Personal Defence Academy

Kicboxing Tips - Roundhouse Kick

No doubt you've heard of the famous Thai roundhouse kick, a powerful and deadly weapon that is often used to put an unfortunate opponent to sleep when thrown to the head. Here's some insight on how to work on your own roundhouse kick so that you can literally kick ass!

The roundhouse kick is so named because the kicking leg is thrown in a 360 degree arc, spinning back to the original position when the kick is completed. Of course this is not possible when kicking an actual target, since the kicking leg impacts into the target and stops there. However, the kick should always be thrown with the intention to complete a full spin as this will generate the correct momentum and body posture for executing a good roundhouse kick. This is why we do a full spin in class when practicing the kick, and you should continue to visualise a full spin even when practicing with a partner.

When thrown with conviction and proper technqiue, the roundhouse kick is a very strong kick. It's akin to swinging a baseball bat into your target! That's why when kicking, you should imagine swinging your entire hip and leg into the target you're aiming for, instead of snapping your leg. Your hip, leg and foot should be one single unit and not be allowed to flex individually. Turn your chest, hip, and knee to face the same direction as the kick to create a smooth motion. If they are not in sync, you'll find difficulty completing the motion. Remember to pull your toes back so you don't accidentally stub them against your partner, and try to contact using your shin instead of your foot or instep as the shin bone is harder and less likely to injure yourself.

Like most kicks, an important element to executing a good roundhouse kick is a good balance as you come up on one foot. Skipping helps to build the requisite strength so you can come up smoothly onto the ball of your supporting foot for a faster spin while still maintaining your balance. Coming onto the ball of your foot also prevents you from getting 'stuck' on the floor, unable to complete your turn. For those of you having problems keeping the kicking leg up, do remember to lean backwards. Your body will act like a see-saw to counterbalance your kicking leg, so when you lean back, you're actually making it easier to lift the kicking leg, while the kicking leg prevents you from falling backwards.

Lastly, the roundhouse kick is a very versatile kick that can hit low, medium and high targets. While we start out practicing mid-level kicks, try working your way up to head level kicks! It does not require a great deal of flexibility, just the willingness to practice and confidence to lean your body further backwards for your kicking leg to come up higher. A good way to practice all the elements is simply to to place a chair with a high back in front of you, and try to swing your kicking leg over it. Keep working on it, and you'll be cranking out knockout kicks in no time!

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