Crescent Kick

Last updated: May 25, 2026

What is a crescent kick?

The crescent kick is one of the oldest kicking techniques in martial arts, found in karate, taekwondo, kung fu, capoeira, and several Southeast Asian striking systems. In Japanese karate, it is known as mikazuki geri, meaning “half-moon kick.” In Korean taekwondo, it goes by bandal chagi, often translated as “swing kick” or “arc kick.” Different schools call it slightly different things, but the defining feature is the same: the leg travels in a curved, sweeping motion rather than a straight or rotational line.

The kick exists to attack from an angle that a straight or circular strike cannot reach. Because the leg arcs across the centerline, a crescent kick can wrap around or knock through a high guard, slap a weapon out of an opponent’s hand, or open up the head for a follow-up strike. Traditional kata and forms also use it as a defensive sweep that clears an incoming punch or weapon to the side.

Within a wider striking arsenal, the crescent kick sits in a strange middle space. It is faster and less committed than an axe kick, but generates less direct power than a roundhouse or side kick. That trade-off is part of why the kick remains common in traditional martial arts demonstrations and forms competition, yet appears only occasionally in full-contact sports.

How the crescent kick works

The motion starts from a standard fighting stance. The leg lifts in a curving arc. Swing direction can be inside-to-outside or the reverse. The arc usually passes across the centerline at roughly head height for a high crescent kick, or at waist height for a lower variant. Contact lands on the blade of the foot, the inside edge, or sometimes the sole.

What sets the crescent kick apart from other kicks is the plane of the strike. According to Wikipedia’s overview of kicks, the inward variant moves with force generated by the legs moving toward the midline of the body, while the outward variant draws its power from hip abduction. The kick is delivered in a mostly horizontal plane, which is the cleanest way to separate it from an axe kick, which strikes in a vertical plane straight down.

Power on a crescent kick comes mainly from hip rotation rather than from a snapping knee, and the leg can be kept relatively straight throughout the motion. That straight-legged path produces a sweeping arc that is easy to see coming, especially against a trained opponent, which is one reason the technique is often used as a setup or defensive tool rather than a primary finisher.

Inside vs outside crescent kick

Two main variations exist, and they are mirror images of each other. Which one a fighter chooses depends on the angle they need to attack from and which side of the opponent’s guard they want to break through.

	Inside crescent kick	Outside crescent kick
Direction of arc	Inside to outside	Outside to inside
Striking surface	Outside edge (blade) of the foot	Inside edge or sole of the foot
Japanese name	Uchi mikazuki geri	Soto mikazuki geri
Typical target	Side of the head, or to clear a guard	Side of the head, or to slap a hand or weapon
Difficulty	Slightly harder; needs more hip flexibility	Generally easier to throw

Black Belt Wiki notes that the outside crescent kick is often used in close range to “loop” a kick around the body and strike the head or drop down onto the collarbone. The inside crescent kick, by contrast, tends to be used to break a guard or wipe a hand off a grab.

Crescent kick vs roundhouse kick vs axe kick

These three kicks are often confused because they all involve an arcing leg motion above waist level. The differences come down to which plane the leg travels in and which part of the foot connects.

	Crescent kick	Roundhouse kick	Axe kick
Plane of strike	Mostly horizontal	Horizontal (rotational)	Vertical (downward)
Striking surface	Blade or sole of foot	Shin or instep	Heel
Power source	Hip rotation, straight-leg swing	Full-body rotation through hips	Gravity plus leg drop
Primary use	Clearing guard, setup, surprise angle	Power strike to head, body, or legs	Downward chop onto shoulder or head
Frequency in MMA	Rare	Common	Rare

The crescent kick and axe kick share a beginning. Both lift the leg upward in an arc. The axe kick stops the upward motion and drops the heel straight down, while the crescent kick continues across to the side. A roundhouse kick, by contrast, never travels upward in a vertical line; it rotates around the body from the start.

The crescent kick in MMA

At the highest levels of MMA, the crescent kick is uncommon. It does not generate the same horizontal power as a Muay Thai roundhouse, and the wide arc gives an opponent more time to see it coming and counter. For those reasons, most modern striking coaches teach the kick as a niche tool rather than a primary weapon.

The clearest example of a fighter who built a career around the crescent kick is Japanese lightweight Katsunori Kikuno. A Kyokushin karate practitioner with a first-degree black belt earned in the Kyokushinkai Kagoshima Matsui dojo, Kikuno learned the kick from his teacher, Kyokushin world champion Hitoshi Kiyama. Sherdog’s 2010 profile of Kikuno described the strike as “the first nail in the coffin” of his opponents. The fighter himself credited his trademark mikazuki geri for disrupting opponents who were used to a more conventional MMA rhythm. UFC.com later highlighted his “educated feet” when he signed with the promotion, pointing to his Kyokushin foundation as the reason his kicking game stood out.

A more recent example came at EFC 126 in Sandton, South Africa, on August 7, 2025, when light heavyweight Zhane Tannous knocked out Stefan Booysen in 14 seconds with a crescent kick. Sports Illustrated described the finish as a “highlight-reel” knockout and called the technique rare in the sport.

Outside of these examples, the crescent kick shows up sporadically. Stephen “Wonderboy” Thompson has demonstrated it in instructional content tied to his karate background, and fighters with traditional martial arts roots will occasionally throw it as a setup or as a surprise attack against an opponent expecting a roundhouse.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is the crescent kick the same as the question mark kick?

No. The two are commonly confused, but they are different kicks. The question mark kick is a roundhouse variant with a built-in feint, striking with the shin or ball of the foot. A crescent kick travels in a horizontal arc and lands with the edge or sole. The path and the impact are not the same.

Is the crescent kick effective in MMA?

It can be, but the technique is high-risk and rarely used. Wider arcs are easier to read and counter, and the kick generates less direct power than a roundhouse. Fighters who land it well tend to use it as a surprise tool or to break a guard rather than as a primary scoring weapon.

Who uses the crescent kick in the UFC?

The kick is uncommon at the UFC level. Japanese fighter Katsunori Kikuno is the best-known practitioner, and his Kyokushin-style mikazuki geri was a signature strike during his career in DREAM and the UFC. Karate-rooted fighters occasionally throw it, but it remains a niche technique.

What is the crescent kick called in karate and taekwondo?

In karate, the crescent kick is known as mikazuki geri, which translates as “half-moon kick.” In Korean taekwondo, it is called bandal chagi, often rendered as “swing kick” or “arc kick” in English.

Can the crescent kick be used defensively?

Yes. Many traditional schools teach the crescent kick primarily as a defensive sweep to knock a punch, kick, or weapon to the side. The outward arc is well-suited to clearing an attack and creating an opening for a counter.

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Sources

1. Black Belt Wiki. “Crescent Kick: Martial Arts Technique.” Accessed May 2026.
2. Wikipedia. “Kick.” Accessed May 2026.
3. Sherdog. “Budo’s Best: Katsunori Kikuno.” June 2010.
4. UFC.com. “The Educated Feet of Katsunori Kikuno.” 2015.
5. Sports Illustrated / MMAKnockout. “MMA fighter floors opponent in just 14 seconds with rarely-seen technique.” August 7, 2025.
6. Bloody Elbow. “Judo Chop: Katsunori Kikuno Puts the Crescent Kick To Work on Kuniyoshi Hironaka at DREAM.13.” April 2010.
7. ONE Championship. “10 Martial Arts Kicks You’ll See In ONE Championship.” July 2021.

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