Dynamic kicking

[pittbullJudoka]

Let me start with I've been descent at kicking but things are starting to get better. In our sparring sessions we use a very limited rule set. Basically don't punch the throat, kick the groin or knees and exercise supreme control.

This has to take a turn to a year ago, when a friend of mine who is a pro MMA fighter came to my school for a seminar. He taught us some Muay Thai techniques that would work well with our traditional karate. He taught the Dutch round kick, cut kick, and various leg kicks.

After having some pretty good success with the Dutch kick I began to experiment with the cut kick and a few others. Also I began trying to land the heel kick to the thigh as you would typically use a round kick. This heel kick has became a successful kick. I began then trying out the cut kick, it takes a bit to get the timing down to kick your opponents supporting leg while they are kicking.

Also I've been finding my kicking game improving every time I spar due to trying new kicking combinations away from the traditional front, side, round and spinning back kicks. I know the more you can mix it up or not get settled into a pattern the more success you'll have.

I kick low often to disrupt the foot work of my partner and also set up my hand strikes. And I think here is we're I'm finding the opportunity to play with my kicks to see what I liked and also more importantly what worked in the give situation.

So how dynamic is your kicking game? You throw kicks to areas traditionally not taught such as a front kick to to the upper thigh or hip crease? Do you kick outside the box too?

[bushido_man96]

I try to kick outside the box, but unfortunately our rule set doesn't allow much flexibility, as all kicks have to be above the belt. I've tried to throw in some unorthodox kicks to make up for this, like a reverse turning round kick, twist kicks, and even front kicks. No one really throws a lot of front kicks, because many of us fight side on from a back stance. From their, doubling up kicks can help set the rhythm off.

[pittbullJudoka]

I know the feeling Bushidoman. When you are limited by a rule set such as keeping the kicks above the belt it does seem to offer fewer opportunities. But seems you've kind found away around that.

[Evil Dave]

I've always liked a good double kick combo works well, and the once in a while chance a triple... Once again, I'm working with a rule set that stipulates all kicks above the belt.

[ShoriKid]

Mostly my kicks now, if not just straight up functional, are being worked off of angles. Sliding into place, jamming footwork and following on the openings I make with my hands. I can still occasionally break the balance of Pittbull and a couple of the others. But now I'm just working on hitting targets they don't think I can, from angles I shouldn't be able to either.

[moriniuk]

Can you explain your interpretation of the 'Dutch kick' and the 'cut kick' please.

I'll guess that the Dutch kick is a low round kick to the outside of the thigh because the Dutch used to nearly always thow a jab - cross - low round kick combination.

A cut kick or 'tay tad' in Thai is a kick that arrives at the target area, either low or middle level, in a horizontal direction as opposed to a 'tay chiang' or swing kick which travels upwards at a 45 degree angle into the ribs.

[DWx]

TBH I don't try to do anything outside the box as I'm competing so train for and stay within the rules. Having said that, compared to other styles, TKD has very dynamic kicking as that's what the style is all about. As far as the type of kicks, I'll use roundhouses, sidekicks, back kicks, hook, spinning heel, front, axe... Mostly I work on footwork and putting these kicks into practice but lately I'm trying to work on the spinning jumping variations to see if I can push myself, both in ability to do the kick itself and having to get the set up right. Not everyone's cup of tea but it pushes me to get my kicks working better.

[bushido_man96]

Mostly my kicks now, if not just straight up functional, are being worked off of angles. Sliding into place, jamming footwork and following on the openings I make with my hands. I can still occasionally break the balance of Pittbull and a couple of the others. But now I'm just working on hitting targets they don't think I can, from angles I shouldn't be able to either.

Cutting angles has been a part of what I've been trying to do, as well. I can cut angles around a bag just find, but when I start sparring, it seems like something changes, and I find cutting the angles a bit harder. I'm also toying with a stepping sequence that will put me in various places for different setups. We'll see how that goes.