Roundhouse Kick Preferences

[ShoriKid]

Completely depends.

Generally I strike with the shin. On occasion if I want to get "in" on a target, such as the inner thigh or the kidneys, I'll use the ball of the foot. I'll kick with either leg, depending totally on the set up, situation and and the target.

The targets will run from a shin check to stutter up footwork all the way up to the head, staying off the knee joints.

[joesteph]

Generally I strike with the shin. On occasion if I want to get "in" on a target, such as the inner thigh or the kidneys, I'll use the ball of the foot.

I'm not good with the ball of the foot; too many jammed toes (next stop: broken toes), so that the former assistant instructor worked with me on instep and lower shin strikes against the kick shield to make sure they're automatic.

When we spar, I kick to the outer thigh, and I don't see why I shouldn't kick to the inner thigh if it's open. I'll bet the opportunity's been there a number of times, but I haven't taken advantage because I haven't looked for it.

Good tip. Thanks, Shori.

[Kuma]

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?

*I tend to favor the shin for the legs and body, the instep for the head.

*In Kyokushin our sparring rules allow knees and kicks to the head and those are often one of the biggest knockout scorers. The jodan mawashi geri (roundhouse kick to the head) being the biggest scorer.

*My chudan mawashi geri (middle kicks) tend to be about parallel to the ground.

*Heavy bag not so much, but with focus pad training it's very similar. It often involves lots of footwork, hand and foot combinations, timing, distance, and endurance.

*We allow kicks to the legs, which is one of my main targets since currently my high kicks are a bit slow.

*You can use both the lead and rear legs for kicking, and yes we learn how to shift before we kick as well. Best after a good hand combination, otherwise it's pretty telegraphed. My lead kicks tend to go no higher than the middle though, my lead high kick is far from my best kick at this current point of my training. The lead low kick to the inner thigh is one of my favorite kicks, however.

[bushido_man96]

I'm not good with the ball of the foot; too many jammed toes (next stop: broken toes), so that the former assistant instructor worked with me on instep and lower shin strikes against the kick shield to make sure they're automatic.

Part of this may have to do with the angle and set-up. For example, when I do my board breaks, I have to come off at about a 45 degree angle from the boards, so that I can make contact with the ball of the foot.

When we spar, I kick to the outer thigh, and I don't see why I shouldn't kick to the inner thigh if it's open. I'll bet the opportunity's been there a number of times, but I haven't taken advantage because I haven't looked for it.

The inner thigh is a good target; I have been using it in my Combat Hapkido sessions, as it tends to allow me to flow into some of the techniques than the kick to the outside of the leg. If you get it just right, you can get your foot into the nook of the knee, and buckle them down to one knee, as well.

[Truestar]

I have a real hard time bending my toes back, so ball of the foot is difficult with me. So I generally use the instep.

I'll see what my shin does on the heavy bag just for the heck of it.

[tallgeese]

The shin is nature's baseball bat...

[joesteph]

The shin is nature's baseball bat...

A picturesque observation, Tallgeese, and an excellent advertising slogan for Muay Thai enthusiasts.

Wham!

[tallgeese]

It's one I use alot

[bushido_man96]

...very nice...and very true. It is a most resiliant weapon. Can you imagine a hard core Muay Thai fighter burying one of those on your thigh? OUCH!

[KarateEd]

The shin is nature's baseball bat...

I generally use the ball of my foot, sometimes I use the instep, and usually use my back leg for the kick, which often is set-up by some other technique/combination. Also, I usually aim for the ribs/midsection, though I'll do some head-hunting if the opportunity presents itself. I have never really worked with the shin or at whacking opponents' legs, though I sure wouldn't mind making those things a part of my repertoire.