Tornado Kick

Last updated: May 25, 2026

What is a tornado kick?

Most spinning kicks pivot in place; the tornado kick adds a step and a small jump. The fighter takes a small step forward with the back foot, pivots on the ball of that foot to face away from the opponent, then continues rotating while the original lead leg whips around as the kicking leg. According to the Taekwondo Wiki, most of the rotation happens on the ground, with only the last few degrees completed in the air as the kicker hops to deliver the strike.

The kick originated in Korean martial arts, particularly taekwondo, where it has been a competition and demonstration technique for decades. In Korean, it is associated with terms like dollyo huryo chagi and dolgae chagi, though the exact name varies between schools. English speakers know it under several other names: 360 roundhouse kick, jumping spinning roundhouse, whirl kick, and the somewhat archaic “triple crescent.”

In MMA, the tornado kick sits firmly in the category of low-percentage, high-reward strikes. Fighters do not throw it to score points or to wear an opponent down. They throw it when they sense an opening for a finish, or when an opponent is already hurt and unlikely to capitalise on the brief moment of vulnerability the rotation creates.

How the tornado kick works

Power in a tornado kick comes from the rotation itself. As the fighter spins, the torso, hips, and kicking leg accumulate angular momentum, which transfers into the strike when the leg extends through the target. The mechanic differs from a snapping kick, where power comes from the lower leg whipping forward off a stationary base.

There are three working parts. The step forward closes distance and starts the rotation. The pivot disguises the angle of attack because by the time the opponent sees the kicker’s back, the leg is already coming around. The whip of the kicking leg, released late in the rotation, lands with the shin or instep on the opponent’s head or body, depending on the angle.

Most failed tornado kicks miss because the kicker spins without spotting the target first, throwing a fast, powerful kick that lands on nothing. Coaching breakdowns of the technique, including the analysis collected in the Fight Encyclopedia entry on the kick, consistently identify this as one of the most common faults.

The tornado kick in MMA vs. taekwondo

The same technique does different work in the two sports.

In taekwondo, the tornado kick is a sparring weapon. WT-style competition rewards scoring kicks to the head and trunk, the rotation generates enough power to register a clean point, and the rules limit how much an opponent can punish a missed spinning attack. Fighters drill it as a standard part of their kicking arsenal.

MMA changes the calculus. A missed tornado kick puts the kicker’s back to the opponent for a moment, and an MMA opponent can punish that opening with takedowns, knees, or follow-up strikes that are illegal or impossible in point taekwondo. The cage and gloves also reduce the kicker’s ability to land it cleanly. As a result, the technique appears in MMA mostly as an opportunistic finishing kick rather than a regular part of a striking game plan.

A few documented MMA finishes show what it looks like when the kick lands. Michael “Venom” Page knocked out Ben Dishman with a tornado kick at his MMA debut at UCMMA 26 on 4 February 2012, a finish later included in Martial Nerd’s list of the best MMA knockouts. Steve Walker landed a flush tornado kick on Brian Collette in under 60 seconds at Lion Fight 64 in 2021, which UFC FIGHT PASS later promoted as a candidate for its knockout of the year. More recently, Russian prospect Magomed Azhuev finished Azat Alpamyshev with a tornado kick at ACA Young Eagles 58 in Grozny on 25 September 2025, as reported by Sports Illustrated.

Tornado kick vs. spinning roundhouse kick

The two kicks share a family but differ in execution. A standard spinning roundhouse stays grounded. The fighter pivots on the lead foot, drags the back leg around in a tight arc, and lands the kick during the second half of the rotation. There is no jump.

A tornado kick adds the step-through and a small hop or switch in the air. That extra step generates more forward momentum and brings the kicking leg from a higher position, but it also takes longer to complete and leaves the kicker more exposed during the rotation. Black Belt Wiki notes that the tornado kick is essentially a jumping spinning roundhouse, which captures the relationship.

	Tornado kick	Spinning roundhouse kick
Footwork	Step-through plus small hop or switch	Grounded pivot, no jump
Rotation	Full 360 degrees	Roughly 270 to 360 degrees
Power source	Rotational momentum plus airborne leg whip	Rotational momentum
Speed of arrival	Slower (extra step and lift)	Faster (no airborne phase)
Risk	Higher (back turned for longer, recovery hop)	Lower (kicker stays planted)
MMA frequency	Rare, mostly used as a finisher	More common, used in striking exchanges

Variations and related kicks

A few related techniques sit in the same family as the tornado kick.

360 tornado kick: The standard version. A single full rotation with the kicking leg whipping through during the final phase. This is what most people mean when they say “tornado kick.”

540 kick: Adds an extra 180 degrees of rotation in the air, landing on the kicking leg. The Wikipedia entry on the 540 kick notes that the kicker takes off from the kicking leg and lands on the same leg after the strike, which makes it considerably harder than a standard tornado kick. Used mostly in tricking and demonstrations, rarely in sanctioned fighting.

Tornado crescent kick: Replaces the roundhouse impact with an inside crescent kick, striking with the inside of the foot rather than the shin or instep. Mostly a demonstration or tricking variant, not a fighting technique.

Hurricane kick: An informal name used in some schools for the tornado kick. The terminology varies between gyms.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is the tornado kick effective in MMA?

It can finish a fight when it lands cleanly, but it is too telegraphed to throw regularly. The step forward and the visible turn give a prepared opponent time to step in, shoot a takedown, or counter with a straight punch. Fighters who land tornado kicks in MMA almost always do so against an opponent who is already hurt, retreating, or pressed against the cage.

Has anyone been knocked out by a tornado kick in the UFC?

A clean tornado kick has yet to appear on a UFC knockout-of-the-year shortlist, though the technique has produced documented finishes in lower-tier promotions. Steve Walker’s KO of Brian Collette at Lion Fight 64 was promoted by UFC FIGHT PASS in 2021, and Michael “Venom” Page used the kick to finish his MMA debut in 2012 before later signing with the UFC.

What is the difference between a tornado kick and a 540 kick?

A tornado kick is a single 360-degree rotation; a 540 kick adds another half-spin in the air. The 540 also lands on the kicking leg, while the tornado kick lands on the supporting leg. The 540 is harder and flashier, and almost never thrown in competitive MMA because the landing leaves the kicker tangled and slow to recover.

Why don’t UFC fighters use the tornado kick more often?

Two reasons. The technique takes too long to develop against the speed of high-level MMA strikers, and the rotation exposes the kicker’s back to takedown threats that do not exist in point taekwondo. UFC fighters who came from taekwondo backgrounds tend to use simpler spinning techniques like the spinning back kick or spinning heel kick, which produce similar power with less risk.

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Sources

1. Tricking Wiki (Fandom). “Tornado Kick.” Accessed May 2026.
2. Taekwondo Wiki (Fandom). “Tornado Kick.” Accessed May 2026.
3. Wikipedia. “540 Kick.” Accessed May 2026.
4. Black Belt Wiki. “Tornado Kick.” Accessed May 2026.
5. Fight Encyclopedia. “Tornado Kick.” Accessed May 2026.
6. UFC.com. “Steve Walker’s Tornado Kick Knockout.” March 2021.
7. Martial Nerd. “20 of the Best MMA Knockouts.” Accessed May 2026.
8. Sports Illustrated / Fannation. “Russian fighter stuns MMA fans with jaw-dropping tornado kick knockout.” 2025.
9. Kbands Training. “How to Do a Tornado Kick.” December 2021.

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