A roundhouse kick (not the Muay Thai round kick).. how was it taught to you?

Question

I was taught to strike with the "ball" of the foot, but I see many people striking with the instep.... How were you taught, and why were you taught that it is the best way?

yes the shin is a very good weapon, taught in MT.. also the mechanics of the kick are different due to the fact that it is not a chambered kick... I am more curious to find out the argument behind using the instep as opposed to the ball of the foot, but good answer

Answer 1

Ball of the foot but you have to remember in most cases you are on the street with shoes on so try curling your toes up in shoes or sneakers!! It is not easy, so that is where an instep is better for you.

you should learn both.

Answer 2

I was taught both but oftentimes beginners can not get their toes curled back enough so they are limited to using the instep and avoiding hitting things like elbows and forearms when throwing a round house kick. As the ability to curl your toes back far enough develops you can then use either and I will sometimes use the ball if I am kicking into the body and think that his arm or elbow is going to be in the way or blocking it or if I want to hit with maximum power to the head or body since the ball of the foot is much smaller and harder than the instep and makes the kick more powerful, concentrating it down on a smaller point. That is one of the basic concepts of most martial arts.

Answer 3

I was taught 3 ways:

1. Ball of the foot - Taught for use in real fights however if you can't pull your toes back far enough you will break them.

2. Instep - Taught for sport. Gives a wider striking area for more accuracy however he small bones within the feet can easily break if they hit the human skull full force. The skull is thicker and round.

3. Shin - Best for real life combat as you're using a bigger bone with a smaller impact edge to strike with, however it lacks range making it more easy to counter.

The reality that a roundhouse kick is easy to counter if you are a skilled martial artist as are any kicks above the knee/mid thigh.

Answer 4

Pivot on your back foot so that the toes point directly away from the target, raise and chamber your kicking leg. At this point, your hips should 'turn over' so that there is a straight line from the heel of your planted foot to the knee of the chambered leg, then snap your kick outwards at an angle just above horizontal. You strike with the instep (top of the foot opposite the arch on the bottom), then pull back to chambered position, and plant the attacking foot according to your next move. Arms should be in basic fighting stance position until you snap with the chambered leg. At this point, the leading arm pulls back with your hips in the opposite direction as the kick, providing more torque, and as such, more power. This can be left out depending on the amount of damage you're intending to do.

Reasoning behind it being that this area of the foot is the quickest to use to deal moderate damage in a fast way without having to reposition the planted leg or stance. If you strike with the ball of the foot, it can deal more damage, but you must turn differently and be more squared with your opponent, which not only leaves you less effectively able to follow up as quickly, but as such leaves your opponent a larger and more easily accessible area to strike at in counter.

Answer 5

When I was practicing TKD I was taught to use the ball of my foot. I now train in kickboxing, where we're actually taught to use shin just above the in-step. The shin has more power behind it and covers more space, ensuring that you hit the nerve on the side of the leg.

Answer 6

Do it to the inside of your opponent's thigh. It's full of blood vessels and nerve, so it's a very weak point in human body. Moreover, it's close to where the balls are, which is an even weaker target. There is no knock out spot on your legs, your instructor might mean knock down. Kick to the rib is good if you can land your shin against your opponent's ribs. But it's easier to catch and if your opponent is good at wrestling could spell trouble for you.

Answer 7

i was taught to use the area between your intsep and the top of your foot. just like a soccer ball . I did Tae kwon Do, and for forms competition this looks the nicest, and for sparring, you have the wear the boot things on your feet so you cant pull your feet back. But, for board breaking, pull your toes back and use the ball of your feet.

Answer 8

i was taught ball of the foot. hitting with the ball of the foot focuses the strike in a smaller surface area so it hurts more

Answer 9

Okinawan Karate does not have the Round Kick.

Sensei taught us all the different variations. This is the best way.

Answer 10

a round house u cant kick with the ball of the foot, u spin on the ball of your foot on one leg, then kick with the other foot, with the top front of your foot, taught at ju jitsu.