White Belt Kicks (Front Snap and Front Thrust Kick,
|
|
Terms:
Front Snap Kick
Front Thrust Kick
Side Kick
Exercises:
1. 10 Front Snap Kicks from the back leg Left Fighting Stance
2. 10 Front Snap Kicks from the front leg Left L-Stance
3. 10 Front Snap Kicks from the back leg Right Fighting Stance
4. 10 Front Snap Kicks from the front leg Right L- Stance
5. 10 Front Thrust Kicks from the back leg in Left Fighting Stance and transitioning to Right Fighting Stance
6. 10 Front Thrust Kicks from the front leg in Left L-Stance
7. 10 Front Thrust Kicks from the front leg in Right L-Stance
8. 10 Side Kicks from the front leg in Rigth L-Stance
9. 10 Side Kicks from the front leg in Left L-Stance
10. 10 Turn Kicks from the rear leg in Left Fighting Stance
11. 10 Turn Kicks from the rear leg in Right Fighting Stance
Front Snap Kick
Front Thrust Kick
Side Kick
Exercises:
1. 10 Front Snap Kicks from the back leg Left Fighting Stance
2. 10 Front Snap Kicks from the front leg Left L-Stance
3. 10 Front Snap Kicks from the back leg Right Fighting Stance
4. 10 Front Snap Kicks from the front leg Right L- Stance
5. 10 Front Thrust Kicks from the back leg in Left Fighting Stance and transitioning to Right Fighting Stance
6. 10 Front Thrust Kicks from the front leg in Left L-Stance
7. 10 Front Thrust Kicks from the front leg in Right L-Stance
8. 10 Side Kicks from the front leg in Rigth L-Stance
9. 10 Side Kicks from the front leg in Left L-Stance
10. 10 Turn Kicks from the rear leg in Left Fighting Stance
11. 10 Turn Kicks from the rear leg in Right Fighting Stance
The first kick that we will cover is the front kick. The front kick is really two different kicks depending on how it is used. It can be a front snap kick or a front thrust kick. The leg motion of both kicks looks superficially similer but it is quite different.
The best way to think of it is this. If you wanted to kick a door open you would use a front thrust kick. If you wanted to kick off the door handle (don't try this) you would use a front snap kick.
When most people first learn to kick they usually find it a little awkward. The front kicks seem fairly natural but the turning kicks and side kicks seem incomprehensible. The secret to executing effective kicks all lies in the hips!
The best way to think of it is this. If you wanted to kick a door open you would use a front thrust kick. If you wanted to kick off the door handle (don't try this) you would use a front snap kick.
When most people first learn to kick they usually find it a little awkward. The front kicks seem fairly natural but the turning kicks and side kicks seem incomprehensible. The secret to executing effective kicks all lies in the hips!
It is useful to visualize your hips as if they are the turret of a gun. Your hips are the turret and your legs are the guns. The guns cannot hit a target till they are aimed by the turret. It is the same with kicking. All kicks require the hips to be aimed just so for the leg to be able to do the motion it needs to do.
When you are watching the instructional videos pay particular attention to stance and hip orientation for all kicks, the answers lie there!
When you are watching the instructional videos pay particular attention to stance and hip orientation for all kicks, the answers lie there!
Turn Kick (Roundhouse)
Turn Kick delivers a blow somewhat like a baseball bat. You can strike with the ball of your foot (curling toes up) in pinpoint fashion. You can strike with the top of your foot (curl toes down) in pinpoint fashion. You can strike with the shin bone for a close range attack.
For some reason this kick is the bane of beginners everywhere and it is rare to see a skillful turn kick. This kick forces the fundamentals. You must have a solid balanced stance. You must be able to rotate the non kicking foot. Then you raise the leg and simultaneously roll the hip over. Those words are bold because you must roll the hip prior to executing the kick. Your leg from your knee to your foot should be parallel to the floor. The kick leads from the knee. Wherever your target the knee should travel past the target by several inches before finally extending the foot.
This kick can be executed from the back leg or the front leg. It can be a brief snap to a point target and then retracted or it can be a follow through kick that travels through the target like freight train.
For some reason this kick is the bane of beginners everywhere and it is rare to see a skillful turn kick. This kick forces the fundamentals. You must have a solid balanced stance. You must be able to rotate the non kicking foot. Then you raise the leg and simultaneously roll the hip over. Those words are bold because you must roll the hip prior to executing the kick. Your leg from your knee to your foot should be parallel to the floor. The kick leads from the knee. Wherever your target the knee should travel past the target by several inches before finally extending the foot.
This kick can be executed from the back leg or the front leg. It can be a brief snap to a point target and then retracted or it can be a follow through kick that travels through the target like freight train.
Side Kick
In the pantheon of kicks, side kick may be my runaway favorite. It delivers a blow akin to a battering ram, if combined with a step this kick utilizes the entire mass of the kicker. A person getting struck with a strong side kick will often be launched into the air and hurled bodily for several feet before crashing into the floor.
In the video tutorial I demonstrate this kick at various speeds and heights. I side kick can be a low kick to crush a knee joint or even break the fibula bone in the lower leg. Once to demonstrate the power of this kick I braced a wooden baseball bat against a boulder and drove a side kick cleanly through the bat. If it will snap an ash baseball bat in two imagine what it could do to a leg.
The hallmarks of a properly executed side kick are:
1. Foot is either horizontal or toes aimed down slightly.
2. Hips are rolled completely over.
3. The kick begins with the kicking leg knee bent almost all the way and then shoots out.
The striking surface is the blade and heel of the foot.
In the video tutorial I demonstrate this kick at various speeds and heights. I side kick can be a low kick to crush a knee joint or even break the fibula bone in the lower leg. Once to demonstrate the power of this kick I braced a wooden baseball bat against a boulder and drove a side kick cleanly through the bat. If it will snap an ash baseball bat in two imagine what it could do to a leg.
The hallmarks of a properly executed side kick are:
1. Foot is either horizontal or toes aimed down slightly.
2. Hips are rolled completely over.
3. The kick begins with the kicking leg knee bent almost all the way and then shoots out.
The striking surface is the blade and heel of the foot.