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.

3

Try a frog stretch.

  1. 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]
    • 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.
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4

Hold a plank.

  1. 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]
    • 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.

  1. 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]
    • 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.
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6

Alternate between a front kick and a side kick.

9

Do a center split.

  1. 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.[10]
    • 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.
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Exercises and Stretches to Help You Kick Higher

Expert Q&A

  • Question
    How can I make my kicks more powerful?
    David Engel
    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.
  • Question
    What are the side effects of doing a split?
    Michele Dolan
    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.
  • Question
    When I stretch, my hamstrings hurt badly. What can I do?
    Michele Dolan
    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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  1. https://kenshochicago.com/how-to-kick-higher/
  2. David Engel. Muay Thai Instructor & Self Defense Trainer. Expert Interview. 5 May 2020.

About This Article

David Engel
Co-authored by:
Martial Arts Instructor
This article was co-authored by David Engel and by wikiHow staff writer, Hannah Madden. 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. This article has been viewed 150,255 times.
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Co-authors: 14
Updated: August 25, 2021
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Categories: Personal Fitness
Article SummaryX

To kick higher, work on improving your flexibility by doing high kicks and kicking your foot up towards your hand. Practice high knees by running in place and bringing your knees up to your waist. Try heel kicks by running in place and kicking your heels back so they hit your glutes. Over time these stretches will help you kick higher! For advice on how to improve your kicking form, as well as dynamic stretches you can do to improve your flexibility, keep reading!

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