Taekwondo knee problems... roundhouse kick?

Question

My knee that stays on the ground feels like i have been twisting it too much while trying to do some roundhouse kicks, is this normal at first and my knee is just not strong yet? or... Should I try and bend it a little and lose some balance Or should I be bending it? Right now this is the only kick with any strain... who knows? help me out and you are amazing! Thanks

Answer 1

I would first ask what surface are you standing on when doing this.  If it is a mat or a soft floor that could be the problem as doing spinning and turning type kicks cause a lot of wear and tear on your knees and ankles if the surface is to soft.  That is one of the reasons why they practiced mostly on hardwood floors hundreds of years ago rather than something  soft like sand.  Stay off of it for a bit and especially give it a rest from any turning, pivoting, and spinning type kicks.  When practicing them come up just a little higher on the ball of your foot and keep the knee of your base leg slightly bent for balance and this should help a little.  People can over do it and remember when Aerobics first came out in the late 70s?  By the early 80s you had instructors with knee and back problems because they had been teaching high impact aerobics several days per week, several classes per day for four or five years.  This was one of the things that brought about low impact and step aerobics.  

A martial artist can do the same thing to their body if not careful.  I started wearing athletic shoes twenty years ago to save my knees and ankles but I have noticed that if I do a lot of spinning and turning type kicks the torsion and pivoting along with the friction of the shoe on the floor causes some soreness like what you describe.  Give it a little rest from this motion, do some knee rotations before working out, come up slightly higher on the ball of your foot and toes when pivoting to throw your roundhouse kick and it should be ok.

Answer 2

Having been in some sort of martial arts for the last 10 years or so I can understand that there is serious strain put on your knees from constant kicking especially in taekwondo.

First for any kick you should have you plant foot (foot on the ground) slightly bent, as it is never good to completely straighten out your leg since it can be easily hyperextended in that position. You should practice kicking this way so that you don't lose your balance. In fact your balance should actually be better kicking with a slightly bent knee on your plant foot.

Second your plant foot should rotate with your round kick so that the torque you create with the round kick does not get taken out on your knee. Practice rotating your plant foot, while you perform a round kick, with the round kick such that the toes on your plant foot are facing the opposite direction of your target. This is difficult to do if your gluts and quads are not in good shape, but practice makes perfect. The best thing you can do though if you are straining your knee is ask your instructor for help.

Answer 3

Find a real respected and civilized sport, not a pseudo-art.  Just stop fighting, why must people be so paranoid about attackers?

Answer 4

I'd stay off of it if I were you...and no more roundhouse kicks until you rest....

Answer 5

you shouldnt worry to much but if its serious pain then you might want to get a doc to check it .but if its just from praticing rounders then it sounds like you have just started to stretch your tendons or if its swallon then you might want to rest put on a cool pad or icy hot .dude be sure to do warm ups and regular stretching.check out vids of great fighters doing round house kicks study it to make sure you got it right then pratice makes perfect in no time you will look mad as h**l dont be discouraged from pratice because of a few minor injuries.try praticing the rotation leaping off the ground will throw off your balance as well as spinning on your heel try staying  more to the front of your foot but not your tippy toes for your planted foot and with your attacking leg stretch it as much as you can before and after training sessions  then after time it will become second nature to you

Good technique is harder to defend against and to counter than is poor technique. Poor technique often hurts the user more than its recipient. Examples: side kicks that result in bruised ankles; roundhouse kicks that sprain the supporting knee or ankle or bruise the ankle of the kicking leg.

and as forTechnique, whether good or poor, is formed by an instructor. The instructor is responsible for teaching good technique and for teaching it well. If technique is poor, the instructor is to blame. If you instruct yourself (you are self-taught) and have poor technique, the instructor is to blame.

try focuing on some other kicks like the knee kick and leave the round house kick for slow motion pratice like 2 times per week full 45 minute sessions untill you have the technique and can do the full motion with out straining your knee.and for knee kicks

To feel the difference in power and penetration of the knee kick with foot down (plantar flexed) versus foot up (dorsiflexed), practice knee kicks into a soft heavy bag or into a shield held by a partner.

For poor control, practice kicking slowly but at the full range of motion, while paying attention to the foot position.

no pain no gain, i would rather be over trained then under trained

.......may the force be with you.

Answer 6

You should be asking your instructor this question. He is best suited to answer you as he can see and correct any bad habits that may be causing this pain.

Also you may want to have your feet checked.  I had a student that had knee pain and it turned out that she had foot issues that caused her knee problems.

So here is what you do.

1.  Explain this issue to your instructor and ask his advice.

2.  Make sure there are no issues with your feet.

Hope this helps.

Answer 7

Your ground foot needs to be on the ball of your foot.  Your heel of the ground foot needs to be turned more to the target .. Your kicking leg kick comes from the knee, striking with the top or crown of the foot or the lower shin. Not allowing the ground leg the freedom to pivot is straining the knee joint. You must ease the strain by turning the heel toward the target. Do not lock out the leg. Do not kick beyond the target. When the kick contacts the target the kicking leg should not fully extend rater it should have a 3 to 5 inches of travel left to bury into the target as well.

Improper kicking can mess up your knee. If this does not help have a professional check your kicking posture.

Answer 8

i'd wait til the pain goes away but when you kick,make sure the foot on the ground has  turned all the way with your body when you kick.If you didnt do it right,you can get injured badly.hope i helped