Why Do We Kick Like We Do?

[weaponless]

A karate style kick can be fast and powerful.... It's all in the technique..... and practice, practice, practice.

Once you can turn the chambering and kicking motions into one big "snap", the power will come.....

....Think, the snapping of a towel. I don't know if this makes any sense, but it is a little hard to explain.

[Jiffy]

Certainly makes sence.

To explain further to those who don't understand...

The flicking towel is a commonly used expression in Karate. If you think of the crack at the end, that is the realease of energy at the end of the technique. As you all know, even though it is a soft towel, it still stings. Karate takes this same principle and applies it to it's kicks as well as other techniques, but it does take practise.

[kumitekyle187]

i think all kicks are effective it just depends on the time of kicking you are training if you have certain type of kick you can make it effective it just requires a lot of training time

-kyle

[TheAnimal]

Certainly makes sence.

To explain further to those who don't understand...

The flicking towel is a commonly used expression in Karate. If you think of the crack at the end, that is the realease of energy at the end of the technique. As you all know, even though it is a soft towel, it still stings. Karate takes this same principle and applies it to it's kicks as well as other techniques, but it does take practise.

Unfortunately, the human body does not work in the same manner as a towel. I have a very long winded physical/mechanical description of why these whip/snap/whatever puches and kicks do not aquire much power, but that's the subject of an article I was thinking of writing (upon suggestion).

[DokterVet]

Certainly makes sence.

To explain further to those who don't understand...

The flicking towel is a commonly used expression in Karate. If you think of the crack at the end, that is the realease of energy at the end of the technique. As you all know, even though it is a soft towel, it still stings. Karate takes this same principle and applies it to it's kicks as well as other techniques, but it does take practise.

Unfortunately, the human body does not work in the same manner as a towel. I have a very long winded physical/mechanical description of why these whip/snap/whatever puches and kicks do not aquire much power, but that's the subject of an article I was thinking of writing (upon suggestion).

Please write the article. I would be interested to read that.

[cluelesskarateka]

okies, if chambering is detrimental to kicking, as implied by several posts here, why do karate and taekwondo chamber? And i'm not going to accpet 'Tradition' as an answer. There has to be a benefit to chambering, otherwise people wouldn't have bothered doing it that way in the first place to create tradition. Incidently, did anyone see that UFC where someone was taken out by a Taekwondo spinning back kick? Thats just to liven things up a bit, because it seems quite common to view karate/taekwondo kicks as inneffective as they aren't usually seen in UFC, yet the time somone did do one he cleaned the other guy out.

Peace out y'all, and excuse any ignorance

[DokterVet]

Somebody at some point thought it was best to chamber kicks, so he practiced them that way under that hypothesis. He taught his students to chamber. His students taught their students to chamber. Those students taught their own students to chamber. One of those students taught you to chamber.

[Killer Miller]

Just for clarification, what is the definition of "chamber" or "chambering?" It's not a term we use in Shotokan and I want to make sure I'm on the same page as those using the term if I write a reply on the thread. I'm asking for technical description reasons...

- Killer -

[DokterVet]

Just for clarification, what is the definition of "chamber" or "chambering?" It's not a term we use in Shotokan and I want to make sure I'm on the same page as those using the term if I write a reply on the thread. I'm asking for technical description reasons...

- Killer -

Chambering a kick refers to first lifting the knee, then straightening the leg as part of the motion of the kick. While this is obviously done with front and side kicks, there are varying schools of thought on whether the roundhouse kick should use a chamber.

Typically in karate and taekwondo, the practitioner is taught to roundhouse kick by first bringing the knee up, then snapping the leg straight as the kick finishes. Of course this is done in one fluid technique, but the process of chambering and straightening the leg is nevertheless present. Also note that different styles (and individuals) perform this chamber differently -- for example on an upward 45 degree angle, horizontal, or even snapping around to come down at an angle.

The thai-style kick, on the other hand, is typically done with a "dead leg" swung more like a baseball bat. In other words, the hinge of the knee is essentially ignored in the movement.

[weaponless]

There isn't one way of kicking and everything else is wrong.... that's why there is different styles. Although I have said and will say that there is a great deal of power to be found in a karate style kick, I would also conceed that there is even more power to be found in a Thai style kick. However, such a kick does sacrifice some balance for power. Now I'm obviously not saying that a Thai fighter is off balance all the time, but there are times when a missed Thai roundhouse kick will leave the practicioner spun out of position and slightly off balance, whereas the same is typically not true of the karate roundhouse. Is there less power in the kick, yes... but, more balance. Plus, I feel that it takes alot more work to develop the power of a karate kick, but it is there... waiting for your technique to catch up with your body and once they become one, watch out, it can be thrown fast, hard and with little upset to balance (or as little as can be had standing on one leg).