Do I kick unconventionally (video)?

[Prototype]

Note that I have been sidelined by injury to my instep and shin, so I lost a lot of explosiveness and stiffened a bit. Unable to stretch for weeks.

That said, do I kick like a conventional Taekwondo guy?

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=n7vKAxgEthA

[singularity6]

That's different than the style I train in... We try to chamber straight up for front, round and side kicks as much as possible. From that stance, our knee would go up. Yours is cocked out to the side.

I'm not sure I'd try to kick fast like that if I wasn't able to stretch for weeks... then again, I'm a bit older than you.

[Prototype]

That's different than the style I train in... We try to chamber straight up for front, round and side kicks as much as possible. From that stance, our knee would go up. Yours is cocked out to the side.

I'm not sure I'd try to kick fast like that if I wasn't able to stretch for weeks... then again, I'm a bit older than you.

Yeah but ITF Taekwondo chambers circularly. I suppose

you do WTF/Kukkiwon style?

[singularity6]

Not sure, exactly... Ours might be closer to Tang Soo Do.

[Prototype]

Not sure, exactly... Ours might be closer to Tang Soo Do.

Which forms do you do?

[DWx]

For ITF its not so unconventional but kicking at that speed is detracting from your technique. It is fast but I would sacrifice some of that to hone the technique further.

For ITF you need to drive your chamber higher before the leg extends. If the attacking tool is balkal, at the moment it swings in an arc upwards and across. For more power and for a kick that is harder to defend it should travel almost horizontally to the target with the hips lined up behind. As the kick travels across now you will lose power because the mass isn't behind the foot.

So this is your chamber and the direction the kick travels: https://photos.app.goo.gl/swh4i8HdNj0JuVb73

Ideally you would chamber higher and tighter so that the kick travels directly towards the camera with the hips in alignment behind. So all of your mass is moving to the target.

If you look at your finish position, for a conventional kick you would finish on the green line here:

https://photos.app.goo.gl/df0NC1r7365ivAY82

Like this: https://photos.app.goo.gl/uFLnakhfnuZWqxf52

I think at the moment you are over rotational because the chamber is not high enough. And possibly your core isn't resisting the rotation. Hard to say looking at one angle. For an exercise to correct this, stand in a parallel stance next to something like a chair and practice chambering up and then kicking over the chair. Go slow first and then you can work back to that speed.

Hope this helps.

[Prototype]

For ITF its not so unconventional but kicking at that speed is detracting from your technique. It is fast but I would sacrifice some of that to hone the technique further.

For ITF you need to drive your chamber higher before the leg extends. If the attacking tool is balkal, at the moment it swings in an arc upwards and across. For more power and for a kick that is harder to defend it should travel almost horizontally to the target with the hips lined up behind. As the kick travels across now you will lose power because the mass isn't behind the foot.

So this is your chamber and the direction the kick travels: https://photos.app.goo.gl/swh4i8HdNj0JuVb73

Ideally you would chamber higher and tighter so that the kick travels directly towards the camera with the hips in alignment behind. So all of your mass is moving to the target.

If you look at your finish position, for a conventional kick you would finish on the green line here:

https://photos.app.goo.gl/df0NC1r7365ivAY82

Like this: https://photos.app.goo.gl/uFLnakhfnuZWqxf52

I think at the moment you are over rotational because the chamber is not high enough. And possibly your core isn't resisting the rotation. Hard to say looking at one angle. For an exercise to correct this, stand in a parallel stance next to something like a chair and practice chambering up and then kicking over the chair. Go slow first and then you can work back to that speed.

Hope this helps.

I think you hit the nail on the head. my hip does not allow a higher chambering. I'm a red belt so if it's not higher now then I think body mechanics has spoken. But does it matter if I have good control over my body nonetheless and power?

[Prototype]

Also, isn't there a trade off benefit of disguise if I chamber low? How could you know which height the kick will land at?

If I chamber high, it will be mid or high section for sure

[singularity6]

Also, isn't there a trade off benefit of disguise if I chamber low? How could you know which height the kick will land at?

If I chamber high, it will be mid or high section for sure

We chamber high even if we kick to the knee.

[singularity6]

Not sure, exactly... Ours might be closer to Tang Soo Do.

Which forms do you do?

We use do Palgwe for all our geup ranks. I've seen our black belts do Koryo and Keumgang... Then they start working on the Hap Ki Do forms at second dahn.