Hands up during roundhouse kick. For what?

[ImmigrantMentality]

I have always been taught to keep my rear hand up while throwing my roundhouse for defense, but it's something I've always questioned. With your rear hand up, what strike are you actually protecting yourself from when doing this



It looks to me like you're still wide open to being countered and bringing your hands up in this manner while throwing your kick is just wasted effort and results in a slightly weaker kick. I've also noticed that Thais usually don't bother bringing their hand up when throwing their roundhouses


Is it mostly just western gyms that teach the technique with your hand up?

 

[JohnPJones]

what strike would you protect yourself against? a punch or kick to the head...

 

[ARIZE]

It's not just a western thing, any proper MT camp, from Europe to Thailand will teach you the roundhouse that way. Opposite hand of kick to the face.

 

[William Huggins]

I have always been taught to keep my rear hand up while throwing my roundhouse for defense, but it's something I've always questioned. With your rear hand up, what strike are you actually protecting yourself from when doing this



It looks to me like you're still wide open to being countered and bringing your hands up in this manner while throwing your kick is just wasted effort and results in a slightly weaker kick. I've also noticed that Thais usually don't bother bringing their hand up when throwing their roundhouses


Is it mostly just western gyms that teach the technique with your hand up?

You don't need to have your hand up if you are positioned so you are out of the line of engagement for a straight punch, off center. If you want to stand in front of your opponent square on you better protect yourself from a straight punch coming down the pipe as a counter or even an interception like @ARIZE gif............

 

[Hatake88]

a very common (dutch/kickboxing) counter to the roundhouse is to pivot to the opposite side of the kick while throwing a hook to counter

 

[tekkenfan]

i prefer what razor rob does

 

[j123]

It's not only for defensive purposes. It's a counterweight so you don't have your weight pulled back making the kick pointless.

You're trying to kick "forward", if your weight is going back, your balance is compromised, power is a fraction of what it's supposed to be, and you've just wasted gas you need.

If after years of knowing how to balance and control how the weight shifts, then okay you could get away with it down. I wouldn't recommend it though.

 

[KarateStylist]

You don't need to have your hand up if you are positioned so you are out of the line of engagement for a straight punch, off center. If you want to stand in front of your opponent square on you better protect yourself from a straight punch coming down the pipe as a counter or even an interception like @ARIZE gif............

All kicks are vulnerable to counter.

 

[froggyluv]

I have always been taught to keep my rear hand up while throwing my roundhouse for defense, but it's something I've always questioned. With your rear hand up, what strike are you actually protecting yourself from when doing this



It looks to me like you're still wide open to being countered and bringing your hands up in this manner while throwing your kick is just wasted effort and results in a slightly weaker kick. I've also noticed that Thais usually don't bother bringing their hand up when throwing their roundhouses

Even right in this pic that kick looks close to being caught which Blue could pull right into his right hook

 

[FighterTwister]

I have been taught to have hands in a slight defensive position similar to Bill Wallace in form...



Some or better put in terms of throwing a side kick with speed and full weight transfer drop the hands out and to the side you see this round house thrown kicks as well. Some will say it balances them better or helps with rotation but as shown above,

I prefer the one as guard to the chin, ready to follow through in a punch. So the importance is the next move the follow through. So if that’s any value to anyone.

 

[KarateStylist]

I have been taught to have hands in a slight defensive position similar to Bill Wallace in form...



Some or better put in terms of throwing a side kick with speed and full weight transfer drop the hands out and to the side you see this round house thrown kicks as well. Some will say it balances them better or helps with rotation but as shown above,
I prefer one one as guard to the chin. Ready to follow through in a punch. So the importance is the next move the follow through. So if that’s any value to anyone.

Wallace is still open.

 

[ImmigrantMentality]

It's not just a western thing, any proper MT camp, from Europe to Thailand will teach you the roundhouse that way. Opposite hand of kick to the face.

The way Samart has his hand up makes sense to me, although granted he's still vulnerable to a straight left, the most basic and easiest counter from that position. That's why I think the timing, head/shoulder placement and quality of your kick is far more important than your hand placement as far as being countered is concerned. In my op I was more specifically talking about holding your hands up in this manner


Or this


I see literally zero benefit to holding your hands up like this. You're not defending yourself from any practical attack with that hand placement.

 

[ImmigrantMentality]

It's not only for defensive purposes. It's a counterweight so you don't have your weight pulled back making the kick pointless.

You're trying to kick "forward", if your weight is going back, your balance is compromised, power is a fraction of what it's supposed to be, and you've just wasted gas you need.

If after years of knowing how to balance and control how the weight shifts, then okay you could get away with it down. I wouldn't recommend it though.

You really think holding your rear hand up by your ear, is going to add power to your kick?

 

[KarateStylist]

The way Samart has his hand up makes sense to me, although granted he's still vulnerable to a straight left, the most basic and easiest counter from that position. That's why I think the timing, head/shoulder placement and quality of your kick is far more important than your hand placement as far as being countered is concerned. In my op I was more specifically talking about holding your hands up in this manner


Or this


I see literally zero benefit to holding your hands up like this. You're not defending yourself from any practical attack with that hand placement.

""""i'm a troll."""" Yet I've answered the question karate wise.

I'll have to got back in the way back machine to see if I can re-discover the post.Circle around 'til then.

 

[ARIZE]

The way Samart has his hand up makes sense to me, although granted he's still vulnerable to a straight left, the most basic and easiest counter from that position.

Straight rear punch can be very dangerous, but even worst would be the right hook since you turn yourself into the punch, adding a lot more power, to a already hard strike.

So, having to choose between a straight and a hook that i turn into, I would prefer the straight. And since the hand position only allow one defense*, that's why we train with the hand on our cheek. The hand on the side also defend from a high roundhouse counter.
I've seen trainers teaching the dracula guard that could potentially defend both those strikes, but honestly, I don't remember seen anyone use it while throwing the round. I've seen it with knees, and i think with teeps too maybe.

*Also, having the hand near your face, can still help you block a straight punch just by moving it to the front. It's not that big of a movement... Something that won't be doable with your hand down.

So between choosing a defense to the hook and kick, with a possibility to defend the straight, vs a bit more power and stamina, most people choose the defense.

The reason you see a lot of times the hand down during fights, it's the same reason you would see boxers having their hands down while they throw power punches or combination, etc: In a fight, a very big percentage of your technique goes through the window. That doesn't mean they train to throw punches with the opposite hand down.

 

[j123]

You really think holding your rear hand up by your ear, is going to add power to your kick?

It's not for power, it's a counterweight. If your balance is halfway between forward and falling back, your kick is not going to have much behind it. Everything at that point is compromised

 

[MisterHappy]

All kicks are vulnerable to counter.

You've obviously never taken my leg kick to the head. Master Ken taught it to me.

 

[Snubnoze707]

Even if you aren't blocking a counter, your hand is right where it needs to be following the kick. If someone is quick to respond with hands you are in good position to protect with your guard up. Furthermore, it helps as a counter balance when throwing the kick so you can put more into it while maintaining balance and structure.

 

[Sensei Student]

You can get countered. Step in to the opposite leg for an easy counter. But any good kicker would also duck their head slightly to prevent that from happening. It's not needed to keep the kicking hand up. I was always taught that the kicking hand goes down to help counter balance the kick. Recently, I'm more inclined to 'post' my kicking hand oppose to all the way down.

 

[biscuitsbrah]

Something I don’t see mentioned is also the fact that the hand there helps with indirect counters.
If your hand is already there it helps so you don’t have to bring it back to your face if someone is trying to kick or punch AFTER your kick.
It would take a lot longer to bring back if it’s at your waist.

You are also in position to strike with that hand after the kick lands. So many reasons to train with the hand up and tight while kicking