Conditioning · Kickboxing
Belly Pad Knee Work
Belly Pad Knee Work is a partner drill using knee strikes against a worn pad. It trains hip drive, balance, trunk control, and conditioning through repeated strikes and resets.
- Intermediate
- Moderate injury risk
- Rest 45 sec
How to do it
- Face the pad holder in a staggered stance, within bent-knee striking range, with your hands near your face.
- Shift your weight onto your front leg.
- Lift your rear knee toward the center of the pad with your heel tucked toward your thigh.
- Drive your hip forward to press the bent knee into the target.
- Draw your striking knee back from the pad.
- Return your striking foot to its original position.
Form cues
- Exhale sharply on contact
- Keep your ribs over your hips
- Keep your supporting knee soft
- Look at the target
Common mistakes
- Striking from too far awayMove your stance closer before starting so you can reach the pad without lunging.
- Swinging the lower legKeep the striking leg folded so your knee, rather than your shin or foot, meets the pad.
- Rushing the next strikeRegain a stable stance before beginning another knee.
Safety
A missed target or excessive force can injure the holder's abdomen or ribs despite the pad. Fatigue and overreaching can also strain your hips or lower back, or cause a loss of balance.
- Use an experienced holder with a belly pad designed for knee strikes, secured over the intended target area.
- Agree on the target, strike type, intensity, and stop signal before starting.
- Begin with light straight knees; increase force only within the holder's ability to absorb it.
- Stop immediately if the pad shifts, either person loses balance, or a strike causes pain.
If you have knee, hip, or lower-back pain, choose slow, noncontact knee lifts or seek advice from a physiotherapist before striking.
Muscles worked
Primary muscles
Secondary muscles
Equipment
- Belly Pad
Sets and reps
- Sets
- 3–4
- Target
- 20–30 seconds
- Rest
- 45 sec
Use a steady pace that lets you reset between strikes; practice both sides across your work intervals.