Heel kicks

Spin heel kick

Spin heel kick requires a lot movement, so it is relatively slow when compared to other kicks. When used in combination with another hand or foot attack, the telegraphing motion of the spin may be hidden. In a self-defense situation, the kick is used as a finishing blow after the opponent has been set-up or stunned and unable to react to the telegraph. Like all kicks the spin heel kick has its good and bad points.

Good points

• If it makes contact to the head, it may cause devastating injury and even death.
• If performed properly, the telegraphing motion may be hidden.

Bad points

• Since it is most often aimed for the head it is easily evaded by experienced fighters.
• It requires a lot of energy to execute.
• It is difficult to control, so it cannot be thrown at full speed while free-sparring.
• It requires turning your back to your opponent, which telegraphs your intent.
• It is a "flashy" kick and thus dismissed by some as ineffective.

Variations

The spin heel kick has two variations: body upright and body leaning backward.

Body upright

• With the body upright, the kick resembles a crescent kick except the kicking foot is horizontal instead of vertical. With the body leaning backward, the kicking leg and spine are in a straight line.
• With the upright spin, the body is twisted in a tight coil and then the kick is released. This means the mass of the body weight is spinning in the direction of the target In the leaning spin, the body drops backward and downward in a spin as the foot move from the floor to the target. The leaning spin relies primarily on surprise to achieve its goal. Both kicks are powerful but there is no advantage gained from dropping backward. As the body leans and spins, about 50 percent of the body mass is leaning away from the target. With the tight spin, practically all the mass of the body is spinning toward the target.
• With the body upright, the spin is quick; with the body leaning, the spin is slow since the mass of the kicking leg is further from the axis of spin. This is similar to the way a ice skater's spin increases in speed as the arms and legs are draw closer to the body.

Body leaning

• With the body leaning, the kicking foot achieves its maximum force when it is in a straight line with the spine, which occurs before the target is reached. Since half of the kicker's mass is leaning backward, it is easy to block the kick with a single hand. With the body upright, the kicking foot accelerates through the target, because it accelerates until it aligns with the spine, which has rotated past the target. This means most of the body's mass is applied to the target.