Question Mark Kick

Last updated: April 12, 2026

What is a question mark kick?

The question mark kick is an advanced kicking technique used across MMA, Muay Thai, karate, taekwondo, kickboxing, and several other striking disciplines. It blends the chambering motion of a front kick or low kick with the finishing arc of a roundhouse, creating a strike that is difficult to read and even harder to defend in real time.

The technique works by exploiting an opponent’s expectations. When a fighter sees a knee rise in a straight line, they instinctively prepare for a front kick or a low kick, often dropping their hands or shifting their weight to check the incoming strike. At that moment, the kicker pivots their hips and redirects the leg outward and upward, whipping the shin or the ball of the foot into the opponent’s jaw or temple. The entire motion happens in a fraction of a second.

What makes the question mark kick distinct from a standard head kick is the built-in feint. A regular roundhouse to the head telegraphs its trajectory from the start. The question mark kick hides the final target until the leg is already in motion, which is why it catches even experienced fighters off guard.

Origins and alternative names

The technique is most commonly credited to Ademir da Costa, a Brazilian karateka competing in Kyokushin Karate during the early 1980s. His student Glaube Feitosa later brought the kick to a global audience by using it to devastating effect in K-1 Kickboxing during the late 1990s and early 2000s. Feitosa stood 6’4” and had the hip mobility to land the kick over the top of taller opponents’ guards, which made the technique famous in the kickboxing world.

Because of its Brazilian Kyokushin roots, the kick is also called the “Brazilian kick” in kickboxing circles. In Muay Thai, the same technique goes by “te kot,” which translates roughly to “downward roundhouse kick.” Karate practitioners may know it as “Otoshi Mawashi Geri” (dropping roundhouse kick) or “Kubi Mawashi Geri” (neck roundhouse kick), depending on the angle of impact.

In Thailand, fighters from the Jocky Gym were using variations of the kick as early as the 1990s. Saenchai and Lerdsila became the most well-known practitioners, with Silapathai also landing the technique at high-level competition before Feitosa brought it to K-1. None of them received the same international credit.

The term “question mark kick” itself became popular through MMA commentary. The name stuck because it describes exactly what the leg does: it travels straight up, then hooks outward and down, tracing the curve of a “?” in the air.

How the question mark kick works

The kick starts from a standard fighting stance. The kicker lifts their knee straight up toward the target, mimicking the chamber of a front kick or teep. This vertical motion is the deception. Once the knee reaches its peak, the kicker pivots hard on their standing foot, rotates their hips, and swings the lower leg outward in an arc that brings the shin or foot down onto the opponent’s head.

The striking surface depends on the martial art. Muay Thai and MMA fighters typically aim to connect with the shin for maximum impact, while taekwondo practitioners strike with the toes or instep to score points at range. In karate, the ball of the foot is the traditional contact point.

Range is a factor that separates the question mark kick from a conventional head kick. Because the kicker must lean back slightly to complete the hip rotation, the effective distance is actually shorter than a standard roundhouse. Fighters who misjudge the range will miss entirely or land with the foot rather than the shin, reducing the power behind the strike.

Hip flexibility plays a large role in how well someone can execute this kick. The mid-air redirection demands mobility in the hips, groin, and knees that goes beyond what a standard roundhouse requires. Without it, the motion becomes obvious, or the leg simply cannot reach its target.

Question mark kick vs. roundhouse kick

The question mark kick and the roundhouse kick both target the head, but they arrive from different angles and with different levels of deception.

	Question mark kick	Roundhouse kick
Trajectory	Vertical, then curves outward	Circular from the start
Deception	Built-in feint (looks like a front/low kick)	No built-in feint
Telegraphing	Low (hidden until redirection)	Higher (hip rotation visible early)
Range	Shorter than a standard head kick	Standard kicking range
Power	Moderate (snap-based)	High (full rotation)
Flexibility required	High (hip redirection mid-kick)	Moderate
Risk if missed	Leaves kicker off-balance and open to counters	Easier to recover from

A roundhouse kick generates more raw power because the entire body rotates into the strike from the beginning. The question mark kick sacrifices some of that rotational force in exchange for deception. The snap at the end can still produce enough impact to finish a fight, but the power comes from speed and precision rather than full-body torque.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why is it called a question mark kick?

The leg traces the shape of a question mark during the strike. It goes straight up (the dot), then curves outward and down (the hook).

Who invented the question mark kick?

Brazilian karateka Ademir da Costa is credited with developing the technique in the early 1980s within Kyokushin Karate. Glaube Feitosa later popularized it in K-1 Kickboxing.

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

Yes. “Brazilian kick” is the term used primarily in kickboxing, named after the Brazilian karatekas who made the technique famous. “Question mark kick” is the more widely used term in MMA.

Is the question mark kick effective in MMA?

It can be. Israel Adesanya, Stephen Thompson, and Holly Holm have all landed the kick at the highest levels of the sport. Its effectiveness depends on proper setup and timing, since a telegraphed attempt leaves the kicker vulnerable to counters and takedowns.

What martial arts use the question mark kick?

The technique appears in karate (where it originated), muay Thai, taekwondo, kickboxing, MMA, and other striking arts. Each has its own name and slight variation for the kick.

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Sources

1. Evolve MMA. “How To Throw A Question Mark Kick In Muay Thai.” Accessed April 2026.
2. GroundedMMA. “What Is a Question Mark Kick in MMA/Martial Arts?” Accessed April 2026.
3. LowKickMMA. “Question Mark Kick – Everything You Need To Know.” Accessed April 2026.
4. UFC.com. “Israel Adesanya Says Coaches Have Ruined His Question Mark Kick.” Accessed April 2026.
5. Fiji Muay Thai. “Question Mark Kick Technique Breakdown.” Accessed April 2026.
6. MMAUnit. “What Is a Question Mark Kick in MMA/Martial Arts?” Accessed April 2026.

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