subject: The Best Way To Do Karate Kicks [print this page] I say Karate kicks, but the training tips of this article hold for taekwondo Kicks, Kung Fu kicks, or whatever. There are two things that we need to analyze when figuring out the best way to kick somebody's, uh...heinie. One is holding to the basic kicks, and the other is the mechanics of the kick itself.
When doing Karate kicks one can get carried away with a lengthy list of circus moves. This includes jumping, spinning, and contorting in all sorts of ways. These things, however, while a blast and a benefit to the student, are not always good in a street brawl. Thus, when practicing martial arts kicks one should stick to the four kicks: front, side, wheel (roundhouse), or spinning rear kick.
When practicing these kicks make sure that you raise the knee high enough. Raising the knee puts the hips and whole body behind the kick. A good technique for doing this is to practice kicking over a chair.
Make sure that you use the correct part of the foot when striking. The basic parts are the toes, the ball of the foot, the instep, and the heel. When selecting which part of the foot to utilize, remember that the smallest striking area will focus the greatest amount of power.
Always turn the hips into your technique. Turning the hips commits the whole weight of the body into self defense move. This must be done quick and whiplike, all pieces moving as one functioning unit.
Do not hold your foot in the chambering position. One must be like a whip, up from the earth to the target point, and back down from the target point to the earth. To hold the foot halfway between is to take the power out of the kick, and to break it into pieces.
Always do your kicking at the right distance. Just as you shouldn't try to use a fist when at kicking range, don't try to use a foot when at fist range. The better strategy is not to try to make something work at the wrong distance, but to get so good at the basics that you can't be stopped.
Most important thing to remember of all is this: do thousands of kicks every single day. The fool who thinks twelve kicks per foot per kick per day is going to make him unbeatable is just that...a fool. Only by dedicating oneself, by going fanatical in your training, whether in Karate kicks or whatever, will you hope to get the best benefits out of your martial arts discipline.
