Mawashi geri

Mawashi-geri (回し蹴り?) can be translated as "spin kick", although it is also sometimes referred to as a roundhouse kick. It is a kick used in Japanese martial arts.

[edit]Technique

Mawashi-geri may be executed from a variety of stances, and there are several methods of proper execution. The portion of its execution that is always consistent is that the kick is executed inward and at an angle that is anywhere from parallel to the floor to 45 degrees upward. In general, it is a lateral kick that strikes with the foot. Ideally, the foot that is on the ground during the kick points directly away from the opponent, but 90 to 45 degrees away from the opponent may also be acceptable.

[edit]Variations

If mawashi-geri is being thrown with the lead leg, the lead leg comes straight up from the ground, moving into a position with the knee bent back and pointing at the desired target area on the opponent. Without stopping, the upper leg rotates inward to whatever angle the kick will be thrown at, and finally, the lower leg flicks out to strike the opponent, and then immediately back in.

If the kick is being thrown from the rear leg, another option is available. The rear leg lifts with the knee bent and pointing to the side, and the entire body rotates as the knee swings around to the front (picture swinging one's leg over to mount a bicycle). The rotation of the body and lateral movement of the leg add to the momentum of the lower leg, which moves in and out the same as above.

The final possible variation is in the foot, itself. One may either strike with the instep of the foot (with the ankle and toes extended), or with the ball of the foot (ankle and toes bent back). Alternately, one could forgo the use of the foot entirely, and strike with the shin instead (for example, at extremely close range).

[edit]Targets

Common targets for this kick include the head (especially in competition), as well as the knees and floating ribs. Kyokushinkai karate practitioners commonly use low mawashigeri attacks to strike the thigh of opponents whereas this move is less common in other styles.

There are many versions of roundhouse kick.

Martial arts have many different methods of delivering a roundhouse kick. The original method involved bringing up the knee, and then swiftly turning the hip over and snapping the leg outwards from the knee to deliver a strike with the ball of the foot.

As the years have gone by, some martial arts schools also practice kicking roundhouse kick with the shin, which has always been the preferred method of Muay Thai.

Another popular point of contact is with the instep, which, for safety reasons, is usually practiced when sparring in the martial arts school.

There are now more and more martial artists practicing the 'cutting roundhouse kick', this is where the practitioner will lift their attacking leg higher than the intended target, they will then execute the kick in a downward cutting movement. A very effective attack against the thigh.

A popular way of using mawashi-geri in the Goju Ryu style of karate involves aiming a snapped round house to the opponent's groin.[citation needed]

[edit]Flexibility

Make sure that you are physically flexible enough to execute the kick. Mawashi geri requires that the adductors of the leg (the muscles on the inside of your legs) separate enough to allow the angle between the legs to be greater than 90 degrees. You can check this by sitting on the floor facing a wall and separating your legs like doing the splits against the wall. If you get 90 degrees or more you probably can do a mawashi-geri. If you have less than 90 degrees your kick will be low. The farther you can easily separate your legs in this splits-like position the more likely you can do a good mawashi-geri. [1]

[edit]Stretching

Set up a stretching program to include the adductors splits as part of your routine. Separate your legs against the wall until you get to the point of feeling the stretch (but not pain) and hold it for 15 seconds to 2 minutes. Then relax. For more rapid progress do this two to three times in a session. Don't forget to lean backwards some of the time and to lean forward some of the time. Performing this stretch four to six times per week will lead to good stretching of the adductor group of muscles. [2]

[edit]External links

An animated Mawashi geri lesson