How to Kick Higher

Co-authored by David Engel and Hannah Madden

Last Updated: August 13, 2023 Approved

Kicking higher during martial arts can help boost your performance and even help you advance levels. Learning to kick higher probably won’t happen overnight, but with a little practice and a lot of commitment, you can work toward your goal every single day. Try pairing daily stretches with strength exercises for the fastest results, and don’t forget to warm up first!

Here are 10 tips to help you start kicking higher.

1

Stand on 1 foot.

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Improve your balance to maintain control while kicking.^{[1]
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Expert Source

David Engel
Muay Thai Instructor & Self Defense Trainer

Expert Interview. 5 May 2020.} Stand up straight with your feet flat on the ground. Slowly lift one foot up in front of you, squeezing your glutes to maintain your balance. Hold it for 30 seconds, then switch to the other side.^{[2]
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- If you workout at a gym, you can try balancing yourself on a wobble board as well.

2

Do leg raises.

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Train your body to lift your leg higher and higher. Keep your balance by holding onto a chair or stool. Pick one leg and slowly lift it up, keeping your standing leg flat on the ground. You can kick to the front, the back, or the side, depending on which kicks you’d like to improve. Do this 20 times before moving onto the other leg.^{[3]
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- Try to do at least 3 sets on each leg.
- Use proper form and keep your balance the whole time as you do this exercise.

3

Try a frog stretch.

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Do this stretch at the end of a workout so you’re warmed up. Start in a tabletop position on your hands and knees. Slowly slide both of your knees outward, putting all of your weight on your hands, to feel the stretch in your groin area. Flex your ankles to keep your inner feet, inner ankles, and inner knees on the floor. Hold the stretch for about 30 seconds at a time.^{[4]
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- It’s super important to go slowly as you get into this stretch. If you move too quickly, you could end up injuring yourself.
- As you get more flexible, you’ll be able to lower down onto your elbows.
- This stretch opens up your hips and inner groin area.

4

Hold a plank.

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Strengthen your core by practicing this exercise every day. Lie on your stomach with your elbows directly underneath your shoulders. Put your weight on your forearms and your toes, then engage your core to lift your belly and legs up off the ground. Keep your back in one straight line as you hold the position for at least 5 seconds.^{[5]
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- Planks help to strengthen your core so you can lift your leg higher.
- Eventually, work your way up to holding the plank for 30 seconds to 1 minute at a time.
- If you’re working on a hard floor, put a yoga mat underneath you for some cushion.

5

Do side lunges.

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Stretch your groin and strengthen your glutes with this exercise. Stand with your feet outside your hips and your toes pointing outward. Bend your left knee and lower your body downward into a squat position, keeping your right leg straight. Quickly raise back up and drop down into a squat position on your right leg, keeping your left leg straight. Do this back and forth for about 30 seconds.^{[6]
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- This will help loosen up your hips and groin area to improve your flexibility.
- These lunges will also help you strengthen your glutes and your quads.

6

Alternate between a front kick and a side kick.

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Teach your body the correct positioning for each kick. Hold onto a wall or a chair to keep your balance. Lift one leg up into a side kick position with your leg extending out from your hip. Without putting your leg down, swing around into a front kick with your leg in front of your hip. Repeat this movement 10 times, then switch to the other leg.
- You can work up to doing 3 reps on each leg.
- This movement helps to open up your hips and stretch your groin while also building muscle in your legs.

7

Swing between front and back kicks.

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Strengthen your legs by kicking rapidly back and forth. Grab a wall or a chair and use one hand to hold on for balance. Pick up your right leg and swing into a front kick, then swing into a back kick without touching the ground. Keep your left leg straight as you swing back and forth for 30 seconds before switching to the other side.
- Try to keep swinging higher and higher as you go back and forth to improve your flexibility.

8

Do a few kick holds.

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Stretch your kick up even higher by using your hands. Put a chair next to you for balance and hold on with one hand. Lift your leg up into a side kick, extending straight out from your hip. Hold your leg there with your left arm and try to lift your leg up just a little bit higher. Hold the position for 5 seconds, then release your leg.^{[7]
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- Do this exercise 12 times before moving onto your other leg.
- Try to work up to doing 3 reps on each side.

9

Do a center split.

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Improve your flexibility in your groin area for higher kicks. Sit on the ground with your legs outstretched on either side of your hips. Place your hands right in front of your groin, then slowly lean forward onto your arms. Rotate forward until you feel a stretch in your groin, then stop and hold the stretch for 20 to 30 seconds.^{[8]
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- You might feel some discomfort, but stretching should never hurt! If you feel an intense amount of pain, let go and relax.
- Don’t forget to warm up before you stretch! Start with 5 to 10 minutes of high knees, jumping jacks, or running in place so you don’t hurt yourself.

10

Practice kicking every day.

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Regular practice will build your muscles while improving your form. Set aside at least a few minutes every day (if not more) to work on your technique and flexibility.^{[9]
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Expert Source

David Engel
Muay Thai Instructor & Self Defense Trainer

Expert Interview. 5 May 2020.}
- Higher kicks won’t happen overnight, and that’s okay! Keep working toward them to improve over time.
- Make sure you’re practicing with the correct form. It will be much easier to kick higher if you’re holding your body correctly.

Exercises and Stretches to Help You Kick Higher

Exercises to Help You Kick Higher

Stretches to Help You Kick Higher

Expert Q&A

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Question

How can I make my kicks more powerful?

David Engel
Martial Arts Instructor
David Engel is a Muay Thai Instructor and Self Defense Trainer based in the San Francisco Bay Area. With over 15 years of martial arts instruction and training experience, David runs California Martial Athletics with co-owner Joe Chernay. He has created and maintained martial arts programs at Rise Combat Sports in San Francisco and Round 5 Martial Arts Academy in San Leandro, with a mission to provide students with a level of comfort and competency that manifests both within and outside the martial arts context. He is also a registered cornerman for amateur and pro competitors under the IKF (International Kickboxing Federation). David was the youngest apprentice instructor of the Thai Boxing Association of America under Ajarn Chai Sirisute (2009), and was a top-ranked amateur competitor in his weight class (127-130 lb) in California between 2013 and 2015.

David Engel

Martial Arts Instructor

Expert Answer

There are a few things you can do to improve your leg strength. Running will dramatically help with your leg strength. Short-distance sprints, lunges, and deep squats will all help. If you have a weighted vest, you can add that for some extra resistance. It's also really important to keep working on your kicks mechanically; keep showing up for your training sessions and master your form.

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Question

What are the side effects of doing a split?

Michele Dolan
Certified Fitness Trainer
Michele Dolan is a BCRPA certified Personal Trainer in British Columbia. She has been a personal trainer and fitness instructor since 2002.

Michele Dolan

Certified Fitness Trainer

Expert Answer

You can tear muscle and tendon. Tearing tendon is very painful and heals slowly.

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Question

When I stretch, my hamstrings hurt badly. What can I do?

Michele Dolan
Certified Fitness Trainer
Michele Dolan is a BCRPA certified Personal Trainer in British Columbia. She has been a personal trainer and fitness instructor since 2002.

Michele Dolan

Certified Fitness Trainer

Expert Answer

Make sure your hamstrings are warmed up before you try stretching them. A five minute jog will do. Then you might try using a roller before you stretch. Check out the WikiHow article How to Rolf Yourself.

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