Balance Problem

[Wado Ryu Karate Student]

I'm having major problems with my balance for Roundhouse Kick. As soon as I try to stand on the ball of my foot I cannot perform the kick nor can I put my kicking foot down gracefully.

I was given a gym ball for an xmas present. My Sensei suggested that sitting on a gym ball with one foot on the ground should help with the balance. I have been doing this And I am now touching the floor with the ball of my foot and the other foot in the air. Yet I still cannot do the roundhouse technique. What am I doing wrong?

[Spartacus Maximus]

When kicking you should try as much as possible to solicitate the muscles of your core. This is the area around your navel at the front and the area near your kidneys at the back. Stand as if you were gripping the ground with your feet and when you kick, keep the tension in your core.

Without the stabilizing action of tightening the core, your balance will swing onto your supporting leg and the force of your kick will drag you up and forward resulting in an ineffective kick or a nasty fall when done at full speed and power. Reaching or overextending a kick beyond its effective range will also compromise balance.

The difficulty of executing kicking techniques is underestimated by many. The leg and foot are just the weapons and obvious components, but the launching system and power source are the most important. Learning takes time, practise and patience. For beginners it is advisable to practise slowly each part step by step. It is also recommendable to perform extra exercises to build up strength and endurance in the legs and core such as weighted slow motion kicks, leg raises or crunches and sit-ups. Anything that works the lower body and legs is helpful.

[jaypo]

Spartacus is exactly right. To add to that, if I may, try to realize that the leg is just an extension of the core/hips. Let your hips make the round motion, and let your leg complete it. Think of your leg as the chain and ball of the mace. Your hips and core are the handle. Your hips/core begin the turn, your leg follows, extends, and impacts.

Hope that helps.

[Wado Ryu Karate Student]

When kicking you should try as much as possible to solicitate the muscles of your core. This is the area around your navel at the front and the area near your kidneys at the back. Stand as if you were gripping the ground with your feet and when you kick, keep the tension in your core.

Without the stabilizing action of tightening the core, your balance will swing onto your supporting leg and the force of your kick will drag you up and forward resulting in an ineffective kick or a nasty fall when done at full speed and power. Reaching or overextending a kick beyond its effective range will also compromise balance.

The difficulty of executing kicking techniques is underestimated by many. The leg and foot are just the weapons and obvious components, but the launching system and power source are the most important. Learning takes time, practise and patience. For beginners it is advisable to practise slowly each part step by step. It is also recommendable to perform extra exercises to build up strength and endurance in the legs and core such as weighted slow motion kicks, leg raises or crunches and sit-ups. Anything that works the lower body and legs is helpful.

May I ask do you mean practice weighted front kicks?

[Spartacus Maximus]

The exercise I was referring to involves practising each type of kick one step at a time in slow motion and with ankle weights(these can be found quite cheap and only a little weight works very well, no need to have super easy ones). This but one kind of exercise aimed at making legs and core stronger.

[Wado Ryu Karate Student]

Yes I understand what you mean but my balance wont allow me to stand on the ball on the foot in slow or fast motion

[Spartacus Maximus]

Raising the heel of your support leg when kicking is a mistake that compromises balance and over extends the kicking leg. Stance must be firmly rooted for the entire action and knees should be slightly bent. Balance is kept by the action of the core muscles to maintain the centre of gravity and keep it from shifting. Explaining this in words is unfortunately much more difficult than showing how.

[Wado Ryu Karate Student]

The way we are taught on how to do roundhouse is that you have to stand on the ball of your foot to perform the kick. If my supporting leg was rooted to the floor I wouldn't have a problem.

[DWx]

Good suggestions so far. It might also be related to the strength of your standing leg and control of your kicking leg. Alongside the above suggestions try some of these slow kicking drills for general strength whilst holding onto a wall or chair:

[sensei8]

I refer you to the General Martial Arts forum here at KF, under the thread entitled, "Karate Problems", in which I address this very issue in my last post there!! I believe that'll help you!!