15 June 2026
Stop Dropping Your Hands on Low Kicks: A Kickboxing Technique Fix
Stop Dropping Your Hands When You Throw a Low Kick
In this short coaching clip, Chief Coach Sasha Tadayoni of Modern Warrior Academy walks through one of the most common low kick mistakes — and shows the safer, smarter way to throw leg kicks in kickboxing and Muay Thai.
What This Video Shows
The clip is direct and practical — exactly how coaching should sound on the mats. Chief Coach Sasha calls out a habit many strikers fall into: dropping the hands as the low kick goes out, especially when they are already close to their partner.
On camera, he contrasts the bad habit with the fix. You see the problem first — hands drift down, the guard opens, and the upper body becomes an easy target. Then he shows the correction: hands stay up while the low kick fires, and if more rotation or torque is needed, you create it with your footwork instead of sacrificing your guard.
The takeaway from the video: at close range, a low kick is not a free shot. If your hands drop, your partner can punch you in the face while your kick is still on its way. Guard first. Kick second.
Why Dropping Your Hands on a Low Kick Is a Problem
Low kicks are one of the most useful tools in kickboxing and Muay Thai. They slow opponents down, open up combinations, and change the rhythm of a fight. But a low kick only works if you are still safe while throwing it.
When you stand close — inside punching range — your head and chin are already within reach. If you lower your hands to “help” the kick, you are basically trading your guard for a little extra swing. That is a bad deal. One clean counter punch can land before your kick ever finishes.
Good strikers keep their structure tight: elbows in, hands home, chin tucked. The kick comes from balance, hip turn, and timing — not from abandoning the top half of your defence.
The Fix: Hands Up, Step Out for Power
In the video, Sasha shows the adjustment that fixes most low kick guard problems. Instead of swinging the arms down with the leg, keep your hands up and use your feet to create angle and rotation.
Need more torque? Step out. Open the stance slightly, turn the hip through the target, and let the kick travel from a balanced base. That gives you power without leaving your face exposed.
Hands stay high. Throw the low kick without opening the door for a straight counter.
Step out and rotate from the hips. Do not drop the guard to chase force.
Hand swing can help balance on head kicks — but only at the right distance and with control.
Low Kicks vs. High Kicks: Different Rules
Sasha makes an important distinction in the clip. The only time your hands should really swing with the kick is on a high kick, where the arm motion can help with balance and momentum.
Even then, distance matters. Throwing a head kick from the wrong range — too close, too rushed, or with sloppy posture — creates the same kind of counter-punch risk. Low kicks and high kicks are different tools. They need different setups, different ranges, and different guard habits.
If you are still building your striking fundamentals, start by making one rule automatic: low kick, hands up. Build the habit on pads and in drills before you worry about flashier entries.
Learn This on the Mats at Modern Warrior
Short technique videos are useful, but the real progress happens when a coach sees your movement in person — your range, your balance, your reactions under light pressure. That is where small corrections turn into lasting habits.
At Modern Warrior Academy in New Westminster, Chief Coach Sasha Tadayoni leads kickboxing classes built around real striking fundamentals: footwork, pad work, combinations, defensive structure, and the kind of details that keep you sharp in sparring and confident in self-defence training.
Want to clean up your kicks and build a safer, stronger guard? Start with a free intro class in our kickboxing program in New Westminster or explore Muay Thai classes for authentic low kick and clinch work.