The round kick is possibly one of the most demanding strikes to execute a knockout in martial arts and combat sports, including infinitude fight. Powerful and refined strikes to the head make opponents tap out. Techniques matter a lot in combat sports, and if you poorly execute a roundhouse kick, it can damage your legs or body.
So, it is necessary to learn the proper execution strategy to avoid injuries. The following guide will explore common roundhouse kick mistakes and the best practical strategies to improve your round kick technique.
Understanding the Roundhouse Kick:
It is a kick in which fighters raise the knee while rotating their body in a semicircular motion to target the opponent’s head, body, or legs. The fighter extends the leg by pivoting on the balls of the non-kicking foot and turning the hip over towards the opponent. The purpose is to hit the target from the side.
Round kick is the most important and versatile strategy in Muay Thai and combat sports. It has many variations, depending on the posture, movement of the legs, surface strike, and height of the kick. In the martial arts world, it is often considered one of the deadliest shots to execute a knockout.
Common Roundhouse Mistakes and How to Avoid Them:
Here are some common mistakes fighters make while implementing the roundhouse kick. Recognizing and correcting these mistakes is important to land a powerful throw.
1. Incorrect Chambering:
Chambering is the phase of preparation in which a fighter raises and positions his leg before implementing the kick. It is the crucial stage and demands ultimate precision during execution. Incorrect chambering decreases the strike’s power and slows the kick’s implementation, providing enough time for the opponent to counter back.
How to Improve?
Focus on knee height during the kick’s setup while Lifting the knee of your kicking leg towards the chest. It will increase flexibility and provide you with unrestricted movement.
2. Unable to Distract the Opponent:
One common mistake fighters make is that they fail to distract their opponent. As the hind leg is far from the target and while covering that distance, the opponent gets enough time to block it. So, it is very important to divert the attention of your rival while landing a roundhouse kick.
The Fix: Apply Combo of Punches:
Remember, you cannot knock out your opponent with a single kick. Aim to throw a combo of powerful strikes and punches before executing the round kick. The purpose of landing a mixture of punches and kicks is to make your opponent blind or clueless. Make them vulnerable and strike with a powerful roundhouse kick.
3. Failure to maintain leg’s angle:
Extending the support leg carefully at a proper angle before kicking is important. Otherwise, it can turn off your form, and there are chances that the kick will hit the opponent’s elbow instead of the head.
How to Avoid?
Don’t step out before throwing a kick, and extend your support leg at a 45-degree angle.
4. Negligence to Rotate Non-Striking Foot and Leg:
Most fighters collapse to rotate, hitting their legs and feet. They prefer to keep these parts on the ground and fail to get maximum power for the kick.
The Fix: Rotate Non-striking foot and leg:
An inactive leg and foot can enhance the power of a round kick if kept pivoted. It helps you to rotate your hips and the whole body properly, preventing severe injuries.
5. Improper Hip Turnover:
The maximum power of a roundhouse kick comes from the hip turnover. Failing to do so will miss the target position, thus spinning your lower limb upward. It will provide the opponent a chance to counterattack.
The Fix: Proper Hip Turnover
Create proper momentum by twisting and rotating the hips. Don’t hesitate to fully open up the legs and make sure to hit the target with the whipping motion.
6. No Use of Arms:
Although roundhouse kicks mainly focus on the leg and foot, it is important to use the arms properly to produce momentum. Unrestricted and opposite movement of arms against the kick makes it powerful and heavier.
The Fix: Proper Use of Arms
Make sure to engage your arms, keep them up, and pull towards the hips while kicking. Spinning of the arms maximizes your striking power and momentum. Pull your arms over the hips for short-range competitions to generate the distance between you and your rival. It will prevent you from being counterattacked by your opponent.
7. Using the Foot to Strike Rather than Shin:
Different games require a diverse set of techniques, and fighters make contact with different parts of the leg, depending on the type of game. For example, in Taekwondo, practitioners use the foot to land kicks, while in Muay Thai, it can get easily injured.
The Fix: Strike with the Shin
Round kicks in Muay Thai are different. The foot is delicate and prone to injuries, while the shin provides a larger hitting area. With a combination of powerful punches, strike a roundhouse kick with your shin rather than your foot, making it more devastating and durable.
8. Staying on Your Feet:
Staying flat-footed is one of the biggest mistakes people make in performing round kicks. It hinders the rotation of the knee and hips.
How to Improve?
Make sure to place the heel of your plant foot in front of the target to maximize the mobility required for the kick.
9. Kicking while Standing:
It is one of the common mistakes among beginners. Standing still after hitting the opponent or striking from an incorrect stance allows your opponent to counterattack. Furthermore, you will miss the target spot and possibly hit the opponent’s knee, leading to a severe leg injury.
How to avoid it?
First of all, extend your support leg at a 45-degree angle, and then after throwing a kick, make sure to return to the defensive stance. Be careful of counterpunches while balancing the defensive stance.
10. Training without Wearing Protective Gear:
Fighters often get injured while practicing roundhouse kicks in the gym. It happens due to not wearing protective gear, making your legs and feet vulnerable to fractures.
The Fix: Wear Safety Gear:
Remember to wear shin guards, ankle support, and other protective equipment. Master the round kicks while staying safe.
Identifying and addressing these mistakes is essential to improve roundhouse kick to become a professional fighter.
Conclusion:
To conclude, roundhouse kick is the most widely known technique in combat sports that makes the opponent clueless when implemented with precision. Recognizing and avoiding common mistakes of roundhouse kicks make it the most destructive weapon in martial arts.
Safety is paramount in combat sports. So, refine the roundhouse technique and unleash your potential while staying safe with the perfect protective gear available at Boxing Shop USA. Your journey starts today!
FAQs:
What is a roundhouse kick?
It is a kick in which martial artists raise the knee while rotating their body in a semicircular motion to target the opponent’s head or face.
How can I master the roundhouse kick?
Throwing bodyweight in the direction of striking is the best strategy to master the roundhouse kick. McGregor has landed several roundhouse kicks by applying this tactic.
Where to land the roundhouse kick?
The roundhouse kick is a versatile technique, depending on the type of striking surface. Head kicks and leg kicks are the best-known round kicks. In most cases, a powerful throw on the ribs in a diagonal trajectory proves devastating.
