How to do a Tae Kwon Do Roundhouse Kick
In today’s blog we will learn how to do a Tae Kwon Do style roundhouse kick! Here at Sajido Martial Arts Academy we also utilize the Muay Thai, Japanese, and Savate roundhouse kick. These are all great kicks, and they all have their unique purposes.
Tae Kwon Do utilizes snapping techniques. Which means that when executed properly the move should snap out fast, hit target, and snap back even faster. When done in such a way these moves will deliver energy or force into a target and leave that force or energy inside the target via snapping off the target.
So let us go over the Tae Kwon Do roundhouse kick together!
All kicks can be thrown from the front leg or back leg. We will cover throwing of the back leg out of a side fighting stance. At Sajido Martial Arts Academy we call this a turn roundhouse.
1. Have a solid side fighting stance with your hands up to guard.
2. If left foot is the front foot, step out to the left with the left foot to open up your hip gate. If right foot is in front step out to the right with the front foot to open up gate.
3. Pick up and flex the knee of your back leg with foot in a roundhouse position. The roundhouse foot position is done by flexing the calf muscles, plantar flexing the ankle, and pointing toes down and out. The top of the foot is what will be used on target contact.
4. Now that you have stepped out to open up your gate, and knee is up and flexed with a roundhouse foot position pivot the foot you are standing on so that toes are facing the opposite direction of target. At the same time you pivot on balancing foot turn the flexed knee that’s in the air over so it is now horizontal.
5. Now let your knee extend, and make target contact with the top of your foot.
6. When target contact is made thrust hip out at the same time.
7. Then quickly flex knee back. Literally try to kick yourself in the butt with the heel of your kicking leg.
8. Set leg down back to starting position.
On a side note. This kick has been broken down into steps. Practice these steps slow, then add speed and watch your snap kicking power increase!
Also, this kick should penetrate through the target then snap back. Visualization of this is key!
In the words of my friend and legendary famous undefeated champion Bill “Superfoot” Wallace, “A roundhouse is meant to go around the house!”
