Hook kick

[cjburns77]

I was wondering if anyone had any tips on performing a quick hook kick?? My hook kick is very slow and I am afraid my flexabilty is to blame.. I have been working hard on that aspect but my problem comes in with my hip motion.. I have been going slow through the motions to learn the proper technique now for some time. Moving fast it just seems like I have no follow through... Any help would be apprectiated

[isshinryu5toforever]

If you neglect the snap back part of your ordinary kicks, your hook kick will suffer. Because as you know, the snap back part is actually what makes a hook kick. Flexibility helps, but a hook kick doesn't have to be executed to the head. Sure, it's nice, but not everybody has flexibility. You can execute a hook kick anywhere on the body as long as you have a powerful "snap back" motion.

[tufrthanu]

Perhaps you can gain more speed by only half cocking your leg, shooting it out and snapping the lower leg back. Remember to hit with the heel...it will make a lighter kick have more of an impact. An excellent person to look at for a fast hook kick is Bill Wallace. See if you can find any videos of him around.

[yamesu]

do you mean hookkick as in jeet kun do name for roundhouse?

 

or,

 

hookkick as in kake-geri from karate?

[traz]

If you neglect the snap back part of your ordinary kicks, your hook kick will suffer. Because as you know, the snap back part is actually what makes a hook kick. Flexibility helps, but a hook kick doesn't have to be executed to the head. Sure, it's nice, but not everybody has flexibility. You can execute a hook kick anywhere on the body as long as you have a powerful "snap back" motion.

 

I'm not sure we're thinking of the same kick here...the hook kick I know of really doesn't include any kind of snap back motion...

[isshinryu5toforever]

if you're talking about just leaving your leg straight and trying to hit with the heel, then that will never be quick. If you snap it out and back though, you get more power.

[traz]

True, but the power really comes from the hip. So even if you can snap back a turning kick quick, I don't see how it helps you in a hook kick. Perhaps we learn hook kicks differently...but from what I see in my Hapkido dojo, there really isn't much leg snapping, but a lot of power from the hip.

[tufrthanu]

OK, I think I see the problem. Traz, your Hook kick, is it basically a spinning move with a generally straight leg? The hook kick most of us are thinking of is the TKD style one where you shoot your leg out like a side thrust kick then let the lower leg hinge back at the knee to strike the side or back of the head. In my Hapkido class though they taught a differnt hook kick that basically involved a straight leg while spinning. If this is the case isshinryu is correct in that it will never be real fast. That is a power hook kick not a fast one. About the only thing I can think of that will help you with that is 1. Practice your spin or step behind pivot whichever method you use and 2. Remember that a loose limb travels faster than a tight one. If you are flexing the leg alot when you kick it will go slow. So try and keep it loose until right before impact.

[traz]

Indeed tuf, our leg is taught to be basically straight...we kick up straight (much like a front rising kick) and then turn our hip side ways so that our foot becomes parallel to the floor, and then kind of swing it backwards.

 

Might be a crude description, but thats the best I could do heh.

Edited February 13, 2005 by traz

[GhostlySykanRyu]

I think a straight or bent leg would be a matter of preference/where your opponent is. The real power comes from your stance, your leg spring, and your hip. Snap back in this case would only be for the sake of not keeping your leg out there too long.