Execute the spinning back kick properly, and it will generate more power than virtually any other leg technique in the martial arts. However, the kick, which is called ushiro geri in Japanese, is seldom seen in karate, taekwondo or MMA competition. And when it is tried, it rarely has a significant impact. 

It’s my contention that failure usually results from one or more of seven problems. All of them are outlined — and corrected — in this article. Here are 7 Reasons Your Spinning Back Kick Isn’t Working.

PROBLEM: YOUR STANCE IS TOO NARROW 

No matter your martial art, your stance is functional only if, at any given moment, it enables you to execute an attack, counterattack, defense, lateral movement or interception without requiring any last-minute adjustments. Of course, this also applies to the spinning back kick. The problem stems from the fact that many martial artists are never taught that the first part of the body that must be moved is the tool that will make contact. 

For the spinning back kick, that tool is the heel. Failing to move your heel first can force you to execute the kick from a stance that’s too narrow. That will leave you with a kick that feels slow, uncomfortable and powerless. Even worse, any attack you attempt from a narrow stance is easy for your opponent to detect and then intercept or counter. All of this means that if you try to throw an ushiro geri with your heels aligned, you’ll put yourself in danger. 

SOLUTION: Although the optimal stance varies according to the individual, a general guideline is to assume a posture in which your feet are shoulder-width apart. Your feet should be parallel and angled slightly off your centerline. Your weight is evenly distributed on both legs, with your front toes aligned with your back heel. 

PROBLEM: YOU’RE TELEGRAPHING 

Moving your front foot in a way that reveals your intentions is a common problem with all kicks, not just the ushiro geri. How many times have we seen it precede even the simplest of leg techniques, the low front kick? A martial artist will lift his front foot prematurely or move it forward or outward in a manner that betrays the coming technique. The good news is, once you take pains to elimi- nate telegraphing from your spinning back kick, you’ll be well on your way to improving all your other kicks, too. 

For the ushiro geri, a narrow stance doesn’t provide a level of comfort and confidence. That’s why most karate and taekwondo athletes and MMA fighters wind up moving their front foot inward before they kick, and they don’t stop until their front foot and back foot are parallel, almost in a horse stance. This is unnecessary. As I men- tioned, it will telegraph your intentions to any opponent who’s skilled enough to read them. He can then time your movement and punch you in the ribs or back before you initiate the kick. 

SOLUTION: In the dojo, practice your spinning back kick without adjusting your feet. You may find that daunting at first, but it is possible. Once you have it down, you’ll find that eliminating any unnecessary movements has made your kick faster all around. 

PROBLEM: YOU’RE AT THE WRONG DISTANCE 

Failing to properly gauge kicking distance is a frequent problem in the striking arts. It often crops up when stu- dents don’t develop their technical base sufficiently. To compensate, they will often wait for the right distance to happen. They don’t know how to make it happen if their opponent is too close or too far. Yes, sometimes the opportunity does present itself — perhaps your opponent is tired or relatively unskilled — but more often than not, you have to make it. 

SOLUTION: To create the right distance, you need to start in the dojo, not in the ring. In training, experiment with closing the gap while executing a jab. On the other hand, if your starting position is too close, experiment with pushing your opponent away or quickly jumping backward. If the angle isn’t right to effect a spinning back kick, make a quick lateral move and then immediately unleash the kick. 

PROBLEM: YOUR TIMING IS OFF 

When a boxer’s timing is off, he or she is said to have “ring rust.” When your timing is off, you don’t need a cute name to know it because you’ll find out in an instant — when you miss your target if you’re on the offensive or when you’re hit if you’re playing defense. With the spinning back kick, you’re likely to find yourself getting jammed or perhaps kicking where your opponent used to be standing. 

SOLUTION: Kicking at precisely the right moment is not something you can learn from a teacher. Furthermore, you can’t develop the ability by practicing your techniques at reduced speed or intensity. You need to use a methodology called “situational training.” 

This scenario-driven approach involves having you and your training partner execute your techniques at maximum speed and intensity. You use a variety of predetermined attacks and defenses that are as realistic as you can make them for the scenario for which you’re pre- paring. Don’t execute them rapid-fire; take your time and do each one at 100 percent only when the circumstances are favorable. 

Note that this drill should not be part of your everyday training. Do it occasionally. Increase the frequency as you near a competition in which your timing needs to be spot on. 

PROBLEM: YOU’RE NOT KEEPING YOUR UPPER BODY VERTICAL 

After you execute the ushiro geri and your leg is fully extended, you may find that you lose balance. Then you’re more likely to be countered (because your balance is so bad that you can’t stop or avoid your opponent’s counterattack) and you can’t execute a follow-up to your kick, if one is needed. 

SOLUTION: Remember that your leg should be fully extended not when you make contact with your oppo- nent’s body but when, post-contact, you’ve assumed a balanced position that permits the execution of a defensive technique. The only way to do that is to keep your upper body vertical as long as possible. 

If you’re having a hard time understanding how to maintain a vertical orientation while you rotate for the kick, watch a ballet dancer spin. The dancer will keep his or her torso perpendicular to the floor at all times. If you do the same thing until the moment you start to extend your leg, you’ll create the optimal conditions for a perfect spinning back kick, one that will leave you in a functional fighting stance afterward. 

PROBLEM: YOU’RE ROTATING YOUR HEAD AND BODY AT THE SAME SPEED 

Martial artists frequently are unable to figure out why they can’t land their heel on the exact spot they’re targeting with their spinning back kick. But as soon as an experienced instructor takes a look, the reason becomes obvious: During the spin, they’re rotating their head and upper body at the same speed. When they do that, at the moment they release the leg, their eyes are angled 30 degrees to 45 degrees away from the target. This leads to a serious problem: They’re forced to use their peripheral vision, which may or may not work. The human brain would much rather acquire targets using the center of the visual field. 

SOLUTION: It’s better to rotate your head faster than your torso. There are two good strategies for making this second nature. The first is to practice your spinning back kick in front of a mirror. Release each kick only after you’ve made eye contact with your reflection. The second strategy is to practice your ushiro geri with a partner. Release your kick — you guessed it — only after you’ve made eye contact with him or her. 

In both practice methods, turn your head quickly and forcefully. When you can turn your head faster than your body, which means you’re able to acquire your tar- get in the center of your visual field, you’ll be less likely to miss. 

PROBLEM: YOUR KNEE POSITION IS INCORRECT 

Some instructors insist that the knee of the kicking leg stay close to the knee of the support leg when perform- ing the ushiro geri. That makes sense if your opponent’s groin is the target or if the opponent is relatively unskilled. But if you wish to attack the rib cage or abdomen and you keep your moving knee close to your stationary knee until you unleash the kick, it’s fairly easy for your adversary to defend against. All he or she needs to do is increase the distance slightly or insert an obstacle, such as a raised knee, in front of your foot. 

SOLUTION: To execute a spinning back kick that will penetrate your opponent’s defenses, make sure you raise your shin while you rotate. Your goal is to orient it parallel to the ground so you can fire your foot straight into the other person’s abdomen. Ushiro geri is supposed to be a horizontally penetrating kick, not an upward-moving kick. When done the right way, it’s very difficult to block with a raised knee or to avoid by changing distance. Furthermore, penetrating kicks have a longer range than do kicks with an upward trajectory. 

PROGNOSIS POSITIVE

The spinning back kick is underused in sparring and competition not because martial artists simply decide to use other kicks. And it’s certainly not underused because it lacks effectiveness. In reality, the ushiro geri is rarely used and rarely effective because the average martial art- ist doesn’t have confidence in it. That lack of confidence usually stems from never having been instructed in the finer points of this complex kick. 

Like all martial arts techniques, however, the spinning back kick benefits from practice. Once you’ve polished your skills as described above, it will become a lethal technique in your arsenal, one that’s as useful in competition as it is in self-defense. 

Goran Lozo started training in shotokan karate in 1979. He was a member of the Yugoslav national team from 1993 to 1997, during which time he competed in four Euro- pean and two world championships. Currently a seventh- degree black belt, he tested for his third, fourth and fifth degrees under Hidetaka Nishiyama.