Over Power: The pendulum kick is a harassing, point-scoring, setup strike. Throw it fast and light, like a jab, not a heavy cross.
- Stay on the Ball of Your Foot: To be quick and explosive, you must stay light on your feet. The hop should be initiated from the ball of your supporting foot.
- Return to Stance: After the kick, your foot should snap back to its original position, ready to defend or follow up. Don't leave your leg hanging.
Dutch Drill
The Advanced Dutch Drill
High-Volume Combination Flow
The Ultimate Flow Drill
This advanced Dutch Drill pushes the boundaries of combination fluency, cardio, and mental processing. It's a complex, 10-strike sequence that involves explosive kicks and a continuous offensive flow from a single stance. This drill is designed for intermediate to advanced students to build the ability to chain long combinations together while maintaining defensive awareness.
The 10-Strike Combination
The Sequence
- Throw a **Lead Hook**.
- Throw a **Rear Low Kick**.
- Throw a **Cross**.
- Throw a **Switch Kick**, immediately returning to your original stance.
- Throw a **Cross**.
- Throw a **Lead Hook**.
- Throw a **Rear Low Kick**.
- Throw a **Lead Hook**.
- Throw a **Rear Cross**.
- Throw a final **Switch Kick**.
The Flow: Partner A throws the full 10-strike combo. Partner B defends and immediately returns the same 10-strike combo. Continue back and forth for the entire round.
Keys to a Perfect Dutch Drill
- Start VERY Slow: This is a long and complex sequence. Walk through it with your partner at 25% speed to memorize the flow before adding any power or pace.
- Snap Back to Stance: After each switch kick, your kicking leg must retract quickly back to its original position to maintain your base for the follow-up punches.
- Defense First: Your primary job is to defend all 10 strikes cleanly. A good defense allows you to be in position to return your own offense immediately.
- Communicate: This is a cooperative drill. Talk to your partner to maintain a rhythm that is challenging but manageable for both of you.
Fakes/Feints
Feints & Fake Mid Kick Drills
The Art of Deception
Making Them See Ghosts
At a higher level, Muay Thai becomes a game of chess. Feints and fakes are your most powerful tools for manipulating your opponent's reactions. By showing them a powerful mid kick over and over, you condition them to defend it. Once they are committed to that defense, you can use a fake to draw their reaction and attack the opening they've just created. These drills are designed to build this crucial layer of deception into your striking.
Challenging Feint & Fake Drills
Drill 1: Fake Mid, Fire Cross
Goal: To draw the opponent's blocking arm down and land a power punch over the top.
Drill: First, establish the threat by throwing several hard **Rear Mid Kicks**. Once your partner starts to block it consistently:
1. **The Fake:** Start the motion of a rear mid kick, but only bring your knee up and turn your hip slightly.
2. **The Counter:** As they drop their lead arm to block the non-existent kick, plant your foot and fire a powerful **Rear Cross** straight to their now-open head.
Drill 2: Fake Mid, Go High
Goal: A classic level change to surprise your opponent with a head kick.
Drill: Establish the rear mid kick. Once they are reacting to it:
1. **The Fake:** Show the same fake mid kick motion, turning your hip over as if you're aiming for the body.
2. **The Counter:** As they brace for the body shot, redirect your kicking leg upward at the last second and land a clean **Rear Head Kick**.
Drill 3: Fake Mid, Switch Kick
Goal: To attack the opposite side of the body while their defense is focused on the initial threat.
Drill: Establish the rear mid kick. Once they are reacting:
1. **The Fake:** Show the rear mid kick fake.
2. **The Counter:** As they brace their lead side for impact, plant your foot and immediately perform a **Switch Step**, firing a fast **Lead Mid Kick** into their now-exposed rear side.
Keys to a Deceptive Fake
- Sell the Fake: Your fake must look almost identical to your real attack. Turn your hips, raise your knee, and look at the target just like you would on a full-power kick.
- Establish the Threat First: A fake is useless if your opponent doesn't respect the real attack. You must land the real mid kick several times to condition their response.
- Explode on the Counter: The moment your opponent reacts to the fake, you must immediately launch your actual attack. Any hesitation gives them time to recover.
- Stay Balanced: Do not over-commit to the fake. It should be a quick, controlled motion that allows you to immediately plant your foot and be in a strong position to throw your follow-up strike.