HELP w/ roundhouse

[Jazzshredder86]

Ok, so im primarily BJJ (vale tudo), so i dont practice my thai boxing as much as i should, but Im having trouble with the roundhouse. Im having trouble making the kick cut through the target. I know to rotate on the ball of my left foot etc. it just doesnt work. Sometimes in sparring ill hit with what it thought was hard and the guy wouldnt flinch, other times id hit him and it would have more of a visible effect...

Are there any shadow boxing exercises or anything like that to help getting my kick going hard and fast in a circular motion? The motion just feels really unnatural, but when it works, it works. Other times, i dont "cut" the opponent when i hit and it just kind of smacks him. sorry if i rambled, thanks a lot in advance

[Infinite4Light7]

i have somewhat similar problems, i emulate the thai kick as ive seen it in movies and pictures. which is pretty pathetic, i think i have a general idea of its purpose though. could anybody give us a lesson in the thai round kick?

[Damian Mavis]

Do they not offer Muay Thai training anywere near where you guys live? I find learning martial arts from the internet to be hazardous and also lead to you practicing improper technique and really solidifying the wrong way to do it. My advice will always be to train something officially, even if just for a year or so.

Damian Mavis
Honour TKD

[Jazzshredder86]

They do, and i have been taught the technique by my instructor, but for some reason, i just cant get the rotation out of it that other students get.

[seeker]

They do, and i have been taught the technique by my instructor, but for some reason, i just cant get the rotation out of it that other students get.

You just have to train train and train. Remember the basics. Lift yourself to almost your toes. Rotate yor hip. Ask your coach, if he is good, he will get you there.

[Tom Yum]

Try this visualization:

You are smashing THRU your target with your hips (forget about your kicking leg for a second). Look at yourself in the mirror and practice pivoting/rotating on your non kicking leg and exploding your hips through an imaginary target.

Just as your right hip is about to point at your target, explode ALL of your body weight into the target while whipping your hip through and roll around (completing one 360 deg rotation) back into your fight stance.

You need more work with your instructor. Learning the proper technique is a good start, then there's the issue of shin toughening, leg strengthening and stamina which can only be done from consistent bag/pad work and leg sparring.

[papa]

ok

Well I'm no MT expert but I had experienced a similiar problem with my kicks. From what I learned take a 45º step towards the side of your opponent and swing you hips through your target. When I first started MT i didnt step out enough and my kicks were very weak. The first step is very important for your kick, and for protection from punches and some other attacks.

good luck,
-papa-

[sslinky]

Well ...The first step is very important for your kick...

The step does add power, but also telegraphs the kick and increases the time it takes to execute it, so you should learn to do it without, as well as with.

Make sure your leg is slightly bent when you hit the target. If your leg is bent, the only way it will reach the target is if the hips rotate right through, which is what gives the kick most of it's power. Your standing foot should end up pointing about 135 degrees away from the target to allow the hips to rotate properly.

[CPK-Mantis]

when u kick with your right leg (presuming its your back leg) pivot your left foot about 90 degrees on the ball of the foot and use your hip to swing your right leg to gain power, dont kick vertically make sure that your leg comes from a sideways angle. on point of impact to add more power and a kind of knockback roll your leg over a bit, its kind of hard to explain but as Damian mavis and Tom Yum mentioned earlier i recommend getting an instructor to teach u properly

[adacas]

I have heard from a couple of guys that also your hands position play a large part of it. I am not sure myself as i have never been taught it but they say that if your using your right (rear foot) your supposed to throw your right hand down your side and that gives power in the kick. it didn't make sense to me but I just wanted to see what you guys had to say about that.

[KopyKat]

I have heard from a couple of guys that also your hands position play a large part of it. I am not sure myself as i have never been taught it but they say that if your using your right (rear foot) your supposed to throw your right hand down your side and that gives power in the kick. it didn't make sense to me but I just wanted to see what you guys had to say about that.

I have found that throwing the rear leg hand down or to the side at all even makes a good difference when hitting the bag , it greatly improved my roundhouses.

[CPK-Mantis]

I have heard from a couple of guys that also your hands position play a large part of it. I am not sure myself as i have never been taught it but they say that if your using your right (rear foot) your supposed to throw your right hand down your side and that gives power in the kick. it didn't make sense to me but I just wanted to see what you guys had to say about that.

yeah if you throw your right arm in this case down to your right side then it does give you an extra bit of power with your kicks also the other hand is brought across your face to the other side of your head so that in case of an attack whilst kicking your guard is still up and your head is protected.

[Uber_Tap]

Tom Yum's post is pretty much it, the power comes from rotating your hips through the target.

I agree that dropping the kicking hand does allow you to counter balance, thus adding power but I would not get into the habbit of doing that. If your opponent notices you have a habbit of doing that, at some point they will probably allow you to land that kick without checking it, and if you don't drop them with that kick they are going to launch a homerun right hand counter that might have eating through a straw for a few weeks.

[adacas]

everything tastes better through a straw.