This was later supplemented in Masutatsu Oyama's Kyokushin karate with a similar technique, using the instep and using more rotation of the hip, as well as sinking the weight of the kicker into the target, to create more bludgeoning power.

With the blurring of modern martial arts differences, many other variations of the roundhouse kick are now practiced in traditional karate schools.

[2] As with many other muay Thai techniques, the roundhouse kick has gained wide popularity, being used extensively in K-1 kickboxing and mixed martial arts (MMA) competitions due to its effectiveness in inflicting damage to the opponent.

A properly executed muay Thai roundhouse kick has been compared by many martial artists to being struck by a baseball bat.

[citation needed] The muay Thai roundhouse (or angle) kick is generally used in varying levels (low, middle, high) to inflict damage to different parts of the opponent's body.

In more recent times many MMA fighters such as Justin Gaethje, Edson Barboza, Benson Henderson, and Jeremy Stephens utilize effective low kicks.

Muay Thai practitioners are taught to repeatedly strike the same point on the thigh to increase the cumulative effect of low kicks as a match proceeds.

Some Thai camps emphasize targeting the inner thigh to compress the femoral artery and to shock the opponent weakening his or her fighting ability.

Middle (midpoint or midsection) kicks target the area above the hip bone and can damage the opponent's ribs and liver.

Some Thai camps emphasize targeting the side of the neck with the high angle kick cutting down from its highest point to compress the carotid artery and so shock the opponent, weakening his or her fighting ability or knocking him out.

The taekwondo roundhouse kick, known as dollyŏ chagi, is performed by first drawing the knee straight up in a "chamber" position.

This differentiates it from muay Thai and other roundhouse kicks, which tend to incorporate rotation before or during the rising of the knee.

This method was used by early American full-contact karateka Bill Wallace, a student of taekwondo as well as karate, to great effect.

The variation of the "roundhouse kick" or 鞭腿 found in Chinese wushu's full contact portion of sanshou/sanda impacts with the ankle or instep.