Thread: kicking

Depends on how you learned to kick. if all you know how to do is throw rear leg kicks and and don't know how to change the angles of the kicks or how to string them with your other stand up then I'd agree.


If you learn to throw them so that they all look the same until the most possible moment, you very angles and height, and know the differences between the different types of force you can deliver with the kick then i'd disagree.

I personally have used them to great effect.

I have found that the ATA had the best kicking basics in the early 80's. Which is what I modeled my kicking system on. I have made quite a few improvements of the years.

The problem is that over time much of the skill in kick instruction has been degraded.

Many TKD schools have moved to incorporate Muay Thai kicking along with other systems, which in and of itself isn't bad, but you have to understand the differences and how they are used differently.

Taekwondo quality of instruction has been declining for a long time. I no longer feel comfortable giving recommendations for schools when people ask. The problem is I just can't count on quality even if the instructor used to put out quality because a lot of times they have changed and not for the better.

Kick cold, kick low, kick hard, both front leg and rear leg. It's simple.

not that simple, hardball. It is thinking that it is that simple that is hampering the use of kicking to effect.

But it is a good place to start from, except for the kick low part.

If you hit an open target it doesn't matter where it is.

For street kicking I teach my students to stretch 20 minutes a day, keep the kicks around torso level or lower and if it's ugly then it probably works. Pretty and flashy probably does not work. Bruce Lee had it right when he said " a punch is just a punch and a kick is just a kick"

Tournament and MMA kicking is a horse of a different color which I am not qualified to speak on. I'll be 52 next week thus I'm definately kicking low. LOL

Don't have to be pretty or flashy this is true, but you can end a fight with a kick to the head, and since people now believe it's impossible to hit people in the head in a streetfight it appear to be getting easier and easier to hit people with kicks to the head.

A properly executed kick sometimes isn't even seen by the person it hits.

While the opportunities to throw them are very specific, if you have the skill they are worth it.

I have a head kick I like to throw from inside trapping range. No one ever sees it coming, and they almost always get blasted with it.

Stretching is a good idea,

But I kicked a guy who is 6'3" in the head, cold. He never saw the kick because he was too worried about my hands.

Not saying it's always appropriate, but for every hard fast rule people throw out, I believe there is an opportunity to capitalize by not following it.

Kicking to the head is an awesome skill to have, unfortunately I have never been able to do it--even in my youth.

Yeah I started young. It also is great for me because i'm not 6 foot tall so it lets me level things up pretty good.

Do you prefer the instep, shin or ball?

Yea it can take months to be a good kicker and years to be a great kicker. Definately a "Must Have" for any self defense arsenal. I learned by holding on to a chair for balance.