Energy Flow

[Transk53]

Hey all,

Got a purely curious question here. The Roundhouse kick I always thought is quite impressive. Question is, and I have had limited real time exposure, or anything else for that matter, how do you guys and girls execute the kick with such energy? Shoulders, hips or the leg at the last? Please don't bite me here, but what action does your knee take in relation to the shin movement for that big mother? Just curious, I am in a random mood

 

[WaterGal]

First, you have to have the right positioning and body motion - turn the foot on the ground at least 90 degrees, turn your shoulder to face the target. Second, don't just kick with your leg - use your core to generate power. Pull with your hips and abs.

 

[Transk53]

First, you have to have the right positioning and body motion - turn the foot on the ground at least 90 degrees, turn your shoulder to face the target. Second, don't just kick with your leg - use your core to generate power. Pull with your hips and abs.

Sounds really wide, but thanks Abs, food for thought, thanks WaterGal

 

[Dirty Dog]

You have to use the entire body. Pivoting the supporting leg, using the abs, turning the torso and hips into the kick, and kicking through (not to) the target are all parts of it. It's also one of those things that is far far easier to demonstrate than to describe.

 

[Transk53]

You have to use the entire body. Pivoting the supporting leg, using the abs, turning the torso and hips into the kick, and kicking through (not to) the target are all parts of it. It's also one of those things that is far far easier to demonstrate than to describe.

Yeah I hear you, but what if the hips prevent the energy transfer?

 

[Dirty Dog]

Yeah I hear you, but what if the hips prevent the energy transfer?

Then the kick will not be as strong as it ought.

Fight Science (which really isn't...) did this. At about 6 mins in, there's a pretty decent example of the TKD roundhouse, with both the speed of the foot and the power of the impact being measured.

 

[Archtkd]

Hey all,

Got a purely curious question here. The Roundhouse kick I always thought is quite impressive. Question is, and I have had limited real time exposure, or anything else for that matter, how do you guys and girls execute the kick with such energy? Shoulders, hips or the leg at the last? Please don't bite me here, but what action does your knee take in relation to the shin movement for that big mother? Just curious, I am in a random mood

This is a pretty good tutorial on the roundhouse kick put together by GM Kang Shin Chul, one of the best the to Kukkiwon taekwondo teachers around and the Godfather of taekwondo in Iran:

 

[Transk53]

Then the kick will not be as strong as it ought.

Fight Science (which really isn't...) did this. At about 6 mins in, there's a pretty decent example of the TKD roundhouse, with both the speed of the foot and the power of the impact being measured.

Thanks Dirty Dog Okay next question? Big hit or a routine softener?

 

[TrueJim]

In addition to the points already made, there's also the Action / Reaction aspect of taekwondo. As the right (kicking) leg is rotating counterclockwise, I was taught that the right arm should be rotating clockwise to provide the Reaction momentum. As previously mentioned, if you look at about Minute 6 in the above video, you can see him pull his right arm back as his right leg is pulled forward. The backward momentum of the right arm is adding to the forward momentum of the right leg.

 

[Dirty Dog]

Thanks Dirty Dog Okay next question? Big hit or a routine softener?

Both... that's just going to depend on the specifics.

 

[Transk53]

Both... that's just going to depend on the specifics.

Okay this is a bit difficult to convey, say you wanted a hit that just hints at you?

 

[Dirty Dog]

Okay this is a bit difficult to convey, say you wanted a hit that just hints at you?

I don't understand the question? Are you asking about hitting with less power? That's just a matter of control.
If you kick TO the target, rather than through it, there will be very little impact. That doesn't change the mechanics of the kick though.

 

[Earl Weiss]

While mentioned in the fight science video but not in prior posts, if you are doing a rear foot kick, pushing off the floor at the inception is important. You can observe people not doing this by the following. -Rear foot is flat with toes pointing sideways makes it difficult to impossible to push off. Lead foot steps or shifts at inception showing a weight transfer to lead foot and lifting of rear kicking foot rather than a push off. (Note, the lead foot can shift or step and still have a push off so this is not an exclusive indicator.)

 

[Transk53]

I don't understand the question? Are you asking about hitting with less power? That's just a matter of control.
If you kick TO the target, rather than through it, there will be very little impact. That doesn't change the mechanics of the kick though.

Sorry, yeah that is basically what I was wondering. It does not look to me that that type of kick would be anything other than a power kick. I just thinking about when a TKD practitioner would use that type of kick and whether a faint could be used.

 

[WaterGal]

If you do it with the front leg, it's more of a quick jab. It's fast, but a lot less power because it's mostly coming out of the leg rather than the core.

 

[Transk53]

If you do it with the front leg, it's more of a quick jab. It's fast, but a lot less power because it's mostly coming out of the leg rather than the core.

Would any use in a TKD bout? Would that be a point kick? I missed all the action from the Commonwealth Games, which I imagine would have a big deal for many. Cat2 I believe.

 

[Earl Weiss]

Sorry, yeah that is basically what I was wondering. It does not look to me that that type of kick would be anything other than a power kick. I just thinking about when a TKD practitioner would use that type of kick and whether a faint could be used.

Bill Superfoot Wallace used it quite effectively.

 

[Transk53]

Bill Superfoot Wallace used it quite effectively.

Thanks for that Watching his over 40's workout on youtube, some great exercise stuff there.

 

[Gwai Lo Dan]

If you do it with the front leg, it's more of a quick jab. It's fast, but a lot less power because it's mostly coming out of the leg rather than the core.

Bill Wallace talks about that in this video from about 1:00-2:00. "A front leg roudhouse kick to the stomach... is not a strong kick. It's a point getter, and happens to piss him off".

 

[Transk53]

That was the first one I watched on youtube. Interesting commentary.