The round kick, or Tdae as they say in Thai, is one of the more powerful moves in the martial arts. Most people liken the Tdae to a bat, being swung by a home run icon! However, it is often more like a mace, not quite as stiff as swinging a bat, a bit more flexible, being able to change direction midstream.
Never forget to pay attention to your footing, when you go to throw the kick, step out on a 45 degree angle, staying on the balls of your feet; don’t ever let your heel drag, it slows your momentum and can potentially cause injury to your knees.
If the kick is targeted above the waist: Throw the same arm back as the leg you are kicking with, opposite arm covers in front of the same shoulder as the arm you threw back, creating the first line of defense by guarding the face; staying high on the balls of your feet and straightening the supporting leg.If targeting below the waist: The arm that was being thrown back goes straight out in front of your face as you corkscrew down by bending at the knee, staying on the balls of your feet.
In Muay Thai and MMA, the round kick is an essential weapon, without which your arsenal is far from complete. If you don’t believe me watch any UFC, Pride, WEC or Bellator event and you will see it employed time and again, either devastatingly or sometimes even in a KO!!
Brought to you from Kru Juice of the Muayman Alliance! Godspeed!
