Stand in a fighting stance with your guard up. Lift your kicking knee up and across your body, pivot on the ball of your standing foot so your hips open toward the target, and whip your leg out in a rising arc, striking with the instep or shin. Snap the leg back to the chamber and set it down in stance. The pivot is the engine - if the standing foot doesn't turn, the hips can't open, and the kick becomes all leg and no power.

Works: glutes, quads, hips, obliques

Breathing: Exhale sharply as you kick, inhale as you re-chamber.

Common Mistakes: Skipping the pivot so the hips stay closed, dropping the guard as the leg rises, and letting the kick swing through instead of snapping back to the chamber.

Make Easier: Kick low at shin height, hold onto a wall or chair while you groove the pivot, or build up with Knee Strikes first.

Make Harder: Kick slowly and hold the extension for a 2-count, or move on to Hook Kicks to reverse the arc entirely.