Type of Kicks.

by Sensei Christabel Muscat

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Kicking is a highly skilled and powerful form of defending yourself and of attacking any molesters. Mostly this is because your foot and shin have a longer reach than anyone's hands. To be effective in dangerous circumstances, kicks have to be executed rapidly and precisely.

The Front Kick:

When used with the right technique this can and will push anyone away from you, giving yourself time to counter attack or extra time to protect yourself against someone trying to attack you from the front.

The Knees: 

The knee is very much the same as your front kick but this time you don't straighten your leg. Think of your knee as a spike, which you're driving into the solar plexus area and face. This can also be done by grabbing your attacker by the shoulder or neck pulling him or her into the knee. This type of attack is suitable in situations where you have to defend yourself in confined spaces. 

The Side Kick: 

This works in the same way as your front kick or knee but it comes from your side into your attack. Side kicks can work well when done with the right technique, which you can put more power into if you lunge at the attacker swiftly and keep your body in balance pushing forward with your foot into him or her.

The Round House Kick:

The Round House kick is one of the most powerful kicks you can do. When moving from a stance and guard position, you have to make sure that the body is still protected in the event of a counter attack. As the right leg comes up you can see how the body weight changes from right to left giving you more power as your left foot turns 90 to 180 degrees. When kicking, it is very  important to swivel the hips. Think of your kick going up slightly and driving downwards into the body, legs or head. The more you turn your foot the more power you will gain.

Hook Kick:

The method of kicking is tight and intends to knock the opponent out of the game. This is accomplished by an explosive weight shift through the target. It is executed by creating a tension between the upper and lower body, called a Stress Reflex. As the heel is snapped back, the upper body torques through the target plane and the top elbow rotates to the rear. This helps rotate the hip where most of the body weight resides.

Power kicking requires a momentary storing of energy as you cock or chamber the leg. The energy is then released explosively. This is associated with the breath and its release.

Advantages:

Body weight is in motion with the hip twisting or spinning through the target. Results in greater impact. Body is guarded due to the arms tucked tight and forward.

Disadvantages

Once committed to the kick, can not be withdrawn or easily checked.

 High kick   (Disadvantages) 

1.  Clothing and being cold can make it more difficult to kick high therefore making it a risky technique.

2.  The higher your foot is off the ground; the more likely you can lose your balance and end up on the ground yourself.  This can happen in a variety of ways, one of which is having your leg grabbed. The higher it is, the easier it is to block or grab at times.  With your leg high off the ground, you also present different targets for your opponents that are not there when your feet are on the ground.