How to Do a Swiping Kick

The swipe kick is a popular move seen in classic Hollywood action films, but with practice, can also be used as an effective method of self-defense. The swiping kick begins with a standard roundhouse kick to shock the opponent and then drops into a low kick to take your opponent off his feet.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

1. Stand with your feet about shoulder width apart and your dominant foot behind you. Bring your back leg forward, bending your knee as you lift your leg to your side. Point your toe and swing your lower leg out fast towards your opponent, striking him in the chest.
2. Take advantage of your opponent's recovery time to perform the swiping kick. Instead of drawing your leg back to it's original position, as you would with a standard round house kick, bend your non-dominant leg and squat to the floor, drawing your dominant leg straight out to your side.
3. Lean forward onto your hands and swing your dominant leg as far up towards your hands as possible to gain momentum.
4. Flex your toes so the reach up towards your body and then swing your leg down hard and fast. The goal is to strike your opponent in the back or side of the knee with your shin, just a few inches above the ankle. The swiping kick should quickly drop your opponent to the ground.

Tips & Warnings

• The swiping kick requires a great deal of flexibility, agility and upper body strength. Make sure that you practice each part of the move slowly to perfect your technique before you attempt to use it as a means of self-defense.
• Make sure that you can move faster than your opponent can recover, as squatting low to the ground places you in a vulnerable position.