roundhouse kicks technique: safety + …msatterw.public.iastate.edu/eng314instructionsamples...house...
TRANSCRIPT
ROUNDHOUSE KICKS are an essential tool in the skill set
of any martial artist, kickboxer, or fitness junkie. Learning how to
execute a roundhouse with dexterity and precision will allow you to
enhance your fitness routines and maximize striking power. Not
only is it a great way to tone your core and lower body, a round-
house kick is a powerful self-defense move.
TECHNIQUE: Safety + Strength Essentials
Maintaining proper technique
prevents injury
can improve balance and muscle control
promotes optimal fitness
When utilized during a workout, roundhouses strengthen
the gluts, inner and outer quadriceps, and the entire core.
Make sure to pay attention to tips for good technique so
that you are safe!
BEFORE YOU BEGIN…
Find a practice space with no potential
obstacles or hazards
Padded flooring is good for beginners in
case of falls
Soft athletic shoes, socks, or even bare
feet work well for learning
Ensure your punching bag is in good
condition with no hard spots
STRETCH! Don’t pull a cold muscle!
Bag Proximity
Stand ~1.5 ft. from the bag. Boxers with longer or
shorter legs should adjust their distance so that
the kicking leg at full extension connects with the
bag at the middle of the top of the foot.
This ensures maximum torque and power.
~ 60° ~ 1.5 ft
Hands Up!
Keep the hands up in loose
fists by the jawline. This
protects the face from
“attack” and helps you
center your balance.
Flat Feet
The “base foot” (non-kicking) should be almost per-
pendicular to the base of the bag. The “active
foot” (kicking foot) should be about 60° from the
base foot. Feet should be flat—grounding your body,
allowing for strong contact and push-off from the
floor.
Eyes Up!
Maintain focus on a point
at eye level on the bag
throughout the entire
sequence. Watching your
feet during a roundhouse
will only end in a fall!
Extend from the Hip
Drive the active leg up and forward into a strong knee-strike by
leading with the knee and extending forward from the hip. The
height of the knee-strike depends on the height of the desired
impact. The higher you intend to connect with the bag, the
higher your intermediate knee-strike should be.
Only reach for heights that are comfortable for your body.
Rotation begins…
During the knee-strike, the base foot begins to pivot outward. At
this point, the inside of the base foot opens up to the bag,
approaching a parallel position. Rotation continues through the
strike and ends with impact on the bag.
Toes Pointed!
Toes must be pointed
down—perpendicular
to the floor.
Align the Torso, Open the Ribcage
Keep the torso as upright as possible. Do not
crunch the chest to the knee. Your ribcage should
stay up and open by keeping the shoulders back
and spine straight. This allows for easy breathing
and good eye-contact with the target.
Rotate Through the Knee-Strike
Drive the base foot firmly into the floor and
push up onto the toes so that your heel is
slightly raised off the floor. Simultaneously
extend the active leg and rotate the hips,
base foot, and entire body towards 90° from
the beginning stance. Imagine a line extend-
ing from your midsection; rotate your core as
if you are slicing through the bag with the
line. Full rotation is achieved at impact.
Base Foot is Now Parallel
Your base foot should be fully
rotated 90° from it’s starting posi-
tion just before impact. This should
put the foot approximately parallel
to the base of the bag.
Check Yourself !
Toes pointed on active foot?
Foot MUST be pointed to prevent jamming or fractures
upon bag impact!
Approaching full rotation?
Torso upright and chest open?
Core engaged?
At the Moment of Impact...
Base foot becomes parallel to the bag
Hips + body become perpendicular to bag
Leg reaches full extension
Top of the foot impacts bag at desired height
Eyes on the target
*The hand on your active side either stays in the defen-
sive position or drops down along the extended active
leg, as pictures in the progression on the next page.
On every strike, give a quick, small exhalation.
Encourages follow-through
Promotes endurance during workout
Induced abdominal contraction enhances
balance and stability
Abdominals, gluts, calves, and quadriceps
should contract with exhalation on impact.
Strengthens muscles
Engages entire body
Drives the power of the roundhouse
Rotate in Reverse, Replace Active Leg
Complete the roundhouse …
Reverse rotation
Retract the foot from bag back to bent position
Return to and pass through knee-strike position
Replace active leg in starting position
Toes MUST be pointed at all times! Failure to
point can result in serious foot injury.
One Continuous Motion…
All parts of the roundhouse sequence are crucial intermediates of a single motion. The form and
technique of each position should be mastered individually to perform the kick correctly and
powerfully. When the steps are pieced together into a fluid motion, each pose blends into the
next—roundhouses are a progression of positions. The figures below illustrate how the intermedi-
ates occur in reality.
(Note: The boxer does not move forward in each snapshot—the base foot never leaves the ground
or leaves the starting location).
FORWARD PROGRESSION
Retract
Reverse
Rotation
Replace
REVERSE PROGRESSION
Initial Stance Move through knee-strike, then extend
Full extension, toes
pointed at impact Rotate
Aim for heights similar to an opponent’s...
Get comfortable with trunk-height kicks to work on flexibility.
As you increase the elevation of your target, the height of your
knee-strike and position should also increase. Balance can
become difficult to maintain if you do not keep your eyes on the
desired target. To enhance your familiarity with the feel of the
kick, try moving through the progression slowly and feel how
each stage shifts your weight. Use your arms to counterbalance
these shifts.
Knee-height kicks can be a powerful kick for those who may not
be extremely flexible. Low roundhouses are great practice for
beginning boxers looking to build power. Focus on using the
knee-strike position as the basis of your active leg’s extension
into the bag instead of a means to gain height before connecting
with the bag. It is crucial that the core be very engaged to pro-
vide adequate torque, which ultimately leads to good round-
house power.
Combo Kicks…Putting it together!
Once you have mastered kicking at a few heights, you can
put multiple kicks together for a combo. Each kick is still a
complete full progression. However, in a combo, reduce your resting time after replacing the base
foot. Strike in succession. This is a great way to practice speed shots! Try putting together low,
medium, and high roundhouses different orders to work on speed and height at the same time.
A “head-shot” is a difficult roundhouse to perfect. Master a
lower height before increasing your target elevation. High kicks
should not be attempted without first warming up! Leaning the
torso further out from the bag helps to open the hips and reach
higher. Additionally, raising your base foot heel off of the
ground can give you extra inches. However, these tips are no
substitute for true flexibility. It will take time to the build inner
thigh and hip flexibility to achieve great heights.