THE 45 DEGREE TURNING KICK (ROUNDHOUSE) & 360 DEGREE TURNING KICK (TORNADO KICK)

THE TURNING KICK & 360 DEGREE TURNING KICK (ROUNDHOUSE)
by Junn Abriza
4^{th Dan Blackbelt}

Chief Instructor - Kaizen Taekwondo Philippines

THE TURNING KICK (ROUNDHOUSE) 

Sparring Turning kick (45 degree roundhouse) is performed by first drawing the knee straight up in a "chamber" position. This chamber, is utilized so that the opponent cannot guess which kick will be thrown. This differentiates it from Traditional Taekwondo, Muay Thai and other Roundhouse kicks, which tend to incorporate rotation before or during the rising of the knee. The knee is then rotated so that it is nearly parallel to the ground (counterclockwise for the right leg roundhouse) and the kicking hip is simultaneously rotated towards the opponent. The rotation of the hip, combined with the snapping of the leg forward, gives the kick its power.

This type of kick is also utilized in many different martial arts and is popular in both non-contact and full-contact martial arts competitions. The kick has many variations based on stance, leg movement, striking surface, and the height of the kick.

One advance application of the Turning kick is adding a 360 degree turn and the kick.
And this make The 360 degree turning kickThe 360 Degree Turning Kick, also popularly known as Spinning Roundhouse kick and Tornado Kick in the West, is one of the classic moves in Taekwondo.

THE 360 DEGREE TURNING KICK(TORNADO KICK)

HOW IS IT DONEFrom a fighting stance position, start with the spin pivoting on the ball of the front foot and lifting the back leg in a circular motion. With the body rotating, a quick jump on the second step will propel your body into a jumping turning kick targeting the body or the head.

The turning step is best done in a small and straight to the target to avoid spinning out of control. This will also limit of over exposing your back to your opponent.
It is an effective attack which uses the spin to confuse the opponent.

The momentum generated by your body in rotating freely combined with a powerful hip thrust will create a very
strong blow which can actually knockdown your opponent if hit correctly to the jaw or head.
Upon landing, you must prepare your arm to block for any counter kick or must have a follow-up kick. The follow-up kick could be a back-thrust, a slamming kick, o simply another basic turning kick.

But before attempting this kick, you must master the basic Turning kick. Taekwon!
The Turning Kick or Roundhouse kick as it regularly known is the most frequently used kick in a Taekwondo sparring. It is the most basic but has the most variations depending on the objective of the kicker.