The Challenge
Perform a Tornado kick at head height
Pre-requisites
Turning kick/roundhouse kick
Jumping 180
What is a tornado kick?
A tornado kick is one of the more advanced kicks in Taekwondo. You start in a fighting stance, spin 180 degrees and then perform a turning kick, swinging your leg all the way back through to starting position. With a tornado kick you are essential turning, lifting up your leg, spinning and kicking.
The idea is to create momentum to increase the overall power of your roundhouse kick, increase the height of your kick and to surprise your opponent.
The goal
We wanted to introduce the tornado kick concept to the children so that they stay motivated and are exposed to more advanced techniques whilst working on the components to complete this challenge.
About tornado kicks
Tornado kicks are spinning kicks that are used in Taekwondo, and if they are successfully executed they can earn you extra points in Taekwondo match. These kicks can be quite deceptive and very powerful, due to the increased momentum that can be achieved by spinning.
Why head height?
Head kicks in general earn more points in Taekwondo. The higher a kick is, the more difficult the challenge become, and the more it starts to encompass other abilities such as flexibility, coordination and power.