Georgia Kenpo Karate Featured Technique Windmill Guard Page

Windmill Guard is a Classical Reference Technique and is one of the best techniques that you can use against a punch. It's quick, effective, and very practical. This technique should be practiced on both sides so you can utilize it against both a right or left punch. Variation "A" is used against a right punch, and variation "B" is used against a left punch.

Note: It doesn't matter which foot the opponent has forward as he throws the punches but we usually will have the opponent stepping with his right foot as he throws a right punch.

Note: During this technique we will be using a 45' angle step to 10:30 to avoid the punch. This angle is used as a standard reference. In actual practice you will step to whatever angle that will put you in the best position to deliver the roundhouse kick. Depending on how close or how far the opponent is from you as he steps will determine what angle you will use. The closer he is to you the less angle you will use even to the point of stepping back at an angle. The farther away the opponent is to you the higher angle you will use (i.e. you might have to step to 11:00 or 11:30 angle).

Note: The hand movements (of the parry) can be done with closed fists or with open hands. It's best for the beginner to use closed fists because there is less chance of jamming the fingers, as the student gets more advanced the open hands should be used for better control of the opponent's punching hand.

	This technique starts with your feet together and you are facing the opponent who is at 12:00
	The Opponent starts to throw a right punch
	As the opponent throws a right punch he steps forward with his right foot.
	With your left foot step forward at a 45' angle to 10:30 into a horse stance, as you step your left hand parries the punch. Your right hand should be down covering your groin as it moves in a clock-wise circle.
	Your right hand continues it's clock-wise circle and makes contact with the right punching arm to continue to clear it past your head. As this clearing motion is preformed you will shift your stance into a slight right bow stance.
	After your right hand makes contact with the opponent's punching arm grab his wrist with your right to control the opponent's punching arm. The technique will still work even if you do not or cannot grab the opponent's arm so don't be alarmed or concerned it you miss the grab.
	After the grab of the opponent's arm shift your weight slightly to your left and prepare to throw the roundhouse kick.
	Throw the roundhouse kick using the top of the foot to the opponent's mid-section, groin, or head depending on which target is available.
	After the roundhouse kick plant the kicking foot back to clear out. If needed you can plant the kicking foot down forward and into the opponent and follow up with appropriate hand strikes if the kick wasn't totally effective.
	After clearing out from the roundhouse kick be sure to be ready just incase the opponent is still able to continue the attack.

Kicking Theory: In Kenpo the standard way of throwing a roundhouse kick is with the top of the foot. This is done because there is less chance of injuring the foot (particularly the toes), you also have greater reach, and can generate more power.

In the classical systems of Karate, the roundhouse kick is always done with the ball of the foot because of the belief that you can generate more power using the ball of the foot.

Using a computer to test and measure the power of kicks and punches, we have found that using the top of the foot to deliver the roundhouse kick delivered more power than a roundhouse kick delivered with the ball of the foot. Why?

1. When the ball of the foot is used to deliver the roundhouse kick, the muscle groups are shortened and tightened which decreases the speed.

2. When you kick with the top of the foot the muscle groups are looser and the kick can be thrown with more power because there is more speed.