Weak Mawashi Geri - Need help

[Locutus]

Hi All,

 

I recently (2-3 months ago) started Wado-ryu and have been having a lot of problems developing a decent mawashi geri. I was wondering if anyone had some tips. I suppose I should mention that I am not very flexable and have been struggling with that as well.

 

Thanks for any help you can give me.

 

Cheers,

 

Locutus

[Killer Miller]

Think of like snapping a towel at someone. Knee to target to drive foot out- via lower diagphram. Let foot go out on it's own. When foot is about to contact target, snap the knee back to the start position. When doing any type os snap kicks, which mawashi geri is, you don't think of how hard an fast you can drive the foot out, but how fast you can drive the knee too and from the target. The foot will do the rest all by itself - just like the end of the towel.

 

- Killer -

[manuelito]

also to add from above turn hips fullz and pivot your foot. knee position is important, keep it up and always follow through. rechamber and keep good balance. good luck

[evan90]

continue exercising to stretch out those muscles. When you do it, you should pivot your foot like they said, so you should be facing a different directionw hen your finished

[SaiFightsMS]

It takes a lot of time, practice and repititions. 2-3 months of training? How is your front kick?

[Locutus]

The Mae Geri is ok. I just seem to be stiff as a board which I think is the main problem. Can any perhaps recommend a website with some good excercises or perhaps a book or video?

[isshinryuka]

Can any perhaps recommend a website with some good excercises or perhaps a book or video?

 

Does this mean you are dissatified with your instructor?

 

Start excercising your hip flexors. In two years your kick will be better.

[1st KYU]

there is no doubt it is because you are not pivoting your foot that is on the ground.

 

it should pivot from pointing out to this side to pointing behind you when you thrust out the kick. this will increase your kicking strength emensly.

[Killer Miller]

Here's a good training method for you to loosen up and develop the body action needed for efficient kicks and punches.

 

Get a belt, either a Gi belt or a Lether belt, and affix two small drinking cups to each side of the belt (plastic wire ties work great for this) - at the sides of your hips. Get two Ping Pong balls (40mm balls and not the 38mm balls - just kidding...) and put them in each cup with the open end of the cups facing forward.

 

Now, totally "relax" your entire body, maintain a firm grip to the ground with both feet flat, bend your front knees, and with very quick exhales from your lower diagphram, rotate your hips forward seeing how far you can shoot out the ping pong balls from the cups. Good hip action and breathing should shoot the balls quite a ways out. You might have to reposition the cups slightly at first so they properly come out of the cup.

 

You do this for a while, on a daily basis, and you will have the nicest and fastest kicks around in a very short time. Practice this with Hip Vibration as well as Hip Rotation. Also practice this in your regular stances when kicking or punching - the hips are always the first to move. You get this drill down good enough and I'll teach you another development drill that will take you to the next level. Everything you do in Karate is based on the hips and breathing of the lower diagphram...

 

- Killer -

The Mae Geri is ok. I just seem to be stiff as a board which I think is the main problem. Can any perhaps recommend a website with some good excercises or perhaps a book or video?

[Locutus]

Thanks Killer Miller. I will give that a go and see what happens. I'll check back with you and see what else I can do. Thanks again.

 

Cheers,

 

Dieter

 

BTW: I am not unhappy with my instructor I do sometimes wonder if I am in the right style ...But that is another story.