How to Land a Head Kick in an MMA Fight

A head kick is one of the most exciting ways to finish a Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) fight. These flashy knockouts immediately bring the crowd to its feet in excitement. However, there are very few people in the world who can effectively end a fight with a head kick, and properly landing such a blow takes years of practice and training.

Instructions

1. Stretch your entire body. Flexibility in your legs and torso is extremely important when trying to land a head kick during a fight.

2. Set the kick up. Throwing your hands will probably distract your opponent and makes most fighters move their head from side to side.

3. Time the kick properly. The best time to let the kick go is when the other fighter is moving their head into the strike. This adds to the damage of the kick as the energy of their head moving forward adds to the power and speed of the kick itself.

4. Spin off of your lead foot. This will allow you to whip your "power" leg into the kick.

5. Rotate your hips into the kick. This generates most of the power behind the strike.

6. Snap your foot back into position immediately if you miss landing the kick. Head kicks can be a quick way to end an MMA fight, but they can also leave you off balance if you miss the intended target.

Tips & Warnings

• Practice your kicking technique at every training session. Your kicks will get faster and more accurate with practice and experience.

• Use the lower part of your shin as the contact point when landing a kick. You do not want to use your foot as you can injure your ankle very easily.