Mawashi Geri Jodan

[Adil]

Hello everyone,

This is my first post in this forum so here is a little bit of background. I used to practice Karate as a child for a few years and I have started practising again a couple of months ago.

I am struggling with my mawashi geri jodan. I have been stretching everyday to try to improve my flexibility but I still cannot execute the kick properly. I have no problems with mae geri jodan. I cant execute the yoko geri jodan either. This is really starting to bother me and I could not find a clear answer on the internet as to how I should train to reach my goal.

Thank you

[shinobitribe]

Welcome back to karate...

There are posts on this in the health,fitness and training section and strategy and tactics section. If you refer to those that will save you the time of waiting for someone's reply..... If I find that relevant post I will paste the link in this thread....

[Adil]

I have looked around a little bit but I will try to be more thorough.

Thanks.

[MasterPain]

http://www.youtube.com/user/Elasticsteel/videos

Watch some of these. The guy is pretty incredible.

[barryives]

Personally I wouldn't worry too much about, be able to kick to the head isn't the be all and end all.

But make sure that as well as considering your flexibility, ensure that your technique is correct and you also have decent muscular strength

[Newdesign]

You've been practicing couple of moths, nobody expects you to do it perfectly, right? Maegeri jodan is is a very easy kick, with some flexibility. Then again yoko geri and mawashigeri jodan are very difficult, they take flexibility, muscle strength, control and knowledge of the right way of executing the technique. Mawashigeri is done differently in different styles, so advices on the exact technique should probably be gotten from your instructor. What is it exactly that you are missing? Is it that you don't know how exactly it's done, or that you don't know what's wrong with it? That you can't kick high enough? No control?

[Ueshirokarate]

You better be fast as lightening to try that we me, I look for such techniques as I like to grab legs in kumite. Once I have a leg, I can pretty much do anything I want to you from throwing you to delivering a devastating between the leg strike. Therefore, I personally think any kick above the waste should never be done in a fight. Many techniques in our katas are designed around grabbing kicking legs.

That said, anyone can become much more flexible than they are. It just takes time and effort. If you really want to get this kick down, be patient, practice it and stretch, you'll get there. But remember, too much flexibility can be harmful in a multitude of ways.

[Adil]

You've been practicing couple of moths, nobody expects you to do it perfectly, right? Maegeri jodan is is a very easy kick, with some flexibility. Then again yoko geri and mawashigeri jodan are very difficult, they take flexibility, muscle strength, control and knowledge of the right way of executing the technique. Mawashigeri is done differently in different styles, so advices on the exact technique should probably be gotten from your instructor. What is it exactly that you are missing? Is it that you don't know how exactly it's done, or that you don't know what's wrong with it? That you can't kick high enough? No control?

I dont think it is the technique that I am missing. I always focus on the execution of the move. I can lift my knee high enough but I cant complete the kick. I dont know if this means that I am lacking flexibility or muscular strength. I am working on my flexibility and you're right it has only been two months. I am fairly tall a little over 6ft1 so I dont need that much more flexibility to execute a mawashigeri jodan on someone with an average height.

[Adil]

You better be fast as lightening to try that we me, I look for such techniques as I like to grab legs in kumite. Once I have a leg, I can pretty much do anything I want to you from throwing you to delivering a devastating between the leg strike. Therefore, I personally think any kick above the waste should never be done in a fight. Many techniques in our katas are designed around grabbing kicking legs.

That said, anyone can become much more flexible than they are. It just takes time and effort. If you really want to get this kick down, be patient, practice it and stretch, you'll get there. But remember, too much flexibility can be harmful in a multitude of ways.

What do you mean? How can it be harmful?

[Wastelander]

You better be fast as lightening to try that we me, I look for such techniques as I like to grab legs in kumite. Once I have a leg, I can pretty much do anything I want to you from throwing you to delivering a devastating between the leg strike. Therefore, I personally think any kick above the waste should never be done in a fight. Many techniques in our katas are designed around grabbing kicking legs.

That said, anyone can become much more flexible than they are. It just takes time and effort. If you really want to get this kick down, be patient, practice it and stretch, you'll get there. But remember, too much flexibility can be harmful in a multitude of ways.

What do you mean? How can it be harmful?

If you overstretch in such a way that you increase your flexibility more than your muscular strength can resist to maintain a safe range of motion you are more likely to have joint dislocations.

The way that I was able to build up to high side kicks and roundhouse kicks was actually by working a LOT out of a low horse stance--it's a combination stretch and strengthening exercise.