Spinning Roundhouse or Spinning backfist, Really?

In the martial arts, especially the striking ones, there has always been excitement when spinning techniques are used. Weather they land on there target or not, people seem to always raise there eyebrows while shouting “wow” then they are performed. But do they really work and are they worth practising.

Spinning techniques, including spinning back kick, side kick, back roundhouse kick, back fist and many more are powerful. No doubt about that. Because you add a spin to the technique you create extra torque and momentum which leads to extra power, so if the technique lands flush on the intended target, it will hurt. When watching MMA sensation Cung Le perform a spinning kick he usually knocks his opponent backwards many feet, so it must deliver some force. Plus through countless training of spinning techniques you will develop awareness, concentration and your peripheral vision. Awareness and concentration will be trained through the actual spin. With techniques such as hook punches and front kicks, because you are looking at your target without spinning round, sometimes it is easy to lose concentration when performing the techniques, but when you do spin, you have to keep an image of where you opponent is, or where he is moving to, in order to hit him/her. Also, as you have spun around sometimes you don’t have the ability or time to look at your opponent square on, but may be able to see him/her out the corner of your eye so you do develop your peripheral vision this way.

How about some disadvantages then. Well, they are slower techniques than without the spin. The spin will take up a bit of time and before you have spun completely around, an accomplished striker may already have anticipated the technique and moved away. Also it is easy to lose control with a spinning technique if you don’t hit, so if your opponent has moved away and you lose control, it could be easy for him/her to counter you which could prove painful. Then there is the long theory of never taking your eyes off your opponent. Well with spinning techniques you do, only for a split second, but again your opponent could counter your technique because of that split second.

Spinning techniques are like any other. They must be UNDERSTOOD. By this I’m not saying practise them until your blue in the face, but understand that they can be used when the time is appropriate, so do practise them along with other techniques using them wisely, and also understood that they can be used against you, so keep your guard up just in case.

Marks

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Tags: spinning roundhouse, power, backfist

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