Round House Kick

[Tom Yum]

I remember we went through this in a thread a while ago, although I can't find it now. I think XF said that there were a couple different variations, and that there was a type of TKD that does use the same technique as the thai boxers and that there were others that don't.

Round house variations in karate, tkd and kung-fu.
Kicking with the instep.
Kicking with the ball of the foot.

Kicking with the ball of the foot does more damage, since it is a harder tool. Its like a hammer. Good targets - side of the knee, inside the thigh, rib cage, solar plexus.

Kicking with the instep is slightly faster - more like a whip. This is a good one to kick the head; not really a knockout kick but it'll stun. I've got a video of myself from a tournament where using this one bought me the time to throw a good strike and knock the guy off his feet (yes its in VHS )

Thai kick
Kicks with the shin.
Like a baseball bat - great all around kick cause it damages what it hits, unless you hit someones extended knee or elbow. First time I sparred with leg kicks, I could hardly walk the next day...

banging sand filled pads with thai kicks is fun!!

[Hardball]

My problem is that I wear a size 11 shoe and my middle toes are longer than my big toes. I cannot pull my foot back comfortably enough to use the ball of my foot for a roundhouse kick. I am just as comfortable using my instep on any body surface. I also have problems sitting in seiza because of my middle toes. LOL

[Tom Yum]

My problem is that I wear a size 11 shoe and my middle toes are longer than my big toes. I cannot pull my foot back comfortably enough to use the ball of my foot for a roundhouse kick. I am just as comfortable using my instep on any body surface. I also have problems sitting in seiza because of my middle toes. LOL

You will probably be wearing shoes or boots when you kick, so it'd be like a loaded boxing glove if you kick with the instep!

[bigred389]

You will probably be wearing shoes or boots when you kick, so it'd be like a loaded boxing glove if you kick with the instep!

I'm sure you've heard of savate then...designed to kick with the POINT of the foot, with the toes...while wearing steel toed boots. Goal is to drive the toe into various vitals.

OUCH!

[Piston]

The toe can actually be quite horrible. I was doing some pad work with a guy must've been 6'2", and he had abnormally long toes. He ended up coming around the pad and hitting my forearm with his big toe, I told him not to worry, I'd be alright.

Next day I had a welt and a bruise the size of both my thumbs, wonder what it would be like if he meant to hit with the toe?

[kuk sool won]

my toes just dont come back, i cant pull them back far enough for a decent roundhouse with them, i can only just form a decent front kick, so its always instep and shin for me

[wsdddoa012]

response

Well from a Defensive Tactics point of view you would use what's called a diagonal kick. It's pretty much a roundhouse kick but you use the ball of your foot. And you keep it below the waist, more so the legs and knee. It's a hard kick to master.

Personally I like low leg sweeps or a good old side kick to the knee. Otherwise I use my arms.