Mawashi-geri, step back, ushiro-geri...struggling!

[Shotokan-kez]

Hi guys. Just wondering, do any of you struggle with this combination? I have a feeling this may be thrown in as one of my combinations for my Nidan grading in May and i am struggling with it.

It's a Mawashi-Geri off the back leg, bring the leg back and then exacute a back kick from that same leg, followed by Uraken gykau Tzuki. When i attempt the roundhouse i struggle to fetch it back without loosing my balance before i do the back kick. (usually in combos you just put it down to front). I have been told i also may have to do the same combination but with a front kick first, to me thats not a problem, probably because you are keeping your body straight with a front kick.

Any idea's how i can make this combo flow, fast and effeciantly and strong? Cheers guys.

[ninjanurse]

This happens to be one of my favorite combos! The key is in the recoil-you have to open the hips back up rather forcefully by engaging the hamstring quickly- "pull" the heel back to the buttocks while keeping the chambered thigh parallel to the ground and "pull" the hip back to it's starting position. Hope this description is enough to help you visualize it!

[Traymond]

What helps me with kicking combos is that when you kick keep your guard up and out a bit, so your center of gravity is tweaked a bit, and you can have a bit better balance. Not sure if you tried this or not, its pretty basic.

[bushido_man96]

This happens to be one of my favorite combos! The key is in the recoil-you have to open the hips back up rather forcefully by engaging the hamstring quickly- "pull" the heel back to the buttocks while keeping the chambered thigh parallel to the ground and "pull" the hip back to it's starting position. Hope this description is enough to help you visualize it!

Along with this advise, as you pull the hip back, un-pivot (if that makes sense) with the base leg foot at the same time. You will have to really engage your foot and ankle when doing this, but it should help you to get it back to your position.

[DWx]

Practice just doing the roundhouse bit and just pull it back into your original stance rather than doing the back kick. I find its helpful to actually think about engaging the big muscles in the leg (quads, hamstring) as well as thinking about using the core abs to keep control of the hips.

[Shotokan-kez]

Thanks for the replies guys, i really appreciate it. I think what i find the hardest is the pivot on the supporting foot, then putting it straight again to perform the back kick. I will keep practising it, it's a good idea to just keep trying the roundhouse and bringing it back.

We were also doing mawashi-geri and kekomi off the same leg, that was difficult to, it was too easy to end up doing two roundhouses lol