Improve your Hook Kick - a lesson on Ura Mawashi Geri

[@seanlewis2452]

Made me decide to attend my local shotokan club.

[@SenseiFord]

Great vid! Thanks, Sir!

[@shauntheangelofmercy]

what I like most of your videos is you go deep into the technique, explaining all the mechanics and giving helpful tips for beginners. Thank you for sharing your knowledge.

[@dumitriuflorentina6137]

LMPROVE YOUR HOOK KICK - A LESSON ON URA MAWASHI GERI

[@EricAndersen-e8l]

Thank you sooo much

[@Jamescc2ify]

Great vid Sensei ! Your kicks are swift, deadly and explosive ! 😎 Great explanation of the body mechanics as well….

[@ronan4681]

Beautiful control and technique John. Restores my faith in martial arts.

[@sebastianmichalski5318]

That is absolutely exceptional!

[@jkgardiner]

Thank you

[@peercy5927]

Really well explained and awesome to watch.

[@davidgomezjimenez2495]

Thanks for your tips. Very useful

[@Yogananndmartialaarts19]

Most useful video

[@Chapperino]

One of the best demonstrations of ushiro ura mawashi I've seen.

[@jkgardiner]

Thank you 🙏

[@scrobiuspip]

Fantastic video, thanks for making this series!

[@bunburyodo]

Nice stuff as usual. Sensei Hazard always used to say to us to do a yoko geri kekomi past their head, then whip back with the heel, so when I hear someone else saying the same things I know the following instructions will be good :)

[@jkgardiner]

Sensei Hazard has had quite an influence on my Karate

[@bunburyodo]

@@jkgardiner I could tell as soon as I saw your videos a while back. I subbed based on your own merits of course, but that type of quality karate is evident. We used to host Sensei Hazard annually in Wales until he retired post-Covid. I miss our training and conversations. It was he who awarded my sensei his 7th Dan (because everyone knew he wouldn't accept it otherwise, but he would never say no to Dave Hazard :D ). We have family in Kent so my wife and I may try to couple a visit to your dojo one day, if you will have us.

[@jkgardiner]

@@bunburyodo of course, you will be welcome 👍

[@BCC-ru7cw]

Muy bueno pacticar movimientos de extremidades inferiores, interesante, desplazamientos rapidez en extremidades superiores, y las inferiores. El complemento perfecto. Gracias.

[@Stolen__sovereign]

Name of the kick: ura mawashi!!! Subtitles: or washing or hook kick! 🙂

[@educatedcanadian7408]

My favorite version of this kick. So well done. Im almost there but i had to relearn this version. Taekwondo style and other karate style hook kicks are different. We use more of a front wheel kick turned sideways with a hook in it and it lands in hook position as front foot lands. Almost like a wheel kick sideways with a hook in it. Its effective and powerful but it hurts to throw and requires a massive range of motion and doesn't look as good. I know the spinning version of this hss enough knockout power. Sensei have you been told how much we love you for teaching this, just want to make sure you're getting your validation today!

[@madmanwristy9052]

exactly the kind of video I was looking for

[@Jordansparte]

Great technique!

[@educatedcanadian7408]

Really wish i trained under john. As soon as i saw Nat i needed to know who trained him. Im literally having to relearn half my kicks i do because my form is off. This is tight. Its so good i believe Nat could become a serious fighter because John trained him so bloody well. The tight, perfect technique is beautiful. What bothers me is in taekwondo style they acrually teach us to swing the whole leg with the hook like a wheel kick almost but with a hook and sideways. It is more power but we dont rechamber and the foot just goes down as the front foot in stance and same with the spin hook kick. Its held in a hook but it is chambered and thrown a little sooner but the leg swings as well using the glute to speed it up. The hook is held formed and not brouught back, its meant to swing through the target. Its got power but its less controlled but it does land. Almost like a sideways axe kick held like such and swong like a bat. I like johns proper version better. I dont know if it has more power but its tighter and looks better. Why do they train us to throw it like that? Anyways thanks john. Good form.

[@crisalcantara7671]

the answer i have found to your question : why do they train us to throw the kick and other technieques like that is cause that's the version they learned from their teachers and they never decided to change or improve it or to teach a different version of it , this question bugged me allot but not anymore , i just weent to train with different people to learn their version to become more knowlegable

[@shayhoulihan4391]

Shay checking in from dublin Ireland thank you

[@hrist34]

Nice exercise is take 2 targets , hit through one hit 2nd and space those more and more. Good hook kick hip training.work on roundhouse too. Just carefull on the targets holders head when wide split. Great video

[@maxiro17]

Excellent explanation and tips, let's practice it, thanks.

[@DrNikolaiLee]

This video is great! We teach the exact same movement in hapkido for our hook kicks. They may be different styles, but there are only so many ways to move the body correctly. Keep up the great work sir!

[@jkgardiner]

There are more similarities than differences between the arts 👍🥋

[@Turbulent2000]

Great video, all important details explained. This comparison with yoko kekomi is perfect, thanks John!

[@adamscenna]

Awesome!

[@teikarate]

Great video. Exactly how I learned it after Bill Superfoot Wallace did a course for my old club back in the 90s. Great stuff John as always.

[@jeseaep]

Just started watching you, and dude, your technique is phenomenal! Keep it up!

[@jkgardiner]

Thank you 🤜🤛

[@slingshotshooter7536]

yes he is right really good but you forgot to show how you do the spin in the spinning hook kick@@jkgardiner

[@jkgardiner]

@slingshotshooter7536 yes these videos are made before I teach classes so time is limited, I just cover the main points first. I am planning to do a separate video on the spinning version which will include that.

[@victortorres7851]

I was taught to always point your toes when you swing kick. You can choose to hit with ball of the foot for safety or the heel for damage. The reason to always point your toes is to prevent achilles tendon snaps. I didn't think it was posiible until I heard it happen to one of my training partners in sparring. He went for the spin the opponent stepped back and high blocked. Pow achilles tendon gone. Watch your follow thru and use point your toes people.

[@MA1980c]

So you mean if the foot is in a side kick position, you run a greater risk of injury?

[@victortorres7851]

@@MA1980c yes, very much so. When your foot is in side kick position the achilles is fully stretched and tight. Then you spin and hit with the back of the heel not the bottom like a side kick. All the tension goes to the heel and the connecting tendon to take the force. Especially if you are an older karateka 35+. It runs a higher risk ofl snapping.

[@MA1980c]

@@victortorres7851 I do toes pointed for flexibility maintenance anyway, but thanks for the heads up. I"ll keep that in mind whenever I kick a bag.

[@crisalcantara7671]

😥😥

[@andrewfindlay9336]

This is just the video i needed to see, ive been trying to figure out why when i do ushiro ura mwash, i over rotate and struggle to control the rechamber and ultimately become unbalanced, what you said about keeping everything tight is something im looking to work on, thanks for the demonstration.

[@alanbone5512]

Brilliant John , I can remember watching Dave hazard in Chrystal place years ago , in 1970s , watching him in competition was just amazing with these kicks , Needless to say he won , great technique John ,

[@jkgardiner]

I've trained with Dave Hazard quite a few times and he has had an influence on a lot of the ways i teach. An exceptional karareka.

[@alanbone5512]

@@jkgardiner great karate , he amazed me long time ago never forgot watching him , saw him on open door program , BBC 2 way back when still on u tube archives with others I knew way back then , , it's still in my blood , though I am now elderly , god bless you John , great techniques ,

[@alanbone5512]

@@jkgardiner karate , saved my life , many times , I never had to hurt anyone , a fact I am proud of, I could tell you many true accounts , good basic karate , saved me , and my son my daughter ,too ,

[@slingshotshooter7536]

can you please upload a short video showing what part of the leg you want to make contact with the target for a hook kick that you hit with the heel ?? really important you forgot to mention it

[@crisalcantara7671]

well i've been taught to hit with point of the heel meaning , let's say you amagine that from you heel down is a stragiht ling and then 90 degrees goes under your foot , so the point of the 90 degrees would be the point of your heel but i've been warned not to hit to close where your achiles tenden is cause if you hit an elbow or something hard it could be harmfull to you , so like a hammer you should hit with the part fartest from your achiles for saftly but do more research for your selfe to know more like i always do , stay safe.

[@jioxkabs9315]

Bravo, nice demonstration!

[@YourGenericBrownGuy]

bro your videos are actually so good man and your karate looks so nice, im a wing chun guy but my wing chun teacher taught us the primary karate kicks as well just for fun

[@joseramos3076]

Excellent performance!!!!!

[@maxwell6297]

awesome , thank you very much for the tips, can you do tutorial on leg hold please ?

[@huranku98]

I'd like to see you teach an entire kata.

[@jkgardiner]

I might do this soon ...

[@NatsuDragneel-cd5ji]

@@jkgardinerPlease do the shotokan version of Unsu!!

[@salvatorecampanile6696]

Oss

[@kennethrogers1129]

for a karateguy you do hook kick pretty good., but you should hit target with snap of leg stright with back of heel. power coming from your body., not from bending knee, that is most common mistake, hitting by bending the knee, your spin hook is better but actually more like full wheel kick, spin hook is different as you step forward after snspping the leg, wheel kick goes all the way around. You need TKD lesson!

[@hrist34]

Hello, if you practice tkd you should know both exists , snapping with "whole" leg or with bending knee, both gets rotation power but one with addition of knee, other of hip.fouryo or nakat tchaki ( sorry in m'y langage , dont have official way of spelling Korean words).

[@zumraali9998]

Thank you 🥋sensei OSs

[@slingshotshooter7536]

at 2:50 too bad we cant see the feet :(

[@helioshyperion8077]

i can do a perfect spinning hook kick like yours but i cant do just a plain ura mawashi, it feels like my muscle mind connection doesnt work on the movement, only with the spinning cuz i already have the feeling of it. gonna try those exercises while holding something to take out the balance issue.

[@matthewphillips1976]

Its similar to the normal kick and then raise and hook it onto a target all at once. Simplified

[@helioshyperion8077]

the problem is that my mind and body doesnt want to do the hook part, only my right leg can do it, my left leg just does a regular kick, maybe some twitch backwards with the heel part but thats about it, i cant control it i mean or do it with my mind.@@matthewphillips1976

[@crisalcantara7671]

the spinning one follows trough like swinging a bat and smashin a melon but the other one does not follow trough and is just a slap using your hamstring to curl you leg like a bicep curl and know rotating trough on your standing leg other method is to stand in a side stance , do a side kick , so stick out your leg besdie your target like you missed and then slap the target with the heel or flat part of the foot , that's it , note: when snapping the leg your standing leg the heel should face your aponent/target or you risk injury .

[@ricardomartins3032]

Estou com dificuldade no momento de girar o pé de apoio. Pode dá uma dica ?#oiapoque -Ap

[@bogse]

Good clear lesson, thank you. At some point he makes kekomi and turn it to ura mawasi geri.. So, should we think it as a kekomi (missed kekomi) that evolves to hook kick. I mean the mindset when you practise it, first regular kekomi and then change it to ura mawasi geri. Anyone, does that make any sense?

[@jkgardiner]

Yes that's kind of how I think of it. That way avoids the straight leg swing that a lot of people do, chamber like a kekomi and then hook it from there

[@bogse]

@@jkgardiner Cool, I keep this in mind when practising it, thank you.

[@slingshotshooter7536]

you make a fist and clinch it hard in order to not hurt your hand , when you throw a hook kick with the leg and hit with the heel how do you protect the feet ?

[@jkgardiner]

Dorsiflexion - pulling the toes up towards the shin.

[@slingshotshooter7536]

@@jkgardiner a very skilled martial artist has told me this "Conversely, you do not want to do the kick in a dorsiflexion position because it exposes the Achilles to injury." what do you know about it is it true ?

[@jkgardiner]

@slingshotshooter7536 every time we throw a hand or foot at the opponent there is a risk of injury to ourselves. This is where timing and distancing is important. Techniques need to be set up in order to minimise the risk of being countered or injuring yourself. However saying this, this kick is not really one I'd use outside of sparring, it comes with too much risk.

[@slingshotshooter7536]

a good idea for a video for you is a video showing what are the best kicks for self defence @@jkgardiner

[@jkgardiner]

@slingshotshooter7536 thanks that is a good idea 👍 I think I'll do that this week

[@prafulminj5085]

I have a doubt. Do you use the recoil from that missed side kick to hook it back to the target?

[@jkgardiner]

@@prafulminj5085 it’s not really a missed side kick, it’s making the kick go out wide enough “as if you are giving a wide side kick” so you can hook back into the target.

[@prafulminj5085]

@@jkgardiner ok tysm :)

[@lightningtabby36]

I really want you to get a microphone. Great video but cant hear you.

[@jkgardiner]

Thank you, I have one in my newer videos

[@lightningtabby36]

@@jkgardiner Subscribed👍

[@jkgardiner]

@@lightningtabby36 thank you, hope you enjoy the other videos 👍🏼

[@ovideoarkans7982]

ARE YOU KIDDING?

[@crisalcantara7671]

what happened ?

[@MA1980c]

There is no ura mawashi geri in any traditional karate style. It's a Taekwondo ripoff. Watch the old tapes of Karate.

[@jkgardiner]

Who cares? It exists in Karate now. I really don't care if my Karate is "historically accurate". I care that it works and I enjoy it. Progress is prevented by a closed mind.

[@MA1980c]

​@@jkgardiner People like myself who join JKA and don't ever train this? What not at least point that out?

[@jkgardiner]

@TaeKwonDofilm what does it matter though? A lot of the kicks were actually taken from the French art of Savate. It isn't a "rip off" of another art, it is development. JKA do use ura mawashi geri, maybe not in your dojo. Shotokan is a relatively modern style and the okinawan styles would consider what we do to not be "traditional".

[@MA1980c]

@@jkgardiner I don't recall ever seeing ura mawashi geri in JKA kumite, it's a point technique (unless you go through) and JKA is about one winning blow. What belt level does JKA teach ura mawashi geri, then? The JKA gradings I've seen don't include it I am sceptical that most JKA schools would ever teach this, but I will take your word for it you are confident on the issue

[@jkgardiner]

@TaeKwonDofilm I've scored with it in JKA shobu Ippon rules. It is not part of any shotokan syllabus below 1st Dan as far as I'm aware but it does exist in the overall karate training. In the same way that mika tzuki geri doesn't appear on the syllabus but is a technique within shotokan. Kagawa sensei (now JKS but a JKA instructor programe graduate and one of the leading japanese shotokan sensei) has a video on here of him doing it.

[@cyxiano]

you are bending knee too much

[@jkgardiner]

Explain