zghfd

I always see people saying this, mainly in relation to TKD, can somebody tell me what chambering your kicks actually means?

JKDfreak

chambering is raising your leg/knee before kicking.
For example for a front kick raise your leg like you would do a straight knee and extend while leaning back.Chambers differs from person to person but the principle is the same.
Personally i don't really chamber my kicks,i just kick from the ground to the target (not speaking of the Thai round kick) by unbalancing myself and using gravity and hip power to kick.I'm sure Joe Lewis will disagree with me on this,but there are people who are succesful at putting power into their kicks by chambering and other don't.
Chambering can be slower than kicking straight to the target,but if you adopt one chamber position for every kick,your opponent will never know which kick will come.

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Progressive Combat System
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Edd

Free your mind,be shapeless,formless,like water.
Bruce Lee

retired

In thaiboxing you "chamber" your kick before throwing a teep (front push kick) because you literally bring your knee right up to your chest, lean back & thrust it out.

Toudiyama[NL]

do know if this sounds right to ou guys, but chambering is like a slingshot, in a kick pull your calf against your hamstring

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zghfd

Right, that all makes sense. Cheers for the info.

Cadden

The principal problem with chambering is that it telegraphs the kick, and a quick acting counter-attacker can take devastating advantage.

huey

as i understand the term from the posts, you pull the knee up first keeping the foot tucked back, and then at the right point the foot is released hitting the target?

although i have never used that term before this is how i do my kicks. i wasn't aware that anyone kicked with their leg straight from begining to end. i am interested in how you get power and speed into those kicks. i believe that if you do this kick for a long time your leg strength would be immense, but i am having a hard time visualizing the speed and power thing. asking honestly.