Roundhouse kick
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| Roundhouse kick | |||||||
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| Japanese name | |||||||
| Kanji: | 回し蹴り | ||||||
| Hiragana: | まわしげり | ||||||
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| Korean name | |||||||
| Hangul: | 돌려 차기 | ||||||
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A roundhouse kick (also known as a round kick or turning kick) is a kick in which the attacker swings his or her leg around in a semicircular motion, striking with the front of the leg or foot. This type of kick is utilized in many different martial arts and is popular in both non-contact and full-contact martial arts competitions. The kick has many variations based on stance, leg movement, striking surface, and the height of the kick. Chuck Norris is its most famous user (see "Popular Culture" below).
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[edit] Karate methods
Karate has many different methods of delivering their roundhouse kick (Mawashi geri). The original method involved bringing up the knee, and then swiftly turning the hip over and snapping the leg outwards from the knee to deliver a strike with the ball of the foot. The ball of the foot was believed to be more effective and less dangerous than other methods.
As the years have gone by, some Karate dojo also practice kicking roundhouse kick with the shin, another point of contact is with the instep (for safety).
There are now more and more karateka practicing the 'cutting roundhouse kick', this is where the karateka will lift their attacking leg higher than the intended target, they will then execute the kick in a downward cutting movement. Practitioners consider it a very effective method against the thigh.
This was later supplemented in Masutatsu Oyama's Kyokushin karate with a similar technique, using the instep and using more rotation of the hip, as well as sinking the weight of the kicker into the target, to create more bludgeoning power. The target of this kick was primarily the neck. Oyama also taught roundhouse kicks to the thigh and ribs, using the shin as the point of contact.
 Low-kick with a side step (counterattack) |
 Middle-kick with rotation of the hips and body in the direction of the kick |
 Middle-kick in counterattack |
 High-kick with the right leg |
[edit] Muay Thai method
As with many other Muay Thai techniques, the roundhouse kick has gained wide popularity due to its extensive use in mixed martial arts (MMA) competitions due to its effectiveness in inflicting damage to the opponent, as a properly executed Muay Thai roundhouse kick has been compared by many martial artists to being struck by a baseball bat. Most western Muay Thai clubs and practitioners avoid the term roundhouse kick, instead using the term angle kick (or side-angle kick and occasionally rising kick).
The Muay Thai roundhouse (or angle) kick is generally used in varying levels (low, middle, high) to inflict damage to different parts of the opponent's body. Low (or lowpoint)kicks generally target the thigh just above the knee joint for the purpose of weakening the leg, which serves many purposes such as limiting the opponent's mobility, potentially his ability to stand on the leg altogether and his ability to use it for forceful kicks. Muay Thai practitioners are taught to repeatedly strike the same point on the thigh to increase the cumulative effect of low kicks as a match proceeds. Some Thai camps emphasize targeting the inner thigh to compress the femoral artery and so shock the opponent weakening his fighting ability. Middle (midpoint or mid-section) kicks target the area above the hip bone and can damage the opponent's ribs and liver. High (or highpoint) kicks target the opponent's head or neck and have been responsible for numerous knockouts in competition. Some Thai camps emphasize targeting the side of the neck with the high angle kick cutting down from its highest point to compress the carotid artery and so shock the opponent weakening his fighting ability or knocking him out.
There are several traits which give the Muay Thai Roundhouse a very different feel and look. The main methodological difference is that the hips are rotated into the kick in order to convey more moment of inertia in the kick, and the abdominal muscles are strongly recruited in the act of rotation. Instead of a snapping kick, the combined action of the leg and hips creates a kick that is much more devoted to its momentum. The person delivering the kick will also raise up on the ball of his foot while he kicks, mainly to allow for greater pivoting/turning speed, and increased power. Muay Thai roundhouse kicks use the shin to make contact with the target instead of the ball or instep of the foot. This further adds to the power of the kick, as the shin is more durable than the foot.
Virtually all Muay Thai camps teach the roundhouse or angle kick with the striking leg remaining passive (mostly with the leg allowed to bend slightly but some camps teaching that the knee should be locked except to close range kicking) and not using the pivot of the lower striking leg around the knee found in most other martial arts. The power is instead entirely created by the rotation of the supporting leg and hips; akin to swinging a baseball bat.
The practical difference is the objective of the kick. A standard karate or tae kwon do roundhouse kick has you snap your instep at your objective, but a Muay Thai roundhouse often uses the combined momentum of the snap and the speed of the leg to offer a faster and more powerful kick (albeit at the cost of control, in the opinion of some). Because the kick is executed with so much speed and power, a missed kick requires the kicker to either continue spinning a full 360 degrees back to their starting position, or to abandon the momentum of the kick in midair, at the risk of being off-balance or inviting a counterattack from his/her opponent.
[edit] Taekwondo method
The taekwondo roundhouse kick, is performed by first drawing the knee straight up in a "chamber" position. This chamber, identical to the chamber of many taekwondo kicks (front kick, side kick, etc.) is utilized so that the opponent cannot guess which kick will be thrown. This differentiates it from Muay Thai and other roundhouse kicks, which tend to incorporate rotation before or during the rising of the knee. The knee is then rotated so that it is nearly parallel to the ground (counterclockwise for the right leg roundhouse) and the kicking hip is simultaneously rotated towards the opponent. The rotation of the hip, combined with the snapping of the leg forward, gives the kick its power. The striking surface is the instep or the ball of the foot. This is also called an "off the line" or "rear leg" roundhouse kick.
A similar kick is the front leg roundhouse, or "fast kick." To begin the front leg roundhouse kick, the leading leg is drawn up vertically, then rotated and snapped towards the opponent in the manner described above. The fast kick version is done by skipping forward with the rear leg, moving the kicker towards the opponent while simultaneously chambering and snapping the front leg roundhouse. This method was used by early American full-contact karateka Bill Wallace, a student of taekwondo as well as karate, to extremely great effect. The front leg kick is generally weaker than the rear leg roundhouse because the hip does not rotate as far; however, it is also generally faster because the leg travels a shorter distance before striking the opponent. The "pop" kick is done without skipping.
[edit] In popular culture
Roundhouse kicks were introduced to the West by the spread of Eastern martial arts. Possibly due to the move's combination of motion and power—the attacker spins fully around, which makes for a powerful-looking attack—it became a prerequisite feature in many fighting video games (either as a combination attack or a finishing move) and a common 'finishing move' in martial arts sequences in film and television. The latter case is best exemplified in Walker: Texas Ranger, in which the lead character (played by Chuck Norris) almost always defeated the episode's villain with a reverse roundhouse kick, inevitably to the head, shown twice from different angles. This would be incorporated to the Chuck Norris Facts meme, wherein Norris' Roundhouse Kick is shown as an almighty move, typically associated with him. In professional wrestling the roundhouse kick is often referred to as a shoot kick because of its association with shoot-style wrestlers. In Kamen Rider Kabuto, the titular superhero usually uses a roundhouse kick instead of the traditional flying kick while defeating his opponent in his Rider Form. Former WWE Diva Trish Stratus and current Diva Mickie James used a roundhouse kick which they dubbed the Chick Kick, Mick Kick (During the feud between the two Divas) and the Long Kiss Goodnight, respectively. The kick to the face is impressive from Stratus and James, considering their petite 5'4" frames.
