Is it ok to do a roundhouse kick with the top of the foot?

Question

My doctor friend says that the top of the foot has arteries and it's not good to kick with.

Answer 1

If you are talking instep, yes it is fine, you see the application of ball of the foot/toes or instep just depends upon the target.

I am left-handed and a right foot kicker and at a demo I did a front (right leg) leg roundhouse kick to break 4 boards with my instep and just before I did so, my instructor asked if I had good insurance. My reply was, I do and i did the break without any problems and was followed up with a left leg roundhouse (back leg) kick, 3 boards with the ball of the toes. (77)

I hope this information was helpful. Good luck.

Answer 2

I am reading these responses and no one has mentioned one important issue. If you have to use a roundhouse to protect yourself on the street remember a few things:

1) you will more than likely have shoes on
2) the small bones in your feet will be protected
3) how will you kick with the ball of your foot with shoes on
4) the higher you kick on the street, the higher the chance is that you will be taken down to the ground. So, the softer targets (stomach, legs, etc.) will be the more likely areas for the attack.

Now, I ask you this. Which is more likely to happen outside the dojo. A roundhouse kick with shoes on or off?

Answer 3

You should always land a roundhouse with the shin. Landing with the foot is a lot less powerful and damaging. You'll can easily break your foot if it hits a hard area like the knee. With front kicks it depends. If your trying to push away your opponent to create distance it's best to land towards the top of the foot near the toes. If your intention is damage land with the heel.

Answer 4

Sure. You might have to do some iron body training, but that's one of the preferred contact points in northern shaolin kung fu. However, I don't know if there are any roundhouse kicks in kung fu. I haven't been taught one yet.

In the center of your arch, on top of the foot, is an acupunture point, somtimes called a chakra or meridian. You can focus a lot of energy on that point. It's also where most of the kinetic energy from a kung fu front kick ends up. So, if you do a front kick (karate calls it a snap kick) and target it such that the center of your arch connects with the groin (or, better yet, immediately behind the groin and in front of the anus), you can deliver an astoundingly powerful kick. Be careful though. The "taint" point can be dangerous.

Answer 5

Sport Karate and Tae Kwon Do use roundhouse kicks with the top of the foot because in tournaments they wear foot pads that protect the bones and allow you to kick hard without injuring your opponent. If you are barefoot, it's not a good idea.

Answer 6

You can use the instep or the ball of the foot for a round kick because there are two different versions of the round kick depending on what your school teaches. the most common on is the instep or top of the foot because there is a less likely chance your toes will break as in the case of using the ball of the foot. As stated above me you will more than likely have some type of protection on your foot if you ever really use it.

Answer 7

It is not okay to kick with the top of the foot for ANY reason.

The last tournament I fought in, I kicked a guy really hard in the ribs, which caused a navicular (tarsal) hairline fracture, as well as major compression damage to the soft tissues. It took about 6 months to heal.

Kick with the balls of the foot, or the heel. PERIOD.

Answer 8

I can use the top of my foot but only because I have been conditioning it for a very long time. But here are somethings you wanna be very careful with if you want to do that

Dont aim high because if you catch alot of the higher areas in the body they are pointed and hard which hurt like a ***** if you hit them hard for the most part

The best spot to hit with the top of the foot is the shins. The muscle makes the blow less rough and its a painful area to hit. Also they my raise their foot if they are good but if they dont they still wont be able to shin block causing you to hit the knee.

Another good spot is the lower body below the guard but not to far. This is because they are less likely to shin block there but at the same time your not at risk of hitting the elbows ( The most painful spot to hit)

Answer 9

A roundhouse kick is always done with the top of the foot. The important thing is your target. If you kick a hard object like the head with the hard bones of your foot, you will end up in a lot of pain and could break bones or blood vessels.

Hard attacks (hard because the bone is the main force of the weapon) like the knuckles, top of the foot, knee/elbow, head-butts using the forehead, should go against softer targets like solar plexus/abdomen, ribs, groin, or nose. Large muscles like those of the thighs, calves, glutes, and upper arms are also good target for hard attacks because you can bruise the muscles causing them to constrict and limiting your opponent's mobility, strength and speed. Anyone who has hit someone in the jaw with their knuckles knows how much it can hurt, so if you are willing to risk the damage to yourself and get off on the pain, feel free.

Soft attacks (soft because of the muscles cushioning the bones of the attacker, not because they are any less powerful) like open palm, ball of the foot, forearm, can be used against harder targets like the jaw, knee, or skull, as well as softer targets.

Answer 10

The ball of the foot is preferable but the top of the foot can work too with some conditioning.
I know many artists who have trained with the top of the foot for years and they have no problems.