Stuck with roundhouse kick

[hurricane]

Hi everybody!

I have a flexibility problem with my roundhouse kicks. Somehow, when I try to bring my leg up to my side before kicking, I can't move my hip up and out enough for the leg to come up enough. The result is more like a crescent kick. Does anyone have a good stretch or some other exercise that might help getting my hip joint more flexible? Anything is very much appreciated!

[KK]

Try doing several repetitions of ax kick both outwards and inwards, this usually loosens up the joints really good.

Also try and do some movements pivoting on the ball of your foot as this helps when doing roundhouse kick as it allows the hip movements and kick to fall into place a bit easier.

[hurricane]

Try doing several repetitions of ax kick both outwards and inwards, this usually loosens up the joints really good.

What is an ax kick??

[Killer Miller]

Roundhouse is not a fleibility issue, it's a technique and relaxation issue. You must work on driving the Knee first, just like front snap kick, and let the foot go along for the ride. At the focal point, see how fast you can bring the foot back down...

- Killer -

[parkerlineage]

Hold onto a chair and do roundhouse kicks for 30 seconds, slowly (about 1 per second), focusing on hitting the same target - as high as you can. Do the other leg. Do it three times on both sides.

After you get used to that, move it up to a minute each.

Speed it up only using a bag (otherwise you'll jack up your knee). Think about it not as a single motion at first, but as a lift of the knee, then relax the knee and swing the foot loosely, then imagine that the bag is springy and bounce off and put your foot down as fast as possible. Do the same as the other excersize (How the heck do you spell that word?)

Hope it helps;

Peter

[powerof0ne]

I'm almost thinking that you're not snapping your roundhouse kick much if you're doing this like a crescent kick. Practice just bringing the knee up that you would kick with in the 45+ degree angle from whicn you would roundhouse from.

*Not everyone does the mawashi geri from the 45 angle, I know this*

Anyhoo, if you're looping this around like a crescent kick and snapping it(which I'm not sure by your description), this could actually aid you down the road but you should develop the skill to do a more traditional mawashi geri since you're a shotokan practitioner.

You should also practice doing the kick low before you do it high, perfect the technique low first.

[hongkongfooi]

u twist your hip not up and out

[hurricane]

Thanks everybody!!

I'll try out your different suggestions and see how it goes! Killer, I have never thought of a mawashi geri as a relaxation issue..... maybe I have had the wrong approach here entirely...

Anyway, I'll try it all out! Thanks!!

[jaymac]

Hurricane, try bringing your kicking leg up high (like when you are going to do a front snap kick), let it rub along the inside of your base leg. Now pivot on the ball of your foot and turn your hips over and kick. The higher you bring your knee up (initially) the higher your kicks will be.

[Sensei Mark]

Osu,

One first should ask what style of kick you are currently practicing?

Their is a difference between one style of round kick as compared to another styles.

The Snapping type kick is generall used in traditional karate styles such as shotokan, goju ryu, goshin ryu etc, and although our style of Kyokushin Karate was developed/created by Masuatsu Oyama pretty much in the same era as the styles stated, the techniques forged in kyokushinkai were different because of the fighting format.

The Kyokushin style of tournament fighting is called "Knockdown" we are allowed no padding or protective gear like shin pads or gloves when we compete so the techniques used differ greatly from the snapping type of kick because the kyokushin roundhouse kick was actually developed from the Muay Thai type roundkick which does not snap but more so smash's the shin into the opponent whilst driving though with the hips.

So, the only way to make your technique better is to stretch, train, and train some more.

https://www.marktysondojo.com