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Roundhouse kick
Roundhouse high kick in Muay Thai
Japanese name
Kanji:	回し蹴り
Hiragana:	まわしげり
Transliterations - Revised Hepburn: mawashi-geri - Kunrei-shiki: mawasi-geri
Korean name
Hangul:	돌려 차기
Transliterations - Revised Romanization: dollyeo chagi - McCune-Reischauer Romanization: tollyŏ ch'aki

A roundhouse kick (also known as swinging kick or a power angle kick but often confused with the round 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.^[1] 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.

Semi-circular kick[link]

A semi-circular kick is a round kick to forty five degree roundhouse kick (or "diagonal kick"). Most popular in kick-boxing, burmese boxing and Muay thai, it can be used in almost every situation. With this kick, all parts of the opponent’s body can be attacked and every kind of attack can be countered. In karate it is called:Mawashi geri

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  Low kick outside

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  Low kick inside

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  Middle kick

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  Low kick in counter

Karate methods[link]

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.

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  Middle-kick with rotation of the hips and body in the direction of the kick

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  Middle-kick in counterattack

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  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. ^[2]

Muay Thai method[link]

Thai-style roundhouse kicks used to attack low and middle targets.

As with many other Muay Thai techniques, the roundhouse kick has gained wide popularity due to its extensive use in K-1 kickboxing and 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 or her ability to stand on the leg altogether and his or her 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 to shock the opponent weakening his or her 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 or her 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 or her foot while he or she 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 taekwondo roundhouse kick has one snap the instep at the objective, but a Muay Thai roundhouse often uses the combined momentum of the snap and the speed of the leg to offer a more powerful kick. Because the kick is executed with such non-retractable 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 or her opponent.

Taekwondo method[link]

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. In this way taekwondo differs from Chinese Sanshou, where the striking surface is the shin. This is also called an "off the line" or "rear leg" roundhouse kick. The roundhouse kick can also be thrown from the rear leg towards the target and strike with the lower shin or the instep heel. This method is to get a quick strike on the opponent before they see it coming. The kick is swung and then snapped in front of the practitioner to give them more power and velocity. The Taekwondo kicking method is unique on its own.

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.

Name by martial art[link]

The same or a similar move can receive different names according to the martial art.

• Karate: Mawashi Geri (回し蹴り).
• Muay Thai: Tae Tud (เตะตัด); been also know in western hemisphere as "angle kick", "side-angle kick" or "rising kick".
• Capoeira: Martelo, or literally "Hammer".
• Taekwondo: Dollyeo Chagi (돌려 차기), "Turning kick" or "Round kick".
• Savate: Fouetté or literally "Whip".

In other sports[link]

Roundhouse kicks are utilized a lot in puroresu competition; better known as Japanese professional wrestling. Many of the athletes have knowledge in striking sports and tend to have the roundhouse kick in their wrestling style. Toshiaki Kawada is known for his extremely hard hitting roundhouse kicks. KENTA is known for his powerful roundhouse kicks to the head and chest of his opponents. Takashi Sugiura often uses low roundhouse kicks to the back of his opponent. It is often utilized in shoot style wrestling competition.

In popular culture[link]

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, 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. 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. Martial artist and actor Chuck Norris is often noted for the humorously exaggerated strength of his roundhouse kick. Former WWE Diva Trish Stratus used a roundhouse kick which they dubbed the Chick Kick.

Federations[link]

• World Kickboxing Association – WKA – World Federation of Kickboxing & Karate born in 1976 (Chairman, Howard Hanson, USA)
• International Sport Kickboxing Association – ISKA – World Federation of Kickboxing & Martial arts born in 1986
• World Association of Kickboxing Organizations – WAKO World Federation of Kickboxing born in 1978 (chairman, George Bruckner, German).

See also[link]

• Lethwei
• Reverse roundhouse kick
• Chuck Norris
• Jean-Claude Van Damme

References[link]

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Roundhouse kick

• all-karate.com.
• Pictoral guide of how to perform the roundhouse kick from gokarate.co.uk.
• How to Do A Roundhouse Kick from wikiHow.com.
• "A History of Kickboxing" by Mikes Miles