Roundhouse Kick - Karate Methods

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.

• 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

With the blurring of modern martial arts differences, many other variations of the Roundhouse Kick are now practiced in traditional karate schools. Besides the traditional Full Roundhouse Kick and the sports Small Roundhouse Kick variation, the kick sometimes uses the heel to connect (Heel Roundhouse Kick). The Roundhouse Kick is also often executed with a surprising downward tilt from high up, in what has been often called “The Brazilian Kick” because of MMA influence (Downward Roundhouse Kick). The kick is regularly practiced with a straight leg as a “Low Kick” because of Muay Thai and Kickboxing influences (Straight Leg Roundhouse). The kick is also executed in several different ways after a full spin-back (Spin Back Roundhouse Kick and 360 Spin Back Roundhouse Kick), due to TaeKwonDo influences. It is executed with exaggerated tilt of the upper body (Body Bent Roundhouse Kick and Hand-to-floor Roundhouse Kick), from Capoeira influences.