Side kick problems.

[searcher]

Last summer I began practising Taekwondo(ITF) and as my kicks get higher there seems to be a problem with my side kick. The problem is that I am having difficulty getting the kick to reach full extension, ie. it is not locking out. I have been trying to remedy the problem on my own, but it seems to still be there with everything that I seem to be trying. I am hoping that somebody else has had this problem and they can shed some light on how I can fix the problem. I never had this problem before I started kicking higher. The Okinawan styles do not kick very high and the bent knee started when I started kicking higher. All I get form my instructor is that I need to get rid of my bent knee and no input on how to get rid of this. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

[sk0t]

Is your knee up on the kick....is it chambered into your chest.

 

And are you fully stretched before executing the kick...is your hip properly aligned.

 

We need to know these mitigating factors...

 

I suggest you work on properly chambering your kick. It will help with extensions...

[tufrthanu]

Well it might be because you arent flexible enough to have both legs fully extended at the same time at the height you are kicking...try more hamstring stretches and bending the support leg.

[searcher]

I chamber my kick with my knee near my collarbones and my hips are in proper allignment. The problem seems to be at the last 5-9 inches of the kick. My chamber is goodbut it almost feels like I am trying to snap the kick back to early.

 

As for the flexibility question, I can perform splits without warm-up in side split and front split with either leg forward. So flexibility is not an issue.

 

I have been pondering whether there is a strength issue, ie. not enough quadricep strength to snap the kick to full extension.

 

Thank you for the responses.

[tufrthanu]

It should require no strength...if it won't go easy don't try to make it go hard. Try standing sideways to what you want to kick...say with your right side facing the opponent. Turn your left foot so that it points directly away from your opponent. if you can stand like that you should be able to do the side kick to full extension. If you can turn that foot away without chamber just raise your right leg straight up in the air. If you can do that then it might be a more complicated issue.

[Shorinryu Sensei]

The problem is that I am having difficulty getting the kick to reach full extension, ie. it is not locking out.

 

Just to clarify...and I don't do TKD...but you're trying to kick high, and hard I assume (although many don't from my experience)..and make your leg go to full extension and lock the knee joint?

 

Buddy...you're an orthopedic surgeon's "My new addition to my house" dream patient in the making. Never...NEVER..let a leg during a kick, or an arm during a punch/block go to full extension. You are hyperextending the ligaments/tendons and one of these days, something's going to go "SNAP!", and you're looking at surgury to repair it. Been there, done that myself, but not because of hyperextension during a kick.

 

Is this a typical TKD way of kicking? Fully extended limbs?

[searcher]

Kicking at the heighth that I am talking about is new for me since my backgroung is in the Okinawan martial arts. As to whether or not extending to " full extension" that would cause a hyper-extension is a TKD thing or not, you would have to ask someone who has more experience in the Korean martial arts.

 

As for the level of extension, I am not talking about locking out the kick to a level of possible hyper-extension. I am sorry for not making myself clear. What I am talking about is cutting out the 8-10 degrees of bend in my leg or at least reducing it.

 

The bent leg problem is not happening when I kick the bag or while sparring. It is happening when I perform "air" kicking or while doing forms.

 

Thank you and keep the ideas coming.

[tufrthanu]

Hmm, I don't know that doesn't even really make sense. The only thing I can think of is that you somehow have developed a psychological block to throwing the kick to full extension with power because you are afraid of a leg injury maybe. It's obviously not a muscle problem as you are managing to do it to a heavy bag. If it is a psychological block I don't know what to tell you.

 

As to the locking out the leg thing there was a letter from a reader on that in the new issue of Black Belt Magazine. Apparently Bill Wallace had brought up the same points as Shorinryu Sensei. Basically what the guy says is that he's been locking his kicks out for 27 years with no problems. He says the problem is not damage from locking out a kick...the damage comes from compression of the joint doing things like duck walks and jumping. He also says you can't compare a knee joint to an elbow joint as they are indeed different.

 

However, there still is the issue of hyperextension. I personally always lock out my kicks...I have never had a problem just through kicking air or an opponent. The only times I have ever hyperextended my leg on a kick are when trying to do a side kick to a hanging heavy bag where the bag has spun out of the way and pulled my foot a little at the same time.

[searcher]

It indeed must be mental. I talked with the master of my system and he gave me some advice on how to correct it. I have been working on it for a couple of days and it seems to have gone by the wayside. It seems that he thinks I am getting in to much of a hurry to retract the kick and this is leading to it being "chopped off" short.

 

I stand at a range from a focus target that will require full extension to touch the target. Then throw the kick.

 

This has started working and I will continue doing it until the side kick is fixed.

 

Thank you all for the replies.

[Nilla Ice]

It sounds like all you need to do is extend the leg. It's mental...don't take it the wrong way. Many students have this issue, as I did. All it took was for me to put it in my mind to extend it. Start lower and work your way up...hopefully this helps. It sometimes is the simple solution.

 

Let me ask though....When you are chambered with your kick is your foot facing the target with the sole or is the sole of your foot towards the ground. If the sole of your foot is towards the ground, then I doubt you'll ever extend it fully at any height over your hips. Non-okinawan sidekicks get the sole/knife edge of the foot facing the target as soon as possible.

 

By the way, the hardest kick to kick high with is....the side kick. Have fun...