Kickboxing Biomechanics: The Science Behind Every Punch, Kick, and Stance

Kickboxing is a martial art that combines boxing and karate. In kickboxing, just being strong and fast is not enough! You also need to have skill and technique. Knowing how each punch and kick works, we can practice better and get less injured. Let's learn together how the main punches in kickboxing work.

The Mechanics of Punching in Kickboxing

1. Mastering the Jab: Precision and Speed

• How It Works: A jab is a straight punch you deliver with your lead hand. When you throw it, your shoulders and back rotate slightly, and your arm quickly moves forward.
• Which muscles work: Deltoids, triceps, pectorals, and core muscles.
• Application in the Ring: This punch is Quick to see how far your opponent is from you or to prepare for a more potent punch.

2. The Cross: A Power-Packed Knockout Punch

• How It Works: The cross is a powerful punch from the rear hand, accompanied by a rotation of the shoulders and hips and a quick arm extension.
• What muscles are worked: Glutes, quadriceps, obliques, triceps, and shoulder muscles.
• Application in the Ring: Often used to follow a jab. This punch is so powerful that it can be a knockout punch!

The Science of Kickboxing Kicks

1. The Front Kick: Versatile and Defensive

• How It Works: We raise our knees and then extend our legs straight forward. We strike with the sole of our foot (where the toes are).
• What muscles are worked: Quadriceps, hamstrings, glutes, and calf muscles.
• Application in the Ring: It helps maintain distance from the opponent or attack his midsection.

2.  The Roundhouse Kick: A Whip-Like Strike

• How It Works: We rotate the hips and strike our leg to the side like a whip. We can hit with the shin or the top of the foot.
• What muscles are worked: Hip flexors, quadriceps, glutes, core muscles.
• Application in the Ring: Highly versatile, it can target various areas like the head, body, or legs.

Stances and Movements

Knowing how to stand and move in kickboxing is very important. This helps us maintain balance, be stronger, and move more easily. Different stances, such as orthodox and southpaw, affect how we punch and kick.

References

• Burden, A. M., Grimshaw, P. N., & Wallace, E. S. (2013). Hip and shoulder rotations during the golf swing of sub-10 handicap players. Journal of Sports Sciences, 31(14), 1487-1496.
• Filimonov, V. I., Kopstev, K. N., Husyanov, Z. M., & Nazarov, S. S. (1985). Means of increasing strength of the punch. National Strength & Conditioning Association Journal, 7(6), 65-66.
• Fulton, J., Wright, K., Kelly, M., Zebrosky, B., Zanis, M., Drvol, C., & Butler, R. (2017). Injury risk is altered by previous injury: a systematic review of the literature and presentation of causative neuromuscular factors. International Journal of Sports Physical Therapy, 9(5), 583–595.
• Smith, M. S., Dyson, R. J., Hale, T., & Janaway, L. (2014). Development of a boxing dynamometer and its punch force discrimination efficacy. Journal of Sports Sciences, 18(6), 445-450.
• Freepik