Roundhouse Kick Preferences

[joesteph]

What are your roundhouse kick preferences? Do you strike with the instep or the ball of the foot? Do you spar in class and/or tournaments with high kicks to the head? Do you go straight for the ribs, or try an "angle" for the roundhouse to get under the elbow and to the ribs? Do you work the heavy bag or a kick shield the same way you fight?

Do you use the Muay Thai-style kick, hitting with the lower shin? Do you strike to the thighs of your opponent?

Do you throw the kick from the lead leg, the rear leg, or with a hop or step--or even a jump--and then the kick? Do you multi-kick with the roundhouse, such as kicking two or three times with that same leg?

Anything I missed?

[Rateh]

I strike with the instep. Spar with high kicks to the head. For some reason I do bagwork with mostly hands....yet not so much in sparring....I never noticed that. I have done muay thai to a bag but not a person. Generaly I kick with the lead leg, unless I set it up with something else first. I've been trying a shuffle step but haven't made it a normal part of my sparring yet. I like to double up on my kicks, usually a low then a high one. I spar point sparring with light contact, though I am open to other types of sparring.

Good enough?

[tallgeese]

My shin is the primary striking surface no matter what the target is for rounds.

Yes, occassaionally I will cut one up under the elbows. More likely though I'm dropping on at the leg.

[Bushido-Ruach]

That's a lot of questions!

I prefer the Muay Thai style shin roundhouse.

We (hardly) never kick about the stomach, mostly to the lower leg, knee area, uper thigh (inside and out), and into the hip. If the attacker is put down to his knees, for a finisher - to the head or back of the neck.

We mostly throw our kick from the back leg for the power, I find that "tap" kicks (those with no power) seldom do anything but waste my energy and open me up for injury if the opponent knows what he is doing.

I like to add both a skip into the kick, or the slight hop upon the initial motion into the kick.

That's about it for me!

[DWx]

Depends very much on the situation. The roundhouse is one of the techniques I use most both in normal sparring and competition sparring. Tend to use it mostly leading off of my front leg (which is usually my right) however for a more powerful kick or just when I want to gain distance or move backwards, I can use my rear leg. Unfortunately our rules don't allow for below the belt so the majority of them come under the ribs or into the stomach/solar plexus. High roundhouses are reserved for the odd surprise technique or when my opponent is at a closer range. Usually kick with the instep, although I do use ball of the foot occasionally depending on the target. In sparring we're not permitted to use the shin but if my opponent gets too close I sometimes check them with the roundhouse and the shin can connect instead . Step, hop and on the rare occaison jump. And yes to multiple kicks, given the situation of course. That was a lot of questions

[Tiger1962]

1) when I hit a soft target, I noticed I tend to use my instep to strike rather than ball of foot. (afraid of getting my toes caught up in their uniform) and if that happens, --> broken toes even if you're using ball of foot technique. When hitting wood or a hard target, definitely use ball of foot.

2) when sparring, usually the same as above applies.

3) I don't normally strike to the head with my feet (fists yes). Plus I always have this feeling my opponent might scoop my leg as I'm trying to strike their head (at that height). I tend to stick to the rib area, legs, thighs, etc.

4) I never kick more than twice at the same time with the same leg. Opponent will see a pattern there.

5) Choosing to kick from the lead leg or back leg varies; it depends on the position my opponent is in and our set-up. (Open stance, closed stance, etc.)

6) I don't normally do a shin kick - those are usually too painful to execute (my shins are skinny & don't have enough "meat" on them - LOL)

Edited December 9, 2008 by Tiger1962

[bushido_man96]

In Combat Hapkido, I do a lot of round kicks to the thigh area, usually with the shin.

In TKD sparring, I'll use it off the back leg, to the body or the head. Sometimes I'll use a front leg round kick, but not often. In sparring, its usually with the instep.

[Ranpu]

When I do a roundhouse kick, I kick with the back leg, I use the instep, and I usally aim for the body, rarely the head

[bushido_man96]

I typically will kick with the full, big chamber, but sometimes I will come from underneath at an angle, like the Olympic style round kick.

When I break boards, its the big chamber, and I use the ball of the foot. Sometimes, I'll do a 360 degree jump with the break, too, just for "kicks."

[ryukasagi]

I generally kick right where my shin meets my ankle but i can't do a roundhouse with my front leg for some reason. Not enough rotation i guess. i reserve my front leg for side and front kicks usually.