Published by Omar Elamam BA, PTS, 4th Degree International Instructor
One of the more popular kicks in Taekwondo, and adapted by other forms of Martial Arts, is the Roundhouse kick. Although popular, it is often used incorrectly due to poor form and the lack of hip mobility. With most kicks, power comes from the hips and mastering how to properly rotate your torso will vastly increase the power of your kicks.
In this article, I will highlight things to avoid when doing a roundhouse kick which will ultimately improve your overall technique.
Avoid these 5 things when doing a Roundhouse kick:
- Staying flat footed
Whenever doing any type of kick, you want to always be able to pivot on the ball of your foot. Creating a pivot foot allows you to get a full rotation during the kick. It also creates a full pivot of the knee and hips: something you can’t do with a flat foot.
Pivoting the lead foot also helps minimize knee damage from the torque of the kick.
- Improper Hip Turn
With any kick or punch, we want to always work from the ground up. This means that if we don’t follow through with our hips, we will lose power in our kick.
When performing the roundhouse kick, make sure to fully twist and turn the hips to create a whipping motion. Always kick through the bag or target to get the full force of the kick.
- Misuse of arms while kicking
Why does your instructor always tell you to keep your hands up! Well, it’s for a very good reason: it can make or break your kick.
Essentially, your arms help you keep balance while kicking and creates momentum during the kick. It will also protect you from an oncoming attack. Keeping your hands down leaves you vulnerable for a kick or punch to the face!
When kicking, try starting with your hands up high as opposed to keeping them at your hips. This will prevent you leaving any open spaces for your opponent to attack.
- Short stance
Roundhouse kicks are long in nature and requires a lot of distance between you and your opponent to properly execute. When performing a roundhouse kick, be sure to start with a shoulder width and a half of space between both feet. This helps in keeping your balance when throwing the kick and allows for a quick recovery after the kick.
A common mistake students make when throwing the roundhouse kick is starting too close to the target. You need to set it up so you can kick from long range and avoid getting hit after you throw it.
Keep your distance and expand your stance for a comfortable and balanced kick.
- Not returning to your stance
This involves the notion of not recovering after a kick, or not returning to stance. A very common mistake among beginners is found after they throw the roundhouse kick and take their time bringing the leg back to their original stance. This action or non-action, leaves you wide open for counterstrikes.
Make it a habit, after any kick, to always return to your original stance. This allows you to be properly set up for any defensive move following a kick. Dropping your foot leaves you open for attack and less time for a defensive counter.
Returning the leg to the original stance will also allow you to be more balanced after your attack.
As always, when training try to focus on technique before you focus on power. Improper technique will lead to poor performance and even lead to injury. Train hard, train smart and stay focused!
Good luck in your training journeys!
Taekwon!