Roundhouse Kick | The Science Behind a Deadly Roundhouse Kick

Roundhouse kick, the most common move for every striking martial art like Muay Thai, Taekwondo, MMA, Kickboxing, etc. Although, it belongs to Muay Thai many different variations can be seen in many different martial arts which uses the roundhouse kick with modified principles. For example, Roundhouse kick in Taekwondo is much different from a Roundhouse kick in Muay Thai. In Taekwondo it is modified to some extent and named it as Dollyo Chagi kick. Similarly, Roundhouse kick in Karate also differs a bit. But what makes it so dangerous? How it is executed? How much force it can generate? These are the main matter of concern and in the depth of this article let’s find out.

What Is a Roundhouse kick?

It’s a kick that is thrown by lifting the foot in a very plane typically horizontal to the ground to generate momentum with the body, hip as well as from leg, though it is adjusted in order that it’s thrown additional upwards or downwards, depending on the kicker’s intentions of the target area. Sometimes it is said to be the most powerful kick in all martial arts. Some Muay Thai practitioners even believe that it can even knock out a healthy bull. It has been shown in many experiments by sports science that Muay Thai roundhouse kicks are concerning as deadly as being clubbed by baseball equipment which can generate a minimum of 480 pounds of force per strike. Beside knockout, it can easily break the ribs and cripple your opponent as well. So you can now imagine how dangerous a Roundhouse kick to the face can be.

Why Is It so Dangerous?

During the execution of the roundhouse, the leg travels at a stunning speed of around 100 miles per hour. But its more than just the motion of the kick that crates force. The traditional fighters or muay Thai practitioners often create force by pushing off the floor with their rear leg. They then rotate their torso and upper body muscles to generate speed and put their upper body mass into the kick and the kick is ready for the damage to the target area. Normally, it is used to target the legs which can cripple any opponent like in the famous UFC fight between Jose Aldo and Urijah Faber. But sometimes surprise head kicks can also be seen which makes it very deadly.

However, head kicks are easy to defend or dodge because generally, the rear leg takes more time to travel to the head as compared to the leg. That is why leg kicks are very difficult to defend and are easy to execute. But there is some other stuff to keep in mind too as roundhouse kicks injuries are quite common. One of the most serious roundhouse injury situations is called the “shin to shin” situation. In this case, if shins of both the opponent collide then, both the fighters can get a serious leg injury. UFC legend Anderson Silva got a very serious injury while executing a Roundhouse kick against Chris Weidman. So if you are a beginner then, it will be better to know complete details about roundhouse kick. If possible from a skilled professional and after that, you are ready to go and deliver a perfect knockout. Do experiment on yourself and check which type of roundhouse would be better for you. Whether it’s a snapping kick or the follow-through kick. But make sure whatever style you choose, always go for the perfection from the very basics.

Thank you for reading this post. For some more martial art kicks and moves, please visit:

• Yop Chagi or The Side Kick
• Spinning Back Kick