Hips...

[Dijita]

[quote name="Shorinryu Sensei"

 

It is a major no-no to try to use your hands/arms to block a low kick. It places your head totally at the mercy of your opponent. We do several things aginst kicks like that to the thigh. One' date=' is to block a kick to my leg with my own leg. Shins buddy...shins! Yeah, it hurts at first...but you get used to it. Moving out of the way is another method. We put out weight on the balls of our feet generally..or at least, the front foot. This allows us to move backwards very quickly because we're "primed" to push backwards if needed. Another method, if your opponent is slow and telegraphs his kick..is to move in (and angle) on him. he can't kick effectively if you're right on top of him.

 

[/quote]

 

That's EXACTLY what we do. I agree blocking leg attacks with arms or hands is just scary! Guess we aren't too much different. We are on the balls of our feet as well, it's quicker to move and it keeps you balanced rather than weighted.

 

Umm.... is your style anything like Aikido (I think that is the one I'm thinking of). It sounds like it because I'm preety sure they use the opponents movements against them.

 

Anyways, just to clarify, I'm a girl, so please no more "buddy"

[Shorinryu Sensei]

[Actually, now I'm curious...did you mean shift to the left or to the right? I find it does what you're saying if shift to the left instead. Maybe my brain isn't working right now.

 

OK..I'm sure you know how to do this. With your right foot forward in a front stance. Take your LEFT foot and move it to the RIGHT (behind you). so that you end up facing abou 45 degrees to the LEFT of where you started, but your body has moved out of the linbe of attack.

 

Clear as mud??

 

Man..my emailbox is darn near full of emails from Patrick telling me I have a response! I CAN'T KLEEP UP!!!

[Shorin Ryuu]

Yeah, I was about to edit out that post...I was thinking something totally different and realized I was being a moron, but you went ahead and pointed it out...

[Shorinryu Sensei]

That's EXACTLY what we do. I agree blocking leg attacks with arms or hands is just scary! Guess we aren't too much different. We are on the balls of our feet as well, it's quicker to move and it keeps you balanced rather than weighted.

 

Yeppers!

 

Umm.... is your style anything like Aikido (I think that is the one I'm thinking of). It sounds like it because I'm preety sure they use the opponents movements against them.

 

Well, yes...and no. We do use our opponents force against htem as much as possible and try to unbalance them. But aikido doesn't really have much (if any?) in the way of strikes or kicks. We do.

Anyways, just to clarify, I'm a girl, so please no more "buddy"

 

Oh...OOPS! How's Babe instead? OK, you can come down to Montana now and kick my butt..especially if you're tall and single!

[Shorinryu Sensei]

I'm glad to see Shorin Ryuu is here..I need the help to keep up!

[Dijita]

Oh...OOPS! How's Babe instead? OK, you can come down to Montana now and kick my butt..especially if you're tall and single!

 

LMAO! Haha, nice, Montana is just south of me too. RawR!

[Shorin Ryuu]

Another way of understanding an alternate method of generating power is to look at my post on punching.

 

As it is older, I've even provided a link for you here (Aren't I customer oriented?):

 

http://www.karateforums.com/viewtopic.php?t=14623&highlight=gamaku

 

Brace yourself...it's a long one.

[Shorinryu Sensei]

LMAO! Haha, nice, Montana is just south of me too. RawR!

 

Yep, just come straight south on 93 to Cut Bank, Mt..hang a right on Highway 2 to Kalispell..and you're there! It's just 300 miles.

 

Hey...I'M CAUGHT UP!!!

[Melody]

Thanks all for your wonderful helpful comments. I just wanted to spotlight though, that one person mentioned seeing a chiropracter, and I'm scared to because in my Human Anatomy class (I'm a highschool junior) we've seen some horrific results of going to a chiropractor periodically. The actual "popping" that you hear isn't your bones, but it is only built up acidic gases in the joints being released. It actually hurts you more than heals you....supposedly. I'm not saying its all true, only that I trust myself with my body more than anyone else, as it is I that must carry it around and make it perform. I may see a doctor about it though. thanks again everybody, I never expected SO MUCH helpful advice

[Dijita]

Just so you know, there are good chiropractors and bad ones as well. Yes, the popping noise... any chiropractor that does this is only going for a short term fix. Most of the time when your back is out of alignment, the reason is because one side of your backs muscles developed stronger than the other side which results in the spine being pulled over to one side. A good chiropractor knows this and works with the patient to equalize the strength of all the muscles in your back to help straighten it out over the long term and to relieve the stress.