Hi! I've been training karate about a year now. My problem is when we have free sparring. My opponent ALWAYS grab my leg and sweep me to the floor when i launch a kick. I guess that i am to slow..? How can i be faster and hit with my kicks? Any particular training suggestions?

 

 

Try this,

 

Instead of kicking all the time with the same kick or kicking with the same leg all the time, Vary your kicks and which leg you kick with.The way I catch opponents with kicks is when I kick with my leading leg.It works like wonders if you are fast enough.

 

Try it next time

 

 

 

Because I have also been sparring for a while in karate I have perhaps and idea as to what is wrong.

 

If your opponent can grab your leg it means that you are not pulling your leg out of there fast enough. When you kick think of a quick snap, you know like you have a towel and snap it.

 

If your opponent can see you coming and sweep your leg it means you need to work on your foot work so that he won't see you coming.

 

Bottom line, practice your basic very hard and try to make your kicks invisible.

When you do your kick, as soon as it has extended, it should snap back and quite frankly hit you in the butt. If you work on that, then your kicks will be faster. Also if you get bands and tie them to a post and your leg and practice kicking, your kicks become stronger and faster.

 

 

The speed at which the kick recoils is important as everyone has said.

 

:kaioken:But, there will be times when you face a sparring partner who is extremely adept at catching kicks going to a certain location. When facing this opponent kick at another target area. Unless of course, you enjoy getting off the floor.

dont use your kicks if your too slow only joking. well im not really experienced and im not a very good kicker, im more into punching coz im pretty fast and powerful due to the boxing training i did before karate which is why full contact appeals to me more. but if you practice your kicks and pratice in a way that makes you bring it back like kick against someone that is purposely trying to catch your foot then you should improve.

 

 

Just go into the "turtle" position and take the beatings. It will be over soon...

:idea:Looking at the postings after thought I remembered someting I once heard someone say: "If your kick is not fast enough to make your gi snap it is a poor kick."

 

:karate:And it would seem part of the snap is the all important recoil.

 

Then to many of us have a particular kick we are more proficent at then others. Best to practice weaker kicks on opponents less likely to catch them.

 

Sai

well Richard are you faster now and a lot better then you were??

 

Yepp! I've been improving my kicks a lot since a posted my problem!

 

It was the recoil of the leg that I had problem with, but now noboby takes a grab of my leg.

 

I wanna thank you all for the help!