Hips...

[Dijita]

I don't do MT by the way, I do Kyokushin Karate which uses similar roundhouse kicks. I only used MT as an example because it is more recognized.

[foreveryoung001]

I just tried to throw a couple of side kicks without pivoting, just to see how high I could kick, and for the life of me I can not stop my hips from pivoting.

 

In TKD we like kicking high though, and the pivoting is just a natural part of the kick now.............

 

Just tried again.... still pivoting.... and pivoting.... and pivoting.....

[Shorinryu Sensei]

It does have the potential to leave you open, especially if you are fighting someone who is good at evading an attack.

 

I just love it when you explain something to someone, and the light goes on! Shorinryu is all about evading an attack and simultanously counterattacking. It takes a while to learn and perfect, and you get nailed a lot while in that process...but once you have it and get that timing down, I've found it quite devastating and effective. I've used it effectively on the street, and in the one tournament that I participated it. The other guys really get a bit "miffed" when you do it to them because they just can't quite figure out how you were there one minute, and not there the next when they had launched their attack. PLUS you nailed them at the same time! It's difficult to explain in print...much easier to show in person.

There have been times where I went for a kick, and the person shuffled back away from me, my kick went past them and I got kicked in the back of my leg and there was nothing I could do.

 

There you go...now you understand what I'm talking about.

However I still rather be commited to the attack and have more power, than to hold back.

 

Oh...don't misunderstand...we don't hold back. We just don't overcommit our techniques. Where you would use your entire body weight basically to land a kick, we use 3 types of combined power.

 

1. The mass/momentum of my kick to my opponent.

 

2. Your opponents forward momentum (his mass) used against them.

 

3. Turning of our bodies (different than throwing hips/shoulders) as we launch the counter technique.

It's a different style of fighting, so to each their own eh?

 

ABSOLUTLY!

[Sasori_Te]

You have to also remember that in a lot of the Okinawan stances the hips are already aligned and "open" for lead leg kicks. Except for front kicks, you don't tend to see a lot of rear leg kicks in Okinawan Kata. As a matter of fact, you hardly see ANY kicks in the older Okinawan kata.

 

As for your hips, I suggest seeing a doctor just to rule out any major problems. If the doctor doesn't find anything try going to a chiropractor as someone else suggested. Those guys do some great stuff. Good Luck.

[Shorinryu Sensei]

I just tried to throw a couple of side kicks without pivoting, just to see how high I could kick, and for the life of me I can not stop my hips from pivoting.

 

Well, waht you consider good technique, we consider bad technique. Not wrong, just different. It takes time to break bad habits. Try lowering your kicks to waist height...no higher. Lock that foot in place pointing straight forward and don't let it rotate. Bringyour kicking foot straight up to the knee first..knee should be pointing straight out to the front..then launch it from the knee. Many systems/peopel I've seen launch the kick out at an angle from the floor..which is easily blocked (by us anyway). Bringing it up to the knee first, then straight out is much harder to block. Imagine kicking over a chair that is right next to your leg. We do that in practice to get the technique right, or have someone hold a broomstick at knee height and kick over it.

In TKD we like kicking high though, and the pivoting is just a natural part of the kick now.............

 

Like I said...I like my family jewels intact, and prefer my deep, 2nd bass voice (I souind like a radio announcer I'm told) as opposed to 1st tenor or alto.

Just tried again.... still pivoting.... and pivoting.... and pivoting.....

 

Practice makes perfect.

[foreveryoung001]

I have no plans to chnage styles, but it will be interesting to see if I can eventually force myself to not pivot. I can hold it until I get about waist high, and then no matter how hard I concentrate, they just go with the flow.

 

Oh well, an interesting expereriment.

[Dijita]

We don't use our body weight for attacks, we just use the snap of the hips to make the kicks effective. Not only that, but like I said earlier, if you don't rotate your foot at all, you're going to eventually injure your knee.

 

Our tournaments are probably much different. Our tournaments are about hurting the other person sufficeintly enough that they lose the will to fight. If you're not commiting your kicks with a lot of power then you're going to continually kick that person and they are not going to go down.

 

We learn to evade attacks as well, but we learn a bit differently. As opposed from shuffling back and away from the opponent, we learn to shuffle at a 45 degree angle towards the opponent. So for example if someone goes for the kick, you shuffle in and strike them in the solar plex with a punch, or you can knee them... but the thing is, there kicks are rendered useless since it is not going to hit you effectively.

 

Hehe, so I'll never be convinced that not pivoting your foot is a good thing. You risk injury, you lose power, and you lose reach. By reach I mean both height and distance.

[Shorinryu Sensei]

You have to also remember that in a lot of the Okinawan stances the hips are already aligned and "open" for lead leg kicks. Except for front kicks, you don't tend to see a lot of rear leg kicks in Okinawan Kata. As a matter of fact, you hardly see ANY kicks in the older Okinawan kata.

 

This is true and a good point. One thing that drives a lot of people from other systems crazy when I show it to them, is our dead on, shoulders and hips squared towards you, front stance. We look like we're a really ripe target for a front snap kick or side kick...but it's all a ruse (letting a little "secret' out here). That's when we do that little "shifting" thing I was talking about earlier...and we're not where you thought we were. It's called "change of body". Nifty little "trick" really, and very effective.

[Dijita]

When I think about it, you couldn't even kick effectively past your opponents center line without pivoting the foot. You'd essentially be "ending" your kick when it is not at it's most effective point.

 

(We really hijacked this thread didn't we?)

[Dijita]

I forgot to mention, I pivot my feet/hips when I punch as well. It again gives you power, plust reach without "lunching".

 

(I hope I'm not coming across as rude or disrespectful, I really like this conversation because it is interesting)