I have a lot of trouble with this very basic kick. I can only get it right about 15% of the time.
It's important these days, as it's part of the tornado kicks that I'm supposed to be learning. Here I am doing one at the test this past month.
For you non-martial-artists, the outside-inside kick does what its name says: goes from outside to inside. If you're doing it with the right leg, that leg starts by moving outward to the right, then it circles up and to the left, crossing in front of your body.
What's my problem with it? I can't get my leg to go out and around with any height or force. And that's the whole point of this move!
2 comments:
Hi, tkdmom.
Try "collapsing your kick" by bringing your knee closer to your chest. So instead of making an outside-to-inside circle with your *leg*, draw the circle with your *knee*--snapping your leg out only when you get within 6-8 inches of your target and bringing the full force of it downwards onto your target, like an axe kick. If you're aiming to clock your opponent/target on the ears, then you hit them with the side of your foot as you bring your foot across. I've also seen people hit targets on their upward swing, sort of like a front kick. I was taught that the key to speed and power for that kick is to bring the knees up FIRST, BEFORE you start extending your leg for the kick, sort of like a spring effect. In your photo, you're already braced to kick, and your knee isn't even past your belt level yet.
Oh, and relax until impact. That helps, too, but it's also easier said than done.
Hope that helps. :)
Liz offers some very good advice TKD Mom. It's almost like a modified axe kick with a little swing.
By chambering the knee first, it also helps to conceal the kick from your opponent during sparring because so many kicks begin with the knee-up position. Otherwise, you'd never be able to get off a good outside-inside kick because your opponent would see it coming a mile away when you begin your hip swing.
One good power and flexibility drill you may already know: put three pieces of tape (low, middle, high) on a heavy bag or your kicking target. Repeatedly kick the bag each time aiming at the higher tape mark. This drill works for almost all of the kicks.
Kicker Chick
Post a Comment