A great deal has been written and said about kicking in today's age of modern martial artists. Many people who are cross training seem to mainly focus on low Thai kicks because of their effectiveness and they present less risk of being taken to the ground by the grappler.
When it comes to kicking you really have to decide what your purposes are for training in the martial arts, it might be that the art you practice in encompasses a lot of kicking. If you are aiming for competition then kicking might be an important element, or you may be hooked on the Kung Fu movies and like all the flamboyant techniques which are generally kicks.
When I was a junior, kicking was my best technique and I quickly realised that I also need to be able to punch after being beaten by the puncher on several occasions. I then set about developing my hands to the same leveI as my kicks to be an all round fighter.
I personally enjoy kicking very much and find it rewarding, I am confident enough of my kicking ability in a real situation, because I have had the unfortunate pleasure of using them on several occasions, but you must train your kicks for this test and not just competition to give yourself any chance of success.
Front Kick
The front kick is a good powerful kick that is good for stopping attacker coming towards you. Practice chambering your knee, so your knee faces the ceiling. Extend your leg out bending your toes back and striking with the ball of the foot. Keep your hands up and if kicking with the back leg change your guard over. You can snap your kick or push kick (we will go into different ways to kick in a latter column). Good areas to strike are shin, knee, groin, bladder and abdominals.
When it comes to kicking you really have to decide what your purposes are for training in the martial arts, it might be that the art you practice in encompasses a lot of kicking. If you are aiming for competition then kicking might be an important element, or you may be hooked on the Kung Fu movies and like all the flamboyant techniques which are generally kicks.
When I was a junior, kicking was my best technique and I quickly realised that I also need to be able to punch after being beaten by the puncher on several occasions. I then set about developing my hands to the same leveI as my kicks to be an all round fighter.
I personally enjoy kicking very much and find it rewarding, I am confident enough of my kicking ability in a real situation, because I have had the unfortunate pleasure of using them on several occasions, but you must train your kicks for this test and not just competition to give yourself any chance of success.
Front Kick
The front kick is a good powerful kick that is good for stopping attacker coming towards you. Practice chambering your knee, so your knee faces the ceiling. Extend your leg out bending your toes back and striking with the ball of the foot. Keep your hands up and if kicking with the back leg change your guard over. You can snap your kick or push kick (we will go into different ways to kick in a latter column). Good areas to strike are shin, knee, groin, bladder and abdominals.