Mawashi Geri Mechanics Playbook
Mat Manual companion guide to "Everyone Sees Your Mawashi Geri Coming." Print it. The article explains why the kick gets read. This book rebuilds it part by part, with drills, doses, and standards you can check off.
| Art | Shotokan Karate |
|---|---|
| Family | Karate |
| Level | beginner |
| Format | playbook |
| Topics | kicks, sparring |
Mat Manual companion guide to "Everyone Sees Your Mawashi Geri Coming." Print it. The article explains why the kick gets read. This book rebuilds it part by part, with drills, doses, and standards you can check off.
Name: ______________________________ Dojo: ______________________________ Instructor: ______________________________
SAFETY, BEFORE ANYTHING ELSE ☐ Kicks in partner drills land on pads, shields, or agreed targets at agreed power. A partner's ribs are not a measuring instrument. ☐ The support knee is a joint, not a pivot post. The pivot turns on the ball of the foot. Forcing rotation through a planted foot is how knees get hurt learning this kick. ☐ Jodan (head-height) work is earned at chudan first. Height drills stop the day the hip pinches, the back rounds hard, or balance leaves. ☐ A caught leg is released on the word or the tap, immediately, every time. Rechamber drills are not wrestling matches. ☐ Stretching and mobility work for kick height follows the cross-art standard: dynamic before training, deep work after. Never force a pinching hip.
The Kick in Five Parts
Every drill in this book serves one part. When the kick fails, name the part before you fix anything.
| Part | The job | The standard | The usual failure |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Chamber | Knee rises across the front, thigh level, aimed at the target | Looks like a front kick starting; guard hand at the cheek | Knee drifts to the flank and the sweep begins |
| 2. Pivot | Support foot turns on its ball, heel toward the target | Pivot and hip turn finish together | Foot flat and forward; hip locked at half-turn |
| 3. Snap | Lower leg extends off the hip's rotation, tight arc | Contact with instep or ball of foot, hip fully turned in | Straight-leg swing, contact with the shin or ankle |
| 4. Rechamber | Foot returns along the same line, knee stays high | Return as fast as the extension; no drop below knee height | Leg hangs, then falls straight down |
| 5. Set down | Foot lands in a stance you chose before the kick | Landing ready to punch, move, or kick again | Landing wherever gravity filed it |
The mirror rule. All solo work in this book is done facing a mirror, a window reflection, or a phone camera. This kick's faults are visible and its fixes are visible. Train where you can see.
Mawashi Geri Mechanics Playbook
Mat Manual companion guide to "Everyone Sees Your Mawashi Geri Coming." Print it. The article explains why the kick gets read. This book rebuilds it part by part, with drills, doses, and standards you can check off.
What's Inside
- The Kick in Five Parts
- Part 1: Chamber Drills
- Part 2: Pivot Drills
- Part 3: Snap Drills
- Part 4: Rechamber Drills
- Part 5: Set Down and Combinations
- …and 22 more sections
The full guide is a paid Mat Manual product. Checkout is not connected yet — no payment is taken on this page.
Free companion article: Everyone Sees Your Mawashi Geri Coming — the full article, free in full.
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