Low kick facts for kids

A low kick is a type of kick used in some martial arts and combat sports. It's a powerful leg technique where you hit your opponent's lower leg or thigh. You can use your shinbone or foot to strike.

Low kicks are often used in sports like kickboxing, Burmese boxing, and Thai boxing (also known as Muay Thai). In these sports, low kicks can hit both the outside and inside of an opponent's leg.

In fights where fighters can try to knock each other out (called full contact fights), low kicks are allowed. They are used to make an opponent lose their balance or to gain an advantage during the fight.

Types of Low Kicks

There are many different ways to kick an opponent's leg. Here are some common types:

• Circular kicks: These kicks move in a circle, like a roundhouse kick or a semicircular kick.
• Straight kicks: These kicks go straight forward, like a front kick or a side kick.
• Hooked kicks: These kicks involve a hooking motion, like a hook kick.
• Downward kicks: These kicks come down from above, like a hammer kick.

In some specific sports, like American or Japanese kickboxing, the rules might be stricter. For example, in these styles, low kicks might only be allowed if they are circular or semicircular.

Images for kids

• 

  A counterattack with a circular kick on the support leg, after grabbing the opponent's leg.

• 

  A front kick aimed at the thigh.

• 

  A side kick used as a stop blow (to stop an opponent's attack).

• 

  An outside leg kick.

• 

  An inside leg kick.

• 

  A bas-relief showing a low thrust kick to the thigh. This ancient carving is from Banteay Chhmar in Cambodia, dating back to the 12th or 13th century.

See also

In Spanish: Patada baja para niños