This page provides free written and video instruction on how to
do a Taekwondo roundhouse kick (also known as a round kick). A
roundhouse kick is one of the most useful Taekwondo kicks. You
must master this kick if you want to excel at Taekwondo. To
learn other kicks, visit our
Taekwondo Kicks page.
The turning kick or "Dolleo Chagi" is the most versatile and frequently used scoring technique in Olympic Taekwondo Matches. At a minimum a good roundhouse kick consists of the following phases: chambering, extension, retraction.
Steps
Begin by chambering your leg.: Pick up the knee of the kicking leg directly in front of you above waist level. The higher your target, the higher you should raise your knee. Fold your knee tightly. Point your kicking foot and toes downward. Turn the hip over by turning the toes of the supporting foot away from the target. (Do not allow the kicking knee to dip or point downward) At this point the shin and thigh of your kicking leg should be parallel to the floor. Point the chambered knee past your target so that your kick will penetrate past the targets surface.
Extend your leg to deliver the kick.: Deliver the kick by unfolding the leg at the knee, rotating through the target and snapping the hips over at the moment of impact. The target should be struck at ninety-degree angle before your leg reaches full extension and the kick should be allowed to continue and penetrate several inches past the surface before returning.
Retract your leg.: Retract the leg as quickly as possible by bending the knee tightly. The less time the foot is in contact with the target the more "shock" will be transferred to the target, the longer you foot is contact with the target the more pushing power will be transferred to the target. At this point the leg can return to the chambering position in preparation for a second kick or returned to the floor.
Tips
Keep your eyes open and on your opponent before during and after the kick.
When you kick with your leg, make sure that the leg on the ground pivots 90 degrees to the direction that you are kicking.
Control your arms and keep them close to your body for balance and in preparation for blocking
Control your posture and balance by keeping your back straight and as upright as possible.
Leaning back will allow you kick higher while making it more difficult to deliver consecutive advancing kicks against a retreating opponent.
Exhale and tighten the abdomen on impact. This increases the amount of power you are capable of.
For maximum effect strike an unprotected body with the ball of the foot and the head with the instep. When kicking a Olympic Style chest protector it's preferable to kick with the instep.
Condition the striking surface to prevent injury.
Effortless kicks require a reserve of both flexibility and strength.
Warnings
Seek out a qualified professional instructor before attempting any martial arts techniques yourself. Without proper instruction and conditioning, you run with the risk of injury.
