| This ten article series will deal with the | | | | in the air, the longer it takes before you |
| various components that need to be addressed | | | | can execute another kick. |
| when considering the utilization of a | | | | |
| particular kick in a combat or self-defense | | | | Try this experiment: |
| situation. These ten components can also be | | | | |
| used by the tournament competitor although | | | | Take one leg and hold it up in the air at |
| certain segments would have to be modified | | | | about waist height, now leaving it up in the |
| slightly for the tournament aspects of | | | | air, execute an effective and practical kick. |
| kicking, rather than the more intensive | | | | Now try throwing a couple of punches while |
| nature of using a kick or kicks in combat. | | | | standing on one leg. Does it work very well? |
| Although all of these individual components | | | | |
| are important, they are most effective when | | | | A kick coming up from a balanced position on |
| combined together and utilized correctly when | | | | the ground is far more effective and powerful |
| executing a kick. | | | | than one that starts off already in the air. |
| | | | What I mean by this is that the first |
| Although I will only be discussing one of the | | | | Roundhouse Kick that you throw from a |
| components in this article, here is the | | | | standing position is far more powerful than |
| complete list of all ten of them. | | | | the second one that you throw with the same |
| | | | leg before setting your foot back down on the |
| 1. Your Kicking Ability | | | | ground. |
| | | | |
| 2. Your Intended Application | | | | If you are executing a kick that relies on |
| | | | the foot being returned along the exact same |
| 3. The Environment | | | | path of trajectory that it traveled to get to |
| | | | its target, this would be called a |
| 4. Telegraphing | | | | "retraction" of the kicking foot. The |
| | | | following kicks would be ones that would |
| 5. Striking Implement | | | | require you to "retract" your kicking foot |
| | | | after making contact with your target. |
| 6. Striking the Correct Target | | | | |
| | | | 1. Front Kick |
| 7. Initial Impact | | | | |
| | | | 2. Back Kick |
| 8. Impact | | | | |
| | | | 3. Side Kick |
| 9. Retraction or Follow Through | | | | |
| | | | 4. Roundhouse Kick (with the notable |
| 10. Return to Fighting Position | | | | exception of the Thai Roundhouse Kick) |
| | | | |
| Component Nine; Retraction or Follow Through: | | | | If you are executing a kick that relies on |
| | | | the foot continuing through the target along |
| Now I was always told from the first day that | | | | the same path of trajectory that it traveled |
| I started taking Karate that no matter what | | | | to get to its target, this would be called a |
| kick you did, that you never wanted to leave | | | | "follow through" of the kicking foot. The |
| your foot "hanging" out in the air. There | | | | following kicks would be ones that would |
| were three primary reasons for this and they | | | | require you to "follow through" with your |
| are as follows. | | | | kicking foot after making contact with your |
| | | | target. |
| 1. The longer your kicking leg is "hanging" | | | | |
| in the air, the longer you have to balance on | | | | 1. Wheel Kick |
| one leg. | | | | |
| | | | 2. Axe Kick |
| As hard as some of you may find this to | | | | |
| believe, we humans were born with two legs | | | | 3. Crescent Kick |
| for a reason, and that is to stand on both of | | | | |
| them. We were not designed to be standing | | | | 4. Reverse Crescent Kick |
| around all day like a pink flamingo with one | | | | |
| leg "hanging" out in the air. | | | | 5. Hook Kick |
| | | | |
| Now I am all for extensive training on | | | | 6. Hatchet Kick |
| balancing on one leg while kicking and I even | | | | |
| have several different training exercises | | | | Training Advice to Improve your Retraction |
| that I do in order to improve my balance. | | | | and/or Follow Through: |
| However, the keyword here is "training." When | | | | |
| in an actual situation where you have to | | | | Under normal standard training practices, the |
| defend yourself, you want to get your foot up | | | | student attempts to execute a kick as fast as |
| and out to make contact with its intended | | | | he can from a standing position to the |
| target as fast as possible, and then | | | | target. In this case, I am going to have you |
| immediately get it back down on the ground. | | | | do the exact opposite. |
| | | | |
| 2. The longer your kicking leg is "hanging" | | | | This is a rather simple, yet very effective, |
| in the air, the easier it is for your | | | | technique that you can practice in order to |
| opponent to grab. | | | | improve your retraction or follow up skills. |
| | | | Simply put, what you do is take your kicking |
| Ever watch a boxing match where one of the | | | | foot and slowly place it in the position |
| boxers has a tendency to leave his punch in | | | | where it would have made contact with your |
| his opponent's face, or is just a bit too | | | | intended target. As soon as you leg and foot |
| slow in bringing it back into position? What | | | | are in position, as fast as you possibly can, |
| usually happens to that boxer? | | | | complete the kick by completing the |
| | | | retraction or follow through. Always be sure |
| Well, generally if the other boxer is any | | | | and utilize the correct technique at all |
| good, he will land at least a punch or two on | | | | times. |
| his opponent. Why? Because by leaving his | | | | |
| punch "hanging" out in the air, he leaves | | | | Final Thoughts: |
| himself wide open for a counterattack. Now as | | | | |
| bad as this is, it is many times worse when | | | | As fast as your foot traveled to strike its |
| you are kicking. Not only do you leave | | | | target, it should be just as fast if not |
| yourself balancing on one leg, but you also | | | | faster returning back down to the ground. |
| leave yourself wide open for a variety of | | | | Other than improper technique and improper |
| counterattacks. These can range anywhere from | | | | application of the aforementioned technique, |
| a punch, kick, or even tackling or throwing | | | | leaving your foot "hanging" or "posing" in |
| you to the ground, and these aren't even the | | | | the air after kicking is perhaps the single |
| worst. | | | | biggest mistake you could possibly make when |
| | | | kicking. |
| The worst of all possible counterattacks is | | | | |
| to have your kicking leg grabbed by your | | | | This "hanging" or "posing" seems to be |
| opponent. Why is this the worst? Simply put, | | | | prevalent in a lot of the tournament oriented |
| because you then no longer have control of | | | | schools more so than the traditional schools. |
| your body, your opponent does. | | | | Although I have seen students "posing" kicks |
| | | | in both types of schools. |
| 3. The longer your kicking leg is "hanging" | | | | |