How high do you kick in JKD?

[Sandy]

Hi all,

In JKD, how high do you kick?

I'm asking for a reason. Adductor/groin strain is preventing me from my usual kickboxing class and isn't healing quickly. However, I can kick below waist level without strain. As per a previous post, I know Emil Martirossian teaches JKD near me and I'm keen to try out JKD.

I'd be especially keen to hear from Jason or Howard here, as I know they have trained at Emil's class.

Otherwise, I might try Wing Chun, which shouldn't trouble my injury (or maybe ju jitsu would be OK?).

[Nissani]

i don't know the answer but you would think that seeing as how bruce lee trained in wing chun the kicks would remain rather low.....



****its very possible i'll stand corrected on one foot seeing as the other may be in my mouth****

[YODA]

Lower rather than higher is a good guideline but by no means an absolute.

The JKD process is involved with tailoring arts to suit people rather than the other way around as most styles do.

If you cannot kick high there's no reason why you should.

[basf12]

kick low is good for self defence and high maybe for demo or tournament

[Disciple]

Bruce Lee could kick high medium and low, whatever the situation would call for. I would recommend checking out Bruce Lee's Fighting Method series. In advanced techniques he moves into more in depth things of fighting, but you can clearly see how high he kicks... (for those who haven't read it, he goes to the head and chest).

[pug32]

personally i d kick high in JKD because i did kickboxing so the flexibility is there. I find it catches some people off gaurd as many JKD practitioners only use low line kicks, the double kick can draw a block nicely :)

but if you don't want to kick high then don't :)

[Black Dog]

Yeah, I do that double kick a lot of the time and it usually works out really nicely.

There are a lot more important things than kicking that you can use, but to each his own. You just have to carve out your own fighting style with techniques that are comfortable to you.

[JKDChick]

Sometimes we do high kick drills, but it's mostly about learning to DEFEND them, in case someone tries to do it on the street.

[Florida Warlock]

As high or low as you feel, wherever you feel.

[old timer]

In our JKD class all the kicks up to now have been waist high or below, we dont actually have long stretching routines like in the other arts aimed at improving kicking flexability, my own opinion of the whole thing is who needs to kick high, if you can reach the solar plexus, the ribs, groin etc, that will do nicely, and what you lack in height you can certainly make up in power and don't forget how effective the Muay Thai shin kicks to the thigh and ribs are..........who needs high kicks, they only over commit you or put you off balance! (My opinion only by the way which is why I dislike high kicks)

[jkdsilat]

High kicks are good for working one's flexibility and should only be done in a class environment or in the confort of your home, outside low line kicks should be used to quickly stop the attacker ie shin kicks , groin kick, side kick to the knee etc.

[XinXin]

as high as you need

[JeetKunDo]

Usually all JKD kicks are low or mid shots. Its as effective to kick in the groin as it is in the head, but lets face it, its easier to reach the groin.

[tel]

if it arises then i will,but don't go looking for it

[minimal]

Let me forst say I have no experience in either art.

Wing Chun, what might be described as a forerunner to JKD, uses low kicks almost exclusively. JKD focusses on low kicks also, if you aren't using them it's unlikely to be noticed or criticized. But they can be used in it, and you can bring other techniques in if you maintain the form and philosophy of the style in what you add.

It's good to practice high kicks, for form and with speed and power, as they make lower kicks easier and faster. But I don't think it's a good idea to use them except where your opponent is disadvataged in the first place.

BTW I would count a rib or solar plexus kick as high, it's approximately as easy for your opponent to unbalance you from either.

When you are dealing with a limitation, hopefully you feel free to tell the instructor. But in JKD I don't think it would be a problem.

I hope you train sensibly and give your body time to heal.

[ap Oweyn]

I don't really believe that kicking high will make your low kicks better. Kicking low makes your low kicks better. The mechanics are different enough that, while you will get some benefit from kicking high, if you want to get good at a particular set of motions, you're better off training that specific set of motions.

[tel]

like anything,high kicking good for some people,not so for others

[faster than you]

Usually all JKD kicks are low or mid shots. Its as effective to kick in the groin as it is in the head, but lets face it, its easier to reach the groin.

i would say a full force round kick to the head is much more effective than a full force kick to the nads. when adrenaline is pumping or drugs are involved breaking someone's plumbing may not do it, but breaking someone's circuitry will do it.

[tel]

i would say a full force round kick to the head is much more effective than a full force kick to the nads. when adrenaline is pumping or drugs are involved breaking someone's plumbing may not do it, but breaking someone's circuitry will do it.
lol.good point, heard many door man say pressure point don't work when people are drunk or high

[Erik Bauer]

No fear if you can't kick high.
JKD is about effective street moves, and high kicks usually aren't (you wear jeans, your good shoes will have less grip than gym ones, maybe there is a little sand or dirt and you loose equilibrium...).
We usually trained kicks to the knees, pelvis and stomach.

Btw, all this won't stop you to use high kicks when your disease goes over.

[JKD_forever]

I don't really believe that kicking high will make your low kicks better. Kicking low makes your low kicks better. The mechanics are different enough that, while you will get some benefit from kicking high, if you want to get good at a particular set of motions, you're better off training that specific set of motions.

I agree with 99%.
However, the fact that you can kick very high with easy, means that kicking say to mid section is easier in terms of flexibility. But other than that, training specific set of motion will give better results for that motion. Besides, why would you want to kick someone in head? It's way more stronger easier and satisfying to kick someone in the knee and break it. ;)

[Juego Todo]

There is no one prescribed method of kicking in JKD. To kick "only high" or "only low" would go against the freedom that JKD is trying to promote. As Sigung Bruce would have asked, "How does it feel to you?"

No two people are alike. No two people have the same body-type or physical abilities. If injury prevents you from kicking high, then do the best that you can from the waist-down, as you said that it doesn't hurt you in that range. Since kicking height won't be a consideration at this point, the key things to concentrate on would probably be (like anything else): speed, accuracy & power.

Good luck on your MA (be it actual JKD training or JKD mindset).

[inosanto1]

kicks are usually kept low1. cos it is safer2. more economical and energy saving 3. high kicks usually leave you way off balance unless executed precisley. i have trained in JKD for over 6yrs and we go as high as the solar plexus if the chance presents itself otherwise they are kept low for speed and power, the higher you go, the less power you have cos it take enough energy to get it up there.

[Anomandaris]

my theory is this.

you kick high as it targets the head and can potentially knock out an opponent in one go and it is very distracting to have a foot fly into your face, more so than a fist as it has longer reach.

so a kick to the head(or high section) is about damage and disconcerting an opponent.

why kick high when you can bring the high to you? a solid kick to the knee or groin and most people will go down, or at least stagger lowering their head so then kick the head which is now lower than normal.

make high section mid section and ask why you ever need to kick high again?

(I do Tae-Kwon-Do and am frequently horrified by the strange desire to make kicks so damn high! in effective terms mid section(kidney height for me) is the highest you will ever need to kick or ever likely be able ot reach safely)

[inosanto1]

my theory is this.

you kick high as it targets the head and can potentially knock out an opponent in one go and it is very distracting to have a foot fly into your face, more so than a fist as it has longer reach.

so a kick to the head(or high section) is about damage and disconcerting an opponent.

why kick high when you can bring the high to you? a solid kick to the knee or groin and most people will go down, or at least stagger lowering their head so then kick the head which is now lower than normal.

make high section mid section and ask why you ever need to kick high again?

(I do Tae-Kwon-Do and am frequently horrified by the strange desire to make kicks so damn high! in effective terms mid section(kidney height for me) is the highest you will ever need to kick or ever likely be able ot reach safely)
but is that not a part of TKD, the high kicks, i mean, it is not the whole art but you know what i am getting at, it is very flamboyant with them. Do you train in any other arts as it soumds as if you are not happy within the art?

[PangQuan]

as high as you need to...

[faster than you]

i kick high enough to kick kareem abdul jabar on the head.

[FastLegs]

If you can kick high, that doesn't mean that you have to use it always.

Nobody is so stupid to start kicking high rightaway in a street fight. I practice Taekwondo and I'd use striking to the throath first before kicking and knocking out the opponent. But I rather take the opponent down into a lock and call the police. ;)