Free Guide

How to Draw Anime Fight Poses (Punches & Kicks): A Step-by-Step Guide by Japanese Pro Artists

The short answer: A punch or a kick is thrown with the whole body, not just the arm or the leg. Move the weight from the back foot to the front foot, keep the back straight as the punch lands, and use the arms and upper body to stay balanced on one leg when you kick.

If your fight scenes look stiff, or your fighters look like they're waving their arms around, start here. Below are five steps: a punch in three stages, a straight punch from the front and side, a kick in four stages, a high kick, and two fighters together.

Three fight scenes side by side: a man taking a punch to the cheek while the other man throws it, a young woman throwing a high kick seen from below, and a young woman launched off the ground by an uppercut Illustrated examples
Taking a punch, a high kick, and an uppercut that lifts the opponent off the ground.

The five steps at a glance

The same man in three stages of a punch: guard, step in, and the punch with the arm fully extended 01
A punch in three stagesThe weight moves from the back foot to the front foot as the fist goes out.
A man throwing a straight punch, seen from the front and from slightly above 02
The straight punchFrom the front and from the side, the whole body moves with the arm.
The same man in four stages of a middle kick: guard, lifting the leg, the kick at waist height, and bringing the leg back down 03
A kick in four stagesGuard, lift, impact and follow-through.
A young woman with a ponytail throwing a high kick, seen from the side 04
The high kickThe leg rises from the hip and the head stays a little behind the standing foot.
Two young women: one leans back to dodge an uppercut while the other drives forward 05
Two fightersTaking a punch, dodging an uppercut, and being lifted off the ground.

Step 01 · A punch in three stages

How do you draw a punch that looks strong?

Throw it with the whole body: the weight moves from the back foot to the front foot, and the fist lands as the front foot lands.

A punch thrown with the arm alone looks weak. In stage 1, the guard, most of the weight sits on the back foot. In stage 2, he steps in, and the spine starts to stretch as the upper body turns. In stage 3, the front foot lands and the weight shifts onto it in one go, and the fist hits at that same moment. The impact of landing stretches the spine even further and adds to the turn, and that power rides into the fist.

The blue up arrows show the body stretching upward. The bent arrow in stage 2 shows the back working as the body turns. The zigzag at the front foot in stage 3 marks the impact as the foot lands.

Red-pen checkOnly the arm is moving and the feet haven't changed. Shift the weight onto the front foot and let the fist land as that foot lands.
The same man in a tank top and shorts in three numbered stages of a punch: 1 guard with fists up, 2 stepping in with the upper body turning, 3 the punch with the arm fully extended and the back heel lifted, with blue arrows Illustrated examples
1 guard, 2 step in, 3 the punch lands as the front foot lands.

Step 02 · The straight punch

How do you draw a straight punch from the front and from the side?

Even one punch moves the whole body, so watch the muscles and joints of the arms and legs.

Seen from the front, the upper arm is almost hidden behind the forearm, and the side of the tank top shows as the fist goes forward. When the arm shoots out, the back muscles just below the armpit bulge a little. A big fold runs across the shirt from the punching shoulder toward the opposite foot. Draw the knuckles bulging on the closed fist to add power. A foot that's pushing hard looks natural with its toes turned outward, and drawing the base of the big toe sticking out shows him bracing against the floor.

Seen from a little above, the body narrows in perspective from the shoulders down to the feet, and the wrist twists slightly inward. Draw the index finger a little larger, and the creases at the thumb and index finger, so the grip looks strong. Under the far armpit the shirt is pulled tight, while the near side of the waist is pressed in, so the two sides step apart. Purse the mouth, as if he's breathing out with the punch. That small detail makes it feel real.

Red-pen checkThe fist is a smooth ball. Show the knuckles bulging and the creases at the thumb and index finger.
Two views of a man throwing a straight punch: from the front with the fist large in front of his face and the other fist guarding his jaw, and from slightly above with the arm stretched out to the side and one foot lifted behind Illustrated examples
From the front, the fist looks big. From the side, the body turns behind the arm.

Step 03 · A kick in four stages

What are the stages of a kick?

Guard, lift, impact, follow-through.

1, the guard: he stands ready with both fists up. 2, the lift: the back arches and the upper body turns, which pulls the hips and the kicking leg up. 3, the impact: he stands on one leg, so the whole body has to balance. If he isn't stable at the moment of impact, the kick will knock him over instead, so the upper body and the arms move quickly to keep his balance. 4, the follow-through: the whole body turns a lot and often doesn't stop right away, then the kicking leg comes back down.

The bent arrows show the back bending as the body turns. The circle around the standing foot in stage 3 shows the body turning on that foot. The up arrows show the body stretching upward.

Red-pen checkThe leg is up but the upper body hasn't moved. Turn the upper body and use the arms to balance the kick.
The same man in four numbered stages of a middle kick: 1 guard, 2 back arched and the kicking leg lifting, 3 kicking at waist height on one leg with a circle around the standing foot, 4 bringing the leg down, with blue arrows Illustrated examples
1 guard, 2 lift, 3 impact, 4 follow-through.

Step 04 · The high kick

How do you keep a high kick balanced?

The leg rises from the hip joint, the standing knee bends a little, and the head stays a little behind the standing foot.

The kicking leg rises from the hip joint. The top of the leg sits around the middle of the buttock, so start the lift from there. The standing knee bends slightly to keep her balance.

Seen from the side, the head is not directly above the standing foot. She is balancing against the leg kicked high in front, so the head sits slightly behind the standing foot. The blue dotted line runs from the standing heel up through the top of the head. The far shoulder is pulled back, so show only a little of it. If you show too much, it won't look pulled back.

Red-pen checkHer head is stacked straight above the standing foot, so the kick looks off balance. Move the head a little behind the standing foot.
A young woman throwing a high kick seen from below, the kicking foot above her head and both fists up in a guard Illustrated examples
Seen from below, the kicking leg rises from the hip.
A young woman with a ponytail throwing a high kick seen from the side, with a blue dotted line from the standing heel up through the top of her head Illustrated examples
From the side: the line from the standing heel runs through the top of the head.

Step 05 · Two fighters

How do you draw two people fighting?

Draw the one taking the hit as carefully as the one throwing it: how they brace, lean back, and react.

Taking a punch: the impact pushes the upper body back, so the knee ends up as the part furthest forward. Even while losing, he keeps his eyes on his opponent, which shows he hasn't given up. Draw him gritting his teeth. The one punching keeps the elbow of his other arm tucked in to his side.

Dodging an uppercut: she leans back, so the back knee bends more than the front one. Because the far hip drops, the line of the hips slants. The blue dotted lines along both sides of her body and across her hips show the lean. The hair flows the opposite way to the movement, for both the one dodging and the one attacking. Turn the attacker's toes out a little to show she's planted.

When the uppercut lands, a strong low angle works best. It shows the raised fist and arm, and the chin forced upward. You can even lift the one who got hit off the ground. That kind of exaggeration is part of the fun of manga.

Red-pen checkThe one getting hit stands perfectly still. Lean the upper body back and push the knee forward so we can feel the impact.
Two men: one takes a punch to the cheek, leaning back with his knee forward and teeth gritted, while the other punches with his other fist guarding his jaw Illustrated examples
Taking a punch: the upper body leans back and the knee comes forward.
Two young women seen from slightly below: one leans back to dodge an uppercut, with blue dotted lines along both sides of her body and her hips, while the other drives forward with her fist raised Illustrated examples
Dodging: the body leans back and the hip line slants.
Two young women seen from a low angle: one is lifted off the ground by an uppercut with her chin pushed up and eyes closed, while the other thrusts her fist straight up Illustrated examples
The uppercut lands: a strong low angle, and the body lifts off the ground.

The most common mistake: a hunched punch

The punch leans you forward, so it's easy to draw the back rounded. A strong punch is thrown with the back straight.

A man punching with his back rounded and his hips pulled back, marked with a cross

The back is rounded as he leans into the punch.

A man punching with his back straight and his weight on the front foot, marked with a check mark

The back is straight as the punch goes out.

Where people usually get stuck

My punch looks weak.

The feet probably haven't moved. Shift the weight onto the front foot, keep the back straight, and land the fist as the front foot lands.

My high kick looks like it would fall over.

Check where the head is. It should sit slightly behind the standing foot, not straight above it, and the standing knee should bend a little.

My fight scene looks like a pose, not a hit.

Give the one getting hit a reaction: lean the upper body back, push the knee forward, and keep the eyes on the opponent.

Anime fight pose FAQ

How do I make a punch look powerful?

Throw it with the whole body. Move the weight from the back foot to the front foot, keep the back straight, and let the fist land at the same moment the front foot lands.

Where should the head be in a high kick?

A little behind the standing foot, not directly above it. She is balancing against the leg kicked up in front, so the head never sits straight above the standing foot.

How do I draw a character getting hit?

The impact pushes the upper body back, so the knee becomes the part furthest forward. Keep the eyes on the opponent and the teeth gritted so they still look ready to fight.

How do I get feedback on my fight pose drawings?

When you join an Anime Art Academy course, a professional Japanese artist gives you personal advice and draws red-line corrections directly on your drawing. There is no limit on how many times you can submit. The only rule: post one drawing at a time, and wait for your teacher's reply before posting the next.