This is a famous kick, it is present in several martial arts, under several names too. The most important thing about this kick is to have a strong stance fused with balance. The power is generated by turning your hips onto where you kick. You guide your leg with you knee, then move your leg along with it and aligning your hips to add power.
You can use a roundhouse kick with your front leg, this might be fast but not powerful, very useful for point sparring, or when your opponent comes with a punch or any other attack. So you lean back, lift your knee, aim with your knee and then throw your kick.
If you kick with the back leg from your fighting stance, then the kick will not be as fast as kicking with the front leg, but it will be more powerful, here you can use your hips to increase the power of it.
Several kicking combinations using this kick make the rounhouse on of the most popular kicks in the martial arts.
When you have mastered the basic movement of this kick, try it with foot maneuvers, such us:
- Front cross over and roundhouse kick.
- Rear cross over and roundhouse kick.
- Step through forward and roundhouse kick.
There are several combinations that can even include jumps and other kick techniques too.
Make sure to strecth properly before kicking, your muscles and tendons need to be stretched prior a kicking session.