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Reading Time: 8 minutesLast Updated on May 30, 2025 by Paul Clayton
Table of Contents
6 Tips to Learn How to Kick Harder and Higher
Picture this: You’re walking down a dimly lit street surrounded by darkness and uncertainty. Suddenly, you sense danger lurking nearby. Fear starts to creep in, but you take a deep breath and remember the powerful self-defense moves you’ve learned. It’s time to kick things up a notch, literally!
Key Takeaways:
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- Foundation is Key: Mastering basic martial arts fundamentals and proper kicking technique is crucial before attempting higher or harder kicks. This includes full pivoting on the supporting foot and leaning back when starting.
- Flexibility is Paramount: Dedicated and varied stretching (static and dynamic) focusing on quads, hamstrings, hips, adductors, calves, and ankles (especially hip flexors) is essential. Stretch when muscles are relaxed, not immediately after intense training.
- Consistent Practice: Frequent and intentional kicking drills, including kicking a bag as high as possible and holding kicks at maximum height, are vital for strength and control.
- Knee Chamber: Elevating the knee to chest height during the kick setup significantly contributes to achieving higher extensions.
- Strength Training: High kicks require muscular strength, so incorporate exercises that build overall leg and core strength. Balance training (e.g., on toes) is also essential.
Imagine your leg turning into a lightning-fast, unstoppable force fueled by adrenaline. Your knee comes up, and your foot launches forward like a rocket, aiming for your attacker’s gut with a fierce front kick. BOOM! The impact is like a wrecking ball hitting a brick wall – you can almost feel the power reverberate through your body.
But you don’t stop there. You pivot on your planted foot and unleash a devastating roundhouse kick, sweeping across like a spinning tornado. Your foot connects with your opponent’s side, delivering a bone-crushing blow that reels them. It’s like something out of a Hollywood action movie, only this time, you’re the show’s star!
High kicks are a deadly asset in a self-defense situation. Unfortunately, executing a more decisive and higher kick is difficult, if not impossible, for most people. Even with years of training and enjoying kicks and sweeps, most martial arts enthusiasts still find their range of high kicks with power to be quite limited.
In this guide, however, I’ll share some tricks and tips you can employ to get better at throwing high and stronger kicks. I’ll share the drills and practice tips I’ve used to improve at high kicks.
How to Work on Getting Your Kicks Higher and Stronger
1) Learn The Basics
If you’re a beginner, just starting in martial arts, or assuming you haven’t
been doing any activity before this that engages your hips, I suggest you focus on learning the basics first.
You can do exercises, but the most important thing is to learn the fundamentals of martial arts. Establishing a solid foundation for your kicks can take anywhere between 6 months and a few years.
Start by training the fundamentals, stretch when you’re warmed up, and you’ll become more flexible over time. High-kick techniques come afterward.
2) Learn the Proper Kicking Technique
Assuming you have already progressed past the fundamental stages, it’s time to refine your kicking technique. I see many beginners make the mistake of thinking that just kicking without proper form will get them there. Unfortunately, you always need to worry about form.
Poor form combined with excessive effort is a recipe for knee or groin injury. It also ingrains terrible habits that you’ll eventually need to unlearn.
The first step in learning to perform a high kick correctly is to pivot the planting foot fully 180 degrees. The base or foot remaining on the ground should be pointed away from the target or backward. This opens up the hips, allowing for greater movement.
Another key aspect of learning to throw a proper technique is pivoting on the ball of your supporting foot. This helps you pivot more explosively while raising the kick to a higher position. The higher your kick, the further around it goes until it ultimately points backward.
Also, don’t be afraid of leaning back. With time, you should be able to learn to throw the high kicks without leaning, but when starting, it’s okay to lean a little to help your leg get higher. Leaning back while kicking provides some height and generates more power in the kick than standing up straight for head kicks.
3) Stretches for Flexibility
Getting your kicks higher, faster, and stronger primarily revolves around flexibility. And there’s no better way to make your body more flexible than leveraging the power of stretches.
I see many people focusing solely on stretching their hamstrings and abductor muscles, often doing it daily. Instead, I suggest that you work on stretching the quads, hamstrings, hips, adductors, calf muscles, and ankles. One of the main stretches you should particularly focus on is opening your hip flexors.
The two primary forms of stretching that can help improve your flexibility are static stretching (also known as static training) and dynamic stretching.
Static stretching typically enhances overall flexibility when performed in a relaxed and calm state, whereas dynamic training improves flexibility even when muscles are contracted.
A good stretch for the inner thighs is to lie on your stomach and then stretch your knees far apart with your toes pointing outward. Crawl backward on your lower arms with your knees in position. Crawl back until you feel a good stretch.
For a great dynamic stretch to target your adductors, find a stable surface and use both hands for support. Raise one leg and transfer your weight to the other leg. Swing the raised leg, crisscrossing the leg on the ground until you get a stretch.
If you have partners and need to increase the kicking height, put one leg on their 
shoulder and have them raise the leg as high as possible. While at it, ensure the leg on the ground isn’t bent.
These are not the only stretching techniques to improve your kicking flexibility; numerous other methods exist.
When to Stretch
Knowing when to stretch is just as important as the techniques themselves.
Stretching for kicking improvement and flexibility shouldn’t be done right after a training session. When you train, your muscles tend to contract and shorten. If you stretch too far, then it becomes harder, and you risk injuring yourself. Plus, you’re not likely to feel pain because you’re high on adrenaline, so it’s easy to push yourself past the pain threshold and injure yourself.
In my opinion, if you need to stretch after training, opt for a light session. Hard stretching should be done cold before a session or after showering, when your muscles are relaxed.
4) Train on your Kicks
There’s no secret here; if you want to get better at kicking high, you must kick often. Every time you walk into the training ground, take precious minutes to do a set of kicks as high as possible. Of course, using the proper technique and form is essential.
The bag kick is awesome for improving your kicks. Try to kick the bag as high as possible without losing your balance. Meanwhile, if you have a sparring partner, aim for their head.
However, you could train your middle kicks if you’re still uncomfortable with the higher ones. The more comfortable you are with hip engagement in the middle range, the easier it is to take your kicks higher.
Another critical aspect of kick training is aiming to kick and hold a kick at maximum height for a few seconds. This is a fantastic way of increasing the strength needed to control higher kicks.
5) Bring your Knees Up
While stretching and flexibility are remarkably the best drills for improving higher kicks, one thing people often overlook is bringing their knees up when kicking.
A well-positioned chamber, with your knees lifted to the appropriate height, will go a long way. The higher your knee level is, the higher the leg extends out. Generally, if you can bring your knees to the height of your chest, it’s easy to execute a headshot.
6) Exercise
Finally, I wouldn’t want to add that getting high kicks involves developing muscles. High kicks are more than just a mobility exercise; you must also engage in exercises that strengthen your muscles.
Another helpful exercise is learning the basics of balancing on your toes. Balance is critical as you go higher.
Throwing Higher Tips
Generally, practicing the tips I’ve mentioned above will surely increase your ability to kick higher. If you’re consistent, you’ll find it much easier to progress from kicking stomach height to being able to execute headshots.
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Know your Limits
However, beyond this advice, I also need you to understand that our bodies are different
and that there are significant inequalities in innate flexibility. Some people can kick headshots after a year of practice, while others require years of hard work. Therefore, it’s perfectly fine if you can never reach higher.
The amount of collagen largely determines flexibility in one’s body, and little can be done to change that. So, telling someone who is naturally stiff to stretch isn’t helpful.
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Higher Kicks Aren’t for Self-Defense
The other thing to remember is that head kicks are more of a sport. High kicks are oriented more toward athletics and less toward traditional or self-defense. I know high kicks are a part of the popular presentation of modern karate, but I can assure you they don’t matter much in real life.
High kicks can be lethal, but most martial arts experts advise against kicking any higher than the waist. Higher kicks are easier to grab and block. On the other hand, a low kick can be devastating or highly disruptive if appropriately executed.
Also, high kicks usually expose you to your opponent. You give them your balance, and the positioning is locked in until the kick is over, so it’s very easy to get punished.
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Be Patient
Finally, understand that this isn’t a quick fix. Increasing flexibility takes a considerable amount of time and requires years of dedicated practice, such as regularly stretching on the mat.
Even if you’re naturally flexible, learning to kick high takes time. The more you train, the more your hips will unlock.
While at it, I suggest you don’t worry too much about height as much as technique and form; height will come with time as your muscles strengthen.
This video has been included to clarify the topic. Credit goes to Metrolina Martial Arts
Final Thoughts
Learning to throw higher and stronger kicks is a crucial aspect of your martial arts journey. While you’ll hardly need a high kick for self-defense, it can be a handy and lethal asset if you know how to execute it.
The key to learning how to throw high kicks is to become more flexible through stretching, practice your kicks, and master the proper technique. Maintaining physical fitness is also essential. It would be best to be patient and consistent in your training efforts.
And it’s not just about the physical aspect; it’s also about the mental transformation. As you hone your kicking skills, you become more disciplined, focused, and self-assured. You carry yourself differently, with a newfound aura of strength and determination that others can’t help but notice.
Imagine the peace of mind that comes with knowing you can protect yourself and your loved ones from harm. It’s like having a personal bodyguard by your side, ready to spring into action whenever needed.
But it all starts with practice—dedicating yourself to learning the techniques, building your leg strength, and honing your form. It may not happen overnight, but with consistent effort, you’ll see your kicks evolve from timid to tenacious.
