Practising high kicks: technique and mobility

A good high kick looks spectacular, but it mainly requires technique. You do not need to be extremely flexible to kick high. Mobility helps, but your supporting foot, hip rotation, balance and timing ultimately determine how high you can kick and how much control you have.

Many beginners simply try to lift their leg as high as possible. Their technique suffers and they lose their balance. A good high kick is built step by step.

In this article, we explain how to practise high kicks, which aspects of mobility matter and how to work safely on your kicking height.

What is a high kick?

A high kick is a roundhouse kick aimed at your opponent’s head or upper body.

In kickboxing, it is usually delivered with the shin. The technique resembles a low kick, but requires more mobility and balance because your leg rises higher.

A high kick broadly consists of:

a good starting stance;
pivoting on your supporting foot;
opening your hip;
sufficient mobility;
control over your upper body;
returning quickly to your stance.

Not yet fully in control of roundhouse kick fundamentals? Start by practising low kicks.

Mobility matters more than flexibility alone

A good high kick requires freedom of movement around your hips.

That is different from simply being flexible.

You need to be able not only to raise your leg high, but also to reach that position with control while standing on one leg and rotating your body.

For high kicks, the following are particularly important:

hip mobility;
hamstring flexibility;
mobility around your groin;
ankle range of motion;
control of your torso.

Passive stretching alone is therefore not enough. You also need active control over that range of motion.

Warm up properly before practising high kicks

Do not start throwing maximum-height high kicks while cold.

Your muscles and joints first need to be prepared for the large range of motion required for high kicks.

A good warm-up could include:

a few minutes of gentle movement;
high knees and heel flicks;
dynamic leg swings;
hip rotations;
gentle roundhouse kicks;
gradually kicking higher.

Read our detailed guide to warming up and cooling down for kickboxing.

Start low and only increase your kicking height once your body is warm.

Step 1: pivot properly on your supporting foot

Just like a low kick, a good high kick starts with your supporting leg.

When you kick with your right leg, your left foot turns outwards. This allows your hip to open further.

If you do not pivot your supporting foot enough, you block your own hip. You then try to force your leg upwards while your body does not actually have enough room to move.

This makes the kick harder and makes you lose balance more easily.

Pivot clearly on the ball of your foot as you initiate the kick.

Step 2: let your hip do the work

Do not try to produce a high kick using your leg alone.

Your hip needs to rotate through the movement.

The better your hip rotation, the less you rely on pure flexibility. You create extra height by rotating your whole body with the kick.

A common mistake is staying upright and only trying to swing the leg upwards.

Instead, think:

pivot your supporting foot → open your hip → bring your leg through.

The movement should become one coordinated action.

Step 3: keep your upper body under control

Your upper body can move slightly away from your kicking leg during a high kick.

This helps create space.

But do not exaggerate it.

If you lean back completely, you lose control and it becomes harder to return quickly to your fighting stance.

The aim is to be stable again immediately after the kick.

Alongside mobility, this requires strong abdominal, hip and core muscles. Kickboxing is therefore more than a leg workout: it is a true full-body workout.

Step 4: kick with control

When practising, do not immediately try to kick as high as possible.

A controlled shoulder-height kick is more valuable technically than a wild head-height kick that almost makes you fall over.

Build up the height gradually.

For example, train:

low kicks first;
then kicks towards waist height;
then kicks towards chest height;
only then high kicks.

As soon as your technique deteriorates, you are kicking too high for that moment.

Balance determines how good your high kick becomes

During a high kick, you briefly stand entirely on one leg.

Good balance is therefore essential.

You can train this easily without a punching bag or training partner.

Exercise 1: standing on one leg

Adopt your kickboxing stance and lift one knee.

Hold this position for 20 to 30 seconds.

Make it harder by:

raising your knee higher;
slowly extending your leg;
pivoting your supporting foot;
returning to your stance from the same position.

This trains exactly the control you need during a kick.

Exercise 2: slow roundhouse kick

Perform a roundhouse kick extremely slowly.

For example, kick in three stages:

raise your knee;
rotate your hip and extend your leg;
return to your stance with control.

A slow execution quickly reveals technical weaknesses.

If you cannot balance without speed, speed simply masks the problem during normal training.

Mobility exercises for higher kicks

Want to kick higher? Work on your mobility several times a week.

Dynamic leg swings

Hold a wall if needed and swing your leg forwards and backwards with control.

Then do the same sideways.

For example, perform 10 to 15 repetitions per leg.

Do not force the movement. Try to increase the range of motion slightly with each repetition.

Hip rotations

Raise your knee and make large, controlled circles from your hip.

Do this in both directions.

This prepares your hip for the rotating movement of a high kick.

90/90 hip rotations

Sit on the floor with both knees bent and move your legs from left to right with control.

This exercise helps with hip rotation.

Active leg raises

Stand upright and lift one straight leg with control.

Do not swing it.

This trains flexibility as well as the strength to actually hold your leg high.

Practising high kicks on pads

Pads are one of the best ways to train high kicks.

Your coach can hold the target relatively low at first and then gradually raise it.

This trains:

accuracy;
speed;
timing;
distance;
technique;
power.

Use sturdy Thai pads or other suitable coaching equipment.

For high kicks, the pad holder also needs to know how to receive the kick safely.

Practising high kicks on a punching bag

A long punching bag is ideal for practising independently.

Start with gentle roundhouse kicks and increase the height during the session.

For example, use three rounds:

Round 1: technique only at mid-height.

Round 2: alternate body kicks and high kicks.

Round 3: finish combinations with a high kick.

A well-known combination is:

jab – cross – left high kick

By punching first, you learn to throw the high kick as part of a realistic combination.

See our simple kickboxing combinations for beginners.

Use combinations to disguise your high kick

A single high kick is relatively easy to see coming.

That is why high kicks are often set up with other techniques.

For example:

jab – cross – high kick;
jab – low kick – high kick;
cross – hook – high kick;
several punches followed by a kick.

By attacking low or through the centre first, you make your opponent divide their attention.

Timing and preparation therefore make a high kick much more effective than simply trying to kick harder.

Train both sides

Almost every kickboxer has a preferred leg.

Nevertheless, you should train both sides.

If you only kick with your stronger leg, you become predictable and your weaker side falls behind technically.

For example, use a fixed split in each training round:

10 left kicks;
10 right kicks;
then combinations on both sides.

Your weaker side feels awkward at first. That is exactly why you need to keep training it.

Practising high kicks safely with a training partner

High kicks require extra control during partner training.

A kick towards the head should never be performed without control.

Technical sparring is about timing and technique, rather than maximum impact.

Agree clearly on:

intensity;
permitted techniques;
differences in ability;
protective equipment.

For sparring, good boxing gloves, shin guards and a mouthguard form part of the basic equipment.

Depending on the session, a head guard may also be used.

Which shin guards are suitable for high kicks?

During partner training, a shin guard needs to stay in place when you kick high.

Pay attention to:

a secure fastening;
sufficient shin and instep protection;
fit around the lower leg;
sufficient freedom of movement.

Popular options include:

Browse all shin guards for kickboxing.

Common high kick mistakes

High kicks are often made harder than necessary.

Watch out for these mistakes in particular:

not pivoting enough on the supporting leg;
only trying to throw the leg upwards;
trying to reach maximum height too soon;
kicking high without warming up;
leaning back completely;
dropping your hands completely;
losing balance after the kick;
only training your stronger leg;
forcing mobility;
kicking too hard during partner training.

Technique always comes before height.

How often should you practise high kicks?

You do not need to throw dozens of maximum-height high kicks every session.

Regular, short practice sessions work better.

For example, spend 10 minutes three to four times a week on:

mobility;
balance;
gentle kicking technique;
controlled high kicks.

Then add pads, bagwork and combinations during your normal kickboxing sessions.

Consistent practice ultimately produces more progress than occasionally doing an extreme number of repetitions.

A good high kick is built step by step

Kicking high is about more than flexibility.

A good high kick comes from mobility, balance, hip rotation, technique and control.

Start by asking whether you perform the movement correctly, rather than how high you can kick.

Pivot your supporting foot, open your hip, maintain your balance and return straight to your stance after every kick.

Once those fundamentals are sound, height follows naturally.