Wheel Kicks?

[Kenpo Gary]

Any of you folks call your roundhouse kicks wheel kicks? That is what I was taught to call them, although some of my Kenpo friends call them roundhouse kicks. I still refer to them as wheel kicks.

Kenpo Gary

[flying crane]

I go both ways.

[don bohrer]

Both.

[Shodan]

I was taught it was called a "Wheel Kick" when you are using the top or instep of your foot (toes pointed) and called a "Round" or "Roundhouse" when you kick with the ball of your foot- toes pulled back.....same round motion on both.

[Blindside]

Heh, for us a "wheel" is when the kick is coming from the lead leg, a "roundhouse" is for when it is coming off the rear leg.

Lamont

[Kenpo Gary]

Heh, for us a "wheel" is when the kick is coming from the lead leg, a "roundhouse" is for when it is coming off the rear leg.

Lamont

That is interesting.

Kenpo Gary

[amylong]

That is interesting.

Kenpo Gary

Agreed.

I've heard also that there's one of them that comes around with the leg up in the 'dog peeing on a tree' position from the get-go (the kind we like to blast the bags with) and the sparring wheelkick that comes through like a snap, then shifts to the wheelkick for the strike.

I can't remember which one was called which.

--Amy

[Dianhsuhe]

Nope although I have heard a Spinning reverse crescent kick called a "wheel kick", never heard any type of roundhouse called a Wheel front leg or not.

Cheers people!

[Chris Armstrong]

Around 1973, at Fred Stille's Kenpo Karate in Tempe, AZ, it was called a wheel kick. I didn't hear the term roundhouse kick in Kenpo until much later. Back then, the wheel kick was for the front or back leg and came up straight like a front snap kick and then flipped over side-ways to a horizontal position at the last second and used the top of the foot, rather than the ball, to make contact.

[Pat Munk]

I use both. I will sometimes use both wheel kick and roundhouse kick in the same lesson .. to describe the kick. Weather to use the ball of the foot or the top of the foot is determined by what target you are trying to hit and what might be in the way of hitting it.

[RDCParker]

My understanding is that the roundhouse kick is more like the Muay Thai-style kick, comes from the back (or you plant your leg back) and then unleash it. It's a wide, sometimes telegraphing kick, but if you time it right and have enough power and speed behind it, then that really won't matter.

As far as the move where you lift your knee as you would a snap kick, pivot your body to the side and then kick, I refer to that as either a wheel or "round" (not roundhouse) kick. This kick can come from either leg, front or back. It's quicker and harder to see coming than a roundhouse, but not as powerful.

The ball or instep will work with either the wheel/round kick or the roundhouse kick. I prefer the instep just because it feels better.

[Kenpodave]

I learned a front foot wheel, and an offensive and defensive rear foot wheel. What most of you call the roundhouse is the defensive rear foot wheel. Dog peeing on a tree position.

The front foot wheel and offensive rear foot wheel both point the knee forward like a front kick coming off the floor, and rotate at the height of the kick, ala Bill Wallace.

Confused yet? About 10 years ago, I tried to simplify the terminolgy by calling the kick with the forward pointing knee a Wheel, whether front or back leg, and the defensive rear foot wheel the roundhouse.

[Jim Hanna]

I learned a front foot wheel, and an offensive and defensive rear foot wheel. What most of you call the roundhouse is the defensive rear foot wheel. Dog peeing on a tree position.

The front foot wheel and offensive rear foot wheel both point the knee forward like a front kick coming off the floor, and rotate at the height of the kick, ala Bill Wallace.

Confused yet? About 10 years ago, I tried to simplify the terminolgy by calling the kick with the forward pointing knee a Wheel, whether front or back leg, and the defensive rear foot wheel the roundhouse.

Well, to confuse matters more, the forward knee pointing wheel kick was called a "half roundhouse kick" by my instructors of the early 70's.

Jim

[jdinca]

Those are two different kicks for me. With the roundhouse, the rear leg comes around the body in a chambered position as you pivot on your standing foot. Picture needing to lift your leg over a low table or chair. For the wheel kick, the leg chambers up through the middle, as in a forward snap kick, and then the hip is turned over and the kick executed on the standing foot pivot.

The roundhouse is a powerful, but slower kick. The wheel kick develops its power from the whipping affect of kicking towards the end of the pivot as the leg comes horizontal to the ground. Faster than the roundhouse yet can be just as effective.

The wheel kick has a front leg, spinning and chicken version. The roundhouse has a jumping version.

[Kenpodave]

Those are two different kicks for me. With the roundhouse, the rear leg comes around the body in a chambered position as you pivot on your standing foot. Picture needing to lift your leg over a low table or chair. For the wheel kick, the leg chambers up through the middle, as in a forward snap kick, and then the hip is turned over and the kick executed on the standing foot pivot.

The roundhouse is a powerful, but slower kick. The wheel kick develops its power from the whipping affect of kicking towards the end of the pivot as the leg comes horizontal to the ground. Faster than the roundhouse yet can be just as effective.

The wheel kick has a front leg, spinning and chicken version. The roundhouse has a jumping version.

Pretty much exactly the same as I was taught and teach.

[oldslowguy]

I've always considered the difference in the way they chamber. The wheel kick chambers in front (shin vertical) and roundhouse (shin horizontal-dog peeing). Lead leg, rear leg, spinning, flying, then only refer to the delivery mechanism.

The wheel is better for protecting the groin and more deceptive, where as the roundhouse works well when stepping to an angle while drive the leg straight up the front at a 45 deg. angle as in Windmill Guard.

[Kenpodave]

I've always considered the difference in the way they chamber. The wheel kick chambers in front (shin vertical) and roundhouse (shin horizontal-dog peeing). Lead leg, rear leg, spinning, flying, then only refer to the delivery mechanism.

The wheel is better for protecting the groin and more deceptive, where as the roundhouse works well when stepping to an angle while drive the leg straight up the front at a 45 deg. angle as in Windmill Guard.

I agree.

[John M. La Tourrette]

I've always considered the difference in the way they chamber. The wheel kick chambers in front (shin vertical) and roundhouse (shin horizontal-dog peeing). Lead leg, rear leg, spinning, flying, then only refer to the delivery mechanism.

The wheel is better for protecting the groin and more deceptive, where as the roundhouse works well when stepping to an angle while drive the leg straight up the front at a 45 deg. angle as in Windmill Guard.

I actually do something a bit differently, even though that's how I was orginally taught several life times back.

And it depends kicking off the lead leg or kicking off the back foot.

And it depends on how you are facing off on the target. The stance use versus the positioning he uses. The open, closed or facing stances being used, etc.

Even to the back of the head with lead leg we do "snap wheel kicks" which follow more directly the Ed Parker concept of "contouring" and NOT the concept of parallel to the floor.

So the kicking leg does NOT go up perpendicular to the floor and then planes out as you pivot the balancing foot. (I was taught this way, but it is very telegraphic, slow, and those with weak knees don't need that knee twist).

We start from a modified side neutral bow (using either a body shift back placing the weight on the back single point, or we shuffle the rear foot forward so it's directly behind the lead foot, then shift the body slightly backwards).

Then the lead foot comes up at the right angle for the target in mind.

The only time we teach roundhouse kicks is in a kicking combination when the uke is running.

Dr. John M. La Tourrette

[Roach]

Those are two different kicks for me. With the roundhouse, the rear leg comes around the body in a chambered position as you pivot on your standing foot. Picture needing to lift your leg over a low table or chair. For the wheel kick, the leg chambers up through the middle, as in a forward snap kick, and then the hip is turned over and the kick executed on the standing foot pivot.

The roundhouse is a powerful, but slower kick. The wheel kick develops its power from the whipping affect of kicking towards the end of the pivot as the leg comes horizontal to the ground. Faster than the roundhouse yet can be just as effective.

The wheel kick has a front leg, spinning and chicken version. The roundhouse has a jumping version.

That's the definition I know and use as well. Not to forget the reverse wheel too.

[jdinca]

That's the definition I know and use as well. Not to forget the reverse wheel too.

You got me on the the reverse wheel. My guess is I know the kick by another name.