The inside circle kick is one of the most basic kicks in wushu. In Chinese, it’s called "Li He". From an upright position with your arms extended to the sides, swing your leg upward in an outside-to-inside arc, slap your foot with the opposite hand, and then quickly pull your leg back down. Only the kicking leg and one hand should move during the kick.
This kick should be practiced in every training session.
You can find more instructions for wushu kicks and jumps on the main wushu page.
Execution
The straight stretch kick, outside circle kick, and inside circle kick all begin the same way.
- Stand straight with your legs together and arms relaxed at your sides.
- Step forward with your left leg and raise both arms to the sides, looking briefly to the right.
Let your hands follow as your arms lift. - Step forward with your right foot so your legs are together again, and face forward. Whip your palms upward. Your arms should now be horizontally aligned, with the palms positioned behind chest level (from a side view), and pointing away from your body.
- Step forward with your left leg, then swing your right leg in an outside-up arc in front of your face.
- As your right foot passes in front of your body, use your left hand (opposite hand) to slap the inside of your foot.
- Pull your kicking leg down as quickly as possible, and return your arms to the starting position.
Make sure to:
- Keep your back straight
- Avoid lifting your hip during the kick
Then step forward and repeat the kick with the opposite leg.
Advice
- Always warm up and stretch before practicing wushu kicks or jumps.
- Stretch your flat stance and splits to improve your inside circle kick.
- Do a few inside circle kicks before progressing to techniques like the whirlwind kick.
Suggestions
- Ankle Stretch
- Wushu Front Stretch Kick
- Wushu Side Stretch Kick
- Outside Circle Kick
- Wushu Slap Kick
Videos/Images
- Inside Circle Kick – Wushu Li He
- Inside Circle Kick in a Wushu Class
