would you use any of this tehcniques in real scenarios

[Harkon72]

We have the philosophy that the higher you kick the more power you lose. So practicing kicking to the head is rare. Most power training is Chudan high. We do train flexibility so a head height kick is possible if deemed unnecessary.

[JusticeZero]

You shouldn't lose all that much power just by increasing the elevation. Your legs aren't *that* heavy, and in any case the power you use to elevate your legs into position usually won't be the same muscles that you use to fire the kick, for an asian styled kick.

When I have people sling kicks at me, the height doesn't affect the power I feel through the pads all that much; i'm not asking them to go outside their comfort zone in flexibility on the kicks.

If you are losing power, it is from poor form because you haven't built up the capacity to throw kicks within your casual flexibility at that height with strong form.. which takes a good amount of practice that lots of people just don't do.

[ShoriKid]

If you are losing power, it is from poor form because you haven't built up the capacity to throw kicks within your casual flexibility at that height with strong form.. which takes a good amount of practice that lots of people just don't do.

Shhh, don't tell everyone that it takes more work!

I think most people find the loss of power at the highest level they can kick and translate it to "higher kicks have less power" when it has to do with a couple of things. Antagonistic muscle action due to flexibility issues, balance issues resulting from the change in body alignment taking muscles out of generating power and into holding position. And not understanding the change in technique with the change in levels.

[SamsIAmz]

For me it's simply difficult to throw an effective kick at head height. And I know its because of my flexibility. I don't consider myself inflexible, but I don't have the confidence to throw a high kick in a real situation. I practice high kicks to get more flexibility, but its unlikely I would use a high kick in most situations.

Low kicks are harder to block just because they are harder to see. I particularly like low kicks to the knees, followed by a sprint away.

[judobrah]

Well.. Do you train many high kicks in your art?

yeah,whe already trained it a few times in class

"A few times" isn't "many". By "many" i'm thinking "Oh yeah, a couple hundred every class". So you'll probably not use one unless a perfect freak opening happens anyways.

i agree with everything you said

[ps1]

I know this sounds like a cop-out, but I would simply use whatever presented itself at the time. After 27 years of training, you kinda stop think about the specific technique. Things just become broader concepts. My whole focus is using anglular movement to creat openings. I then fill those openings with a strike that is appropriate to the provided distance, timing, and posture.

It's really that simple. That may be a simple hook punch...it may be a jump spinning crescent kick.

I have to say that hi round house, back, side and even spinning back kicks come as natural to me as low line round house kicks and reverse punches. In all reality, I probably would not do a spinning hook or cresent kick. But it's not because I think they are better or worse, just that I haven't practiced them to that point.

[Harkon72]

This maybe so for some, but at my age my Chudan Mawashi Geri has much more power than my head height one. My kicking leg, paralel to the floor generates more torque and transfer of force. Maybe I'm at fault, but I'm happy with it.

[bushido_man96]

We have the philosophy that the higher you kick the more power you lose. So practicing kicking to the head is rare. Most power training is Chudan high. We do train flexibility so a head height kick is possible if deemed unnecessary.

Can that philosophy be backed with proof, though? I routinely break 4 boards with head high round kicks, and I think that's pretty good power. I don't think I could break many more than that with a thigh level round kick. Its like anything else; if it isn't trained, then it can't be used. If it is going to be trained, it has to be done properly in terms of application and context.

[Harkon72]

Our style, Shito Ryu, is based on traditional Okinawan Karate. Head height kicks are not a focus of the Karate. Our Sensei trains us in kata and very few of these have head height kicks. It's simply not a feature of our tradition.

[ShoriKid]

We have the philosophy that the higher you kick the more power you lose. So practicing kicking to the head is rare. Most power training is Chudan high. We do train flexibility so a head height kick is possible if deemed unnecessary.

Can that philosophy be backed with proof, though? I routinely break 4 boards with head high round kicks, and I think that's pretty good power. I don't think I could break many more than that with a thigh level round kick. Its like anything else; if it isn't trained, then it can't be used. If it is going to be trained, it has to be done properly in terms of application and context.

I've broken 2 inch cap blocks with side kick at just over mid-chest high. I am not a big guy, so I blame technique. I've thrown so many of those kicks that I can't even begin to put a number on it. I know what happens when it lands, when it gets blocked or jammed and how much space and time I need to vet the kick off. It all falls back to training. A little won't do.