How to Do a Roundhouse Kick: Proper Form for Beginners

To do a roundhouse kick, step out at a slight angle with your lead foot, pivot on the ball of that foot so your heel turns toward the target, rotate your hips over, and swing your rear leg through so your lower shin lands. Keep one hand guarding your face and return to your stance.

I’ve trained seven martial arts over more than 20 years, including Muay Thai, and I’m a NASM-certified trainer with corrective exercise and performance credentials. I haven’t taught Muay Thai classes, so this guide sticks to the beginner form a good gym teaches, plus the hip mechanics I look at as a corrective exercise specialist.

What Is a Roundhouse Kick?

A roundhouse kick is a circular kick that travels sideways into the target instead of straight forward. It shows up in nearly every kicking art, from Muay Thai to taekwondo and karate, and you’ll see it in kickboxing, MMA and even some krav maga curriculums.

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Each style throws it a little differently, which we’ll compare below. This guide focuses on the Muay Thai round kick, because it’s the most common version in beginner fitness and striking classes.

How to Do a Roundhouse Kick Step by Step

These steps describe a rear leg roundhouse kick from an orthodox stance (left foot forward). Mirror them if you stand southpaw.

1. Start in your stance. Feet about hip width apart, weight on the balls of your feet, hands up.
2. Step out at an angle. Take a small step with your lead foot slightly out to the left, toes turning out.
3. Pivot on the ball of the standing foot. Rise slightly and turn your left heel toward the target.
4. Turn the hips over. Let your right hip rotate forward and up as the rear leg comes off the floor.
5. Swing the leg through. Keep the leg mostly straight and let it travel like a bat, landing with the lower shin.
6. Swing the right arm down and back. This counterbalances the kick. The left hand stays up by your face.
7. Return to stance. Either let the leg swing back to where it started or set it down in front if you missed.

Slow reps beat fast ones while you learn. If you lose balance, you’re likely skipping the pivot or kicking higher than your hips allow.

Roundhouse Kick Form Cues That Matter Most

The Pivot and Hip Rotation

Hip rotation is what makes a roundhouse kick feel powerful. If your standing heel stays flat and facing forward, your hips can’t turn over, and the twist goes into your knee instead. A full pivot lets the whole body turn as one unit.

Foot Position and Contact Point

In Muay Thai, the striking surface is the lower shin, just above the ankle. Karate and taekwondo often use the instep or the ball of the foot, which suits faster, lighter contact. For bag work as a beginner, the shin is the safer choice.

Kick Height

Kick only as high as you can while keeping your posture tall and your guard up. For most beginners that’s thigh or body height. Height comes with time and mobility work.

Round Kick Low vs Body Kick

The low round kick, also called the roundhouse leg kick, is the same technique aimed at the outside of the thigh. Many coaches teach a slightly downward chop for it. It’s the easiest version to balance and usually the first one beginners drill on pads.

The body kick lands on the ribs or arms and asks for more hip rotation. Get comfortable with both before thinking about head height. My guide to Muay Thai kicks for beginners shows how these fit with the teep, switch kick and inside low kick.

Muay Thai vs Taekwondo vs Karate Roundhouse

None of these is wrong. They’re built for different rules. If you’re curious about those arts, see my honest takes on whether taekwondo is effective and whether karate is effective.

The Roundhouse Kick in MMA and the UFC

In MMA and the UFC, the round kick is used heavily, especially to the legs and body. Because takedowns are allowed, fighters keep the kick fast and recover quickly so it can’t be caught. The low round kick to the thigh and calf has become one of the most common strikes in the sport.

What About the Roundhouse Axe Kick?

You may see searches for a roundhouse axe kick. It’s a hybrid that starts like a roundhouse and comes down over the top like an axe kick. It’s an advanced technique that needs serious flexibility, so leave it for later, if at all.

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Roundhouse Kick Hip Pain: Common Causes and Fixes

Hip discomfort is the most common complaint from beginner kickers. In my corrective exercise work, it usually traces back to a few things.

• No pivot. The standing hip and knee twist against a planted foot. Fix the pivot first.
• Kicking too high too soon. Forcing height strains the groin and front of the hip.
• Skipping the warm-up. Cold hips don’t rotate well.
• Tight hip flexors from sitting. Long days at a desk limit hip extension and rotation.
• Too many reps too fast. Hundreds of kicks in your first week is a recipe for soreness.

A few minutes of leg swings, hip circles, bodyweight squats and a gentle hip stretch before training help most people. If pain is sharp, lingers more than a few days, or shows up as clicking or catching, stop kicking and see a doctor or physical therapist.

How to Practice the Roundhouse Kick Safely

At home, practice slowly holding a wall or chair for balance. Focus only on the pivot and hip turn at low height for the first sessions, then let go of the support.

On a heavy bag, start at half power and low height, a few sets per side, and add power gradually over weeks. This gradual approach is how shins adapt to contact. In class with pads, partners should agree on speed and call each kick before it’s thrown.

If you also train the teep kick, alternate the two so your hips get both straight and rotational work.

Roundhouse Kick Drills for Beginners

These simple drills build the pieces of the kick one at a time.

1. Pivot drill. Stand in your stance and practice only the step out and heel turn, 10 reps per side, without lifting the kicking leg.
2. Wall-supported kicks. Hold a wall with your lead hand and swing a slow, low kick through, pausing to check that your heel has turned.
3. Balance holds. After each slow kick, hold the finish on one leg for two seconds before returning to stance.
4. Kick and guard. Shadow kicks with a focus only on keeping your non-kicking hand by your face.

Two or three short sessions a week are plenty while you learn.

Your This-Week Plan

1. Day 1: Warm up, then practice the pivot alone, 10 slow turns per side holding a wall.
2. Day 3: Add the full low roundhouse kick with wall support, two sets of 10 per side.
3. Day 5: Shadow low and body height kicks without support, three rounds of two minutes with your guard up.
4. This weekend: Try a class and ask your coach to check your pivot on pads.

Quick Questions

More from this series: start with my martial arts for beginners guide, and if you also want the straight kicks, read my guide to the teep kick.

The Bottom Line

A good roundhouse kick comes from a pivot, a full hip turn and a shin that lands cleanly. Start low, move slowly, warm up your hips, and let height and power come later. For how kicking fits into a broader routine, see my guide to Muay Thai for fitness.

I’m a certified personal trainer and martial artist, not a physician or physical therapist, and this article is for general education. Kicking places real load on the hips, knees and lower back. If you have hip, knee or back problems, a past injury, or another health concern, check with your doctor or physical therapist before starting kicking practice.