Getting kicks high

[Kyle59]

My martial arts teacher is starting to train in muay thai again, and invited me to go, i can do kicks such as round,front, foot jab, side, rear, axe and cresent butdoes anyone have anyway of improving the height you get on these?

[Hardball]

Yea, I would like to know also. I thought it was constant stretching but I found out there is more to it. I need me a kicking coach.

[Broadsword2004]

Yeah, you need dynamic active flexibility, static active flexibility, and static inactive flexibility. You also need a LOT of strength in your abdominals, your LOWER BACK, and your hip flexors. To gain proper flexibility you need good leg strength, especially in your adductors and hamstring muscles. Basically that is all there is to it. Just those and lots of practice with proper kicking technique.

[micah323]

to kick high do you need the flexibility first then comes the kick, or does the practice of the high kick make you more flexible?

[gabbah]

Just kick as high as you can a lot each time you train. Stretch properly afterwards. With time it will be easier and easier to kick high.

Kicking high is not just about being fleixble. In fact, you don't need to be all that flexible to kick high. Reaching the required flexibility only takes a few months with proper stretching. Most of it is proper body mechanics, some strength, and control over your muscles, so that they all work together in harmony to get your shin up there with some speed. And that comes with kicking high lots of times.
I used to work the bag for hours at the time, trying to mimic better fighters execution of techniques.

[Abe]

flexibilty, and slow it down in the beginning just to get the feel.