Twenty-two seconds into the second round at Meta APEX on October 10, Andre Fili’s kick found Kai Kamaka III’s head and the fight was over. One clean muay thai head kick did the work, and Fili earned a $100,000 performance bonus for it.
Earlier on the same card, Otari Tanzilovi also dropped Malcolm Wellmaker with a kick to the head before finishing with punches. Two bonus-winning knockouts from one weapon is a good reason to study how the strike works and how to build it safely.
What the high roundhouse is and when to throw it
A muay thai head kick is the standard Thai roundhouse aimed at the neck, jaw or temple instead of the thigh or ribs. The striking surface is the lower shin, not the foot. Thai boxers swing the leg like a bat, turning the hips over so the whole body weight travels through the target.
It is high risk and high reward. Mistimed, it leaves you on one leg in front of someone waiting to catch or counter it. Timed well, it can end a fight from outside punching range.
The best windows: when the opponent drops a hand after punching, when they slip toward your kicking side, and when they have been trained by your low kicks to lower their guard.
How to throw a muay thai head kick in 6 steps
The steps below assume an orthodox stance throwing the rear (right) leg. Reverse everything for southpaw or for a switch kick off the lead leg.
- Step out at an angle. Take a small step with the lead foot toward the outside, turning that toe out. This opens the hips and gives the kick a path around the guard instead of straight into it.
- Rise onto the ball of the support foot. Pivot on it so the heel points toward the target. If the heel stays planted, the hips cannot turn over and the kick stalls at shoulder height.
- Swing the arm on the kicking side down and back. This counterbalance adds speed and helps you rotate. Keep the opposite hand up by your face.
- Swing, do not chamber. Thai style keeps the leg fairly straight and swings it up rather than folding it like a karate kick. A slight bend at contact protects the knee.
- Turn the hip over and hit with the shin. Aim at the side of the neck or the jaw line and try to kick through the target, not at it.
- Finish and return to stance. If you miss, let the kick spin you through to a full turn and land back in stance. If you connect, bring the leg back down on the same line and get your hands up.
Common head kick mistakes
Telegraphing with the shoulders. Many beginners drop their hands or lean back before the leg leaves the floor. Film yourself on the bag and check whether anything moves before the hips do.
Kicking with the foot. The top of the foot has small bones that break easily. Contact should come from the lower third of the shin.
Throwing it cold. A muay thai head kick with nothing before it is the easiest one to see. Set it up.
Forcing height you do not have. Without hip mobility, people lean so far back that power and balance disappear. Kick to the body until the range is there, then raise the muay thai head kick gradually.
Drills to build the kick
Build it in stages, adding speed only once the mechanics hold, ideally under a qualified coach.
| Drill | How it works | What it builds |
|---|---|---|
| Wall-supported swings | Hold a wall or rope, pivot and swing the leg slowly to head height, 10 to 15 per side | Pivot, hip turn, balance |
| Low-middle-high ladder | On the heavy bag, kick low, then body, then high on the same side | Same motion at every height, hiding the target |
| Pad holder flash | A partner shows the pad high only for a second after you throw a jab or cross | Reading openings, reaction speed |
| Punch to kick combinations | Jab, cross, rear head kick, or cross, lead hook, rear head kick on pads | Setups that move the guard first |
Consistent mobility work, such as leg swings and hip openers, will raise a muay thai head kick faster than forcing it in sparring.
Setting up the muay thai head kick in combinations
The cleanest knockouts usually follow something the opponent was already defending. Four setups that suit most stances:
- Cross, then rear kick high. The cross turns the shoulders; the opponent covers the punch and the kick arrives over the top of their lead hand.
- Low kick, low kick, high kick. Two kicks to the thigh draw the eyes and the guard down. The third rises from the same starting motion.
- Teep feint to switch kick. Show the push kick with the lead leg, then switch feet and throw the lead leg high. Our breakdown of the Muay Thai teep covers the feint in more detail.
- Off the back foot. An opponent rushing in with the head off center can walk into the kick. See these tricks for fighting on the back foot in Muay Thai for the footwork behind it.
Muay thai head kick defense: block, lean or step in
There are three main answers to a muay thai head kick.
The high block. Raise the forearm on the kicking side so the glove sits against the temple and the elbow points forward, then brace by turning slightly into the kick. Keep the other hand up. The block only works when the arm stays glued to the head; a gap lets the shin crash through.
The lean back. Shift weight onto the rear leg and let the kick pass in front of the chin. It leaves the kicker turned away and open to a counter.
Closing the distance. Stepping forward into the kick takes the power away because the thigh, not the shin, makes contact. From there, punch or clinch.
Drill these slowly with headgear and a partner you trust. In controlled sparring, keep every muay thai head kick a light touch until both people can defend it.
What Fili’s finish shows about timing
Fili came into UFC Vegas 122 with a 25-14 record and one no contest, according to the UFC event page. The kick that ended the night came early in the second round, before Kamaka had time to settle into a new defensive rhythm. That is worth copying: a muay thai head kick lands best when the opponent expects the exchange to restart at the old pace.
Frequently asked questions about head kicks
Does Muay Thai allow head kicks?
Yes. Kicks to the head are legal in Muay Thai and are among the most valued scoring techniques when they land cleanly.
What stretches help with Muay Thai head kicks?
Dynamic leg swings, hip openers, butterfly stretches and hamstring stretches help most. Do them after a warm-up and build range gradually over weeks rather than forcing it.
What is a head kick called in Muay Thai?
Most gyms simply call it a high kick or high roundhouse. It uses the same mechanics as the body and low roundhouse, aimed at head height.
When to add the head kick to your sparring rounds
Add the muay thai head kick to sparring once you can throw it on the bag from both stances without dropping your hands, and once your body kick lands with the same motion. Fighters with a steady low kick gain the most, because the threat below opens the target above. Two bonus checks on one card are a reminder that the high kick rarely wins with power alone; it wins with the setup nobody saw.