Tornado and jumping kicks

Setup

1. Two or three lanes across a clear, dry mat, each with a holder at the far end and a short queue of kickers.
2. Leave a wide gap between lanes so a student who over-rotates lands on empty mat, not on someone else.
3. Students are fully warmed up through the hips, knees and ankles before any jumping.

How it runs

1. Ground first: walk the tornado turn slowly with no jump and no kick, so the step, turn and look are smooth. Three times each.
2. Jumping front kick (twieo ap chagi): a small hop with a high knee, then the same with a snap into the paddle at chest height.
3. Jumping roundhouse: two steps in, jump off the rear leg, kick the paddle and land on both feet, facing it.
4. Tornado kick: step across, turn the back, jump and kick the paddle with the rear leg roundhouse. Kickers walk back down the side of the lane, never through it.
5. Keep sets short, around three to five kicks each, with a walk back as rest. Stop at the first sign of a sore knee or hip.
6. Last round, for students whose tornado lands balanced every time: a trained holder holds a rebreakable board at chest height for one or two attempts.

Coaching points

• Height comes from driving the knee up, not from leaning back.
• Spot the target over the shoulder before leaving the floor.
• Land softly on the balls of the feet with knees bent, then settle into stance before walking off.
• Holders keep the paddle out to the side, away from the face, with a firm wrist; kickers wait for the holder's nod.
• For the board: holder's arms locked, board firm, break line set the way the manufacturer marks it.

Common mistakes

• Throwing the kick before the turn has finished, so it flies wide of the paddle.
• Landing on one straight leg and jarring the knee.
• Running a long way in; the speed makes landings harder to control.
• Doing one more rep when tired; that is when landings go wrong.