Do you call yourself a martial arts fighter? If so, then you must have learned how to kick higher, isn’t it? Wait! No? If that’s the case then you should start working on your flexibility right now and take your martial art to the next level.
Being a martial art practitioner or fighter, you should know how to kick higher because you never know what kind of situation you’re going to encounter. Moreover, keep in mind that you can’t learn anything instantly. It needs a lot of practice and dedication as huge as a mountain.
Let’s hope into the exercises that will help you kick higher during a fight. Stick by us till the end.
High Kick Exercise Benefits
Why do you need to follow high kick exercises? Does it affect your fighting for the better? There’s certainly a set of windfalls you’ll notice if you regularly follow high kick exercises.
Flexibility:
Flexibility is something no fighter should compromise on. A flexible body helps greatly in fighting. It allows a fighter to adjust to any kind of circumstance without facing any resistance. Therefore, high kick workouts are a great way to improve body flexibility and elasticity.
Maximum Body Control:
Taking maximum control over a body is the best thing for every MMA fighter. Without body control, no fighter can attain the right body balance and consequently can’t call himself a true fighter. Therefore, a high kick workout and poses are popular exercises among MMA fighters.
Improve Body Posture:
Have you ever seen a fighter with dropped shoulders and bent back? No, right? Straight body posture not only makes you more confident but makes you look attractive as well.
Additionally, it’s one of the most crucial factors for any fighter. High kick flexibility exercise certainly helps in transforming a bend or dropped body shoulder into a straight and attractive one.
Related: Best Punching Bags for Higher Kicks
How to Kick Higher-7 Flexibility Exercises
Now that you have understood the importance and benefits of high kick training. Let’s jump into the exercises you need to follow for quite some time.
This section is all about the answer to your question: how to kick higher?
1: Y Stretch
Stretching your body is considered one of the best to improve body flexibility. Hence, great to make the body able to kick higher during a difficult fight. So, the following are higher kick stretches workouts you should be following to achieve the higher kick.
Y-Stretch helps in improving spinning and twisting movement by targeting the torso, thigh, and hip muscles.
How to Do?
- Sit on the floor while keeping both legs straight.
- Now, turn your stomach at the back and extend your both arms simultaneously.
- Don’t lower your chest, keep it raised.
- Now, swing your left leg over the right leg and stretch as much as you can.
- Keep your eyes straight. Your legs should make a Y shape.
2: V Stretch
If you want to train your groin and leg muscles at a time, then V-Stretch is an ideal exercise for you. Moreover, V-Stretch helps a fighter to kick harder and higher.
How to Do?
- First of all, lie on the floor. Your back should touch the floor.
- Now, raise your both legs straight, towards the ceiling.
- Now, lower left leg to the left and right leg to the right. Stretch both legs down as much as you can. The shape your legs make should be V.
- Maintain body balance during the stretch. You can place your palms on the ground for balance.
3: Straddle Stretch
Another important stretch is the straddle stretch which targets the hips and legs muscles. Straddle stretch helps in improving kick range and body flexibility.
How to Do?
- Sit on the floor and extend both legs to the sides.
- Now, bend your upper body forward and stretch.
- Keep your both toes toward the ceiling and your thighs should touch the floor.
- Keep both arms extended forward.
4: Planks
Plank workouts don’t do much for high kicking ability but it certainly helps in balancing the body. Additionally, a plank is a great workout to train the body muscles and maintain body posture. Do add plank to your high kick routine, and you’ll notice a positive impact on the body.
How to Do?
- Lie straight on the floor. Keep your arm bent like the L shape and put your upper body weight on your forearms.
- Also, lower body weight should be on the feet and toes.
- Now, lift your whole body at the same time.
- Your body shouldn’t touch the ground except for your forearms and toes.
- Now, hold the plank for about 5 sec. You can increase your holding time gradually
5: Standing Split
Standing split is known as the best high kick flexibility exercise. Besides, this workout targets the quads, hamstring, and groin muscles.
How to Do?
- Stand against a wall. Keep yourself a few inches distant from the wall.
- Now, bend your upper body forward while placing your palms on the floor.
- Further, raise and extend one leg upward to the wall while pointing the toe towards the ceiling. Stretch as much as you can.
- Repeat the exercise for the other leg.
6: Kick Hold
How about holding your kick with the help of your hand? Kick hold exercise helps a lot in higher kick stretches. Doing this exercise every day can improve your kicking skills.
How to Do?
- Take a chair and stand next to it.
- Then hold the chair with one hand and raise your one leg as much as you can like a sidekick.
- Now hold your leg in this position for about 5 seconds with the help of your hand.
- You can release your leg after 5 seconds.
- Repeat the same exercise for the other leg.
7: Side Bends
Side bending is another form of muscle stretching. Side bending is a great workout to improve striking and kicking abilities.
How to Do?
- Stand straight, then extend your right leg and raise your right arm simultaneously.
- After that, bend your upper body to the left, and move your raised arm as well.
- In the end, bend towards the ground and stretch as well.
- Repeat the same for the other side.
Final Thoughts:
No doubt, higher kicking plays a crucial role in any kind of martial arts. That’s why fighters with accurate higher kicking abilities can cause huge damage to the opponent. Dedication and constant practice of high kick workouts can transform your fighting.
So, how to kick higher? We hope you got the answer to your question. The above-mentioned stretching and high kick workout is all you need to be a shining star in the crowd and kick as high as you want.
