It's Up, Up, Up and Away I Go

Howard University Tae Kwon Do Dojang
Washington, DC
B-FLX/Jump Reverse Turning Kick

When executed well there is no other kick in Tae Kwon Do that delivers as much dramatic lethal force as the reverse turning kick, also known as a spinning wheel kick. The appearance of this technique is so impressive that even if the kick misses its intended target, spectators still, "ooooh" and "ahhh" in amazement. To reap the full rewards of this kick requires core strength, flexibility, balance, sound fundamental execution, and practice, practice, practice. Did I mention the part about practice? The reason I emphasize practice is because learning how to harness the power of the reverse turning kick with precision and accuracy can be a humbling exercise in futility. It is a task that rivals breaking in a wild bronco. To be honest, I was a red belt before I truly felt like I had conscious control over how to bio-mechanically execute this technique, when to use it, and where it would land. There is a basic blueprint for throwing this kick but my observation and experience has taught me that no two martial artists will throw this kick alike. Each practictioner will test and tweak the execution of this technique in his/her own unique way. Some martial artists such as myself will have several different ways to throw the reverse turning kick depending on the situation. I personally like to add a jump to this kick to rise above an opponent's mid-section kick (particularly roundhouses). a move which adds an additional degree of difficulty.

Despite the fact that the kicking leg in a reverse turning kick is straight when it approaches the target, pivotal turning speed is created from a bent knee position. Traditional execution for the reverse turning kick begins by: (1) pivoting the front foot away from the opponent while slightly bending the front knee for balance (2) lifting the back kicking leg in a bent knee position while abducting away from the base leg (the idea is to get your inner thigh to face toward the floor, such as it does when performing a side kick) (3) bringing the kicking leg around 180 degrees in a wide arcing approach toward the intended target (usually this kick is aimed at the head) (4) straightening out the leg at about the half-way point to the target.

When performing this kick one needs to be loose and agile like a whip, tightening only at the point of impact. Stiff robotic movement will not provide the necessary torque and momentum needed for speedy delivery. As your waist starts to turn lean your upper-body back away from your opponent for counter balance as the kicking leg is extending. Leaning back off the kick is how you guide the upward arcing motion of the kicking leg. It will take lots of practice to find the perfect counter balance point. Generally, you will need to lean back further to reach the head of taller opponents and less to reach the head of shorter opponents. So practitioners need to practice throwing their reverse turning kick at targets of various heights.

Focus mitts and kicking paddles should be your targets of choice when practising this spinning kick. These hand held targets allow your kicking foot to follow through the initial strike thereby allowing the flow of momentum to bring your upper-body completely around and back to a recovered state of readiness. Using heavy bags to practice with disrupts momentum on impact, and therefore I discourage the idea of its use for practicing this kick.

I highly suggest that you do not use this kick as an initial first strike but rather employ it as a counter measure. Even though your back is turned during the initiation of this kick for just a split second, a well schooled advisary can take full advantage of this opportunity to strike. In addition, due to the high degree of balance needed to throw the reverse turning kick, fighters often lose their balance in the rotational spin because they miscue counter balancing their body and their kick, thus throwing off their center of gravity. There is no doubt about the amount of damage that can be inflicted by the heel of a foot that comes around like it has been shot out of a cannon and connected to an opponent's chin or face. But if the reverse turning kick is poorly thrown or timed the rebuttal can be devastating. So before you get the notion to throw spinning wheel kicks during a tournament you need to have the fundamentals down-pat, including practicing your footwork (i.e. stepping forward and backward, push-step sliding, and angular movements), as well as timing, and situational use. Remember with great rewards, comes great risk.