Chambering

[booksie_girl]

I am wondering about the advantanges and disadvantages of chambering kicks. I have some idea, but would like to hear the opinions of MAPer. Thanks.

[Kaine]

a lot more power, you setup better for the kick too.. I'm sure there ar other reasons also but I cannot think of any at the time being.

[Chazz]

There are 2 types of chambering.

One helps in forms and breaking. It looks good and provides a lot of power when its time to break.

The other comes natural, it not as good looking but it works. Just a little chamber in a quick kick has more power in it than just swinging your leg up there.

[KickChick]

Chambering your kicks adds power and speed to the kick.
Some people feel that it telegraphs the kick.

For more on "chambering" ... you can refer to the Kicking (http://www.martialartsplanet.com/sections.php?op=listarticles&secid=4) section in the Magazine with pics.

[Andrew Green]

I disagree.

Chambering takes away power, makes it easier to see coming, and easier to get taken down.

It looks "crisper" though

[WhiteWizard]

Chambering helps you to deliver multiple kicks quicker also lets you disguse your intent with the kick if you are quick enough. its a good place to start as you may have many options for kicks from it

[Cain]

It kinda gives you the "slap" effect to your kicks kinda like a punch hitting and suddenly pulling rather than driving though...I think...not exactly an expert on kicks :(

Also like WW said it's easier to feint with them, sometimes it's easy to telegraph with them but a guy I know executes them smoothly with practically no warning!

|Cain|


|Cain|

[KickChick]

Originally posted by cain_charlie
Also like WW said it's easier to feint with them, sometimes it's easy to telegraph with them but a guy I know executes them smoothly with practically no warning!|Cain|

... hence the speed of the kick!

Karate (Kyokushin & Shotokan, TKD, and sometimes even MT) use the snap of the knee to deliver the majority of their kicks ... however... that is not to say that in certain situations one must deliver a kick in a completely different manner.
Sometimes a kick is delivered by keeping leg almost straight, executing solely by the hip motion wherein the kick is executed with more of a push or thrust, rather than a snap to control the distance between you and your opponent, to stop an opponent's attack or their forward momentum, or to simply create an opening.

[Chazz]

Originally posted by Andrew Green
I disagree.

Chambering takes away power, makes it easier to see coming, and easier to get taken down.

It looks "crisper" though


well like i sad you wouldnt use a long chamber in a fight, you would use it in forms or when breaking. So you wouldnt have a worrie about being taken down....... It does give you more power when kicking into a kicking target or when breaking.

[stump]

Gotta disagree on one of your points kickchick...I've never seen a chamber in any muay thai kicks. The power of the muay thai roundhouse comes from the hips, not the knee.

When have you seen MT using this? I'm not being confrontational I'm just interested to know

[LilBunnyRabbit]

Chambering takes away power, makes it easier to see coming, and easier to get taken down.

How exactly do you chamber? If its slowing down the kick and dropping power, then there's something strange going on.


When have you seen MT using this? I'm not being confrontational I'm just interested to know

Watch their kicks in slow motion. The hardest kickers do chamber, not because then all the power comes from the knee, but because you then add power with the thigh and calf.

Note: I have only seen a few MT fighters, and those on slowed-down videos. I am commenting only on the ones that I have seen using chambers, who do seem to have more solid kicks than those who do not.

[Cain]

maybe roundhouses are too techy for me to discuss - What about side kicks? - Chambering definitely adds power in there :)

And CKD is right - I have seen quite a few MT fighters chamber, they don't exxagerate but they do chamber sorta coming in a 2 o' clock angle

Though I am confused how keeping a perfectly straight knee will add to power...

|Cain|

[stump]

Gotta disagree again guys. The MT kickers I've seen and trained with barely bend their leg as the kick comes in. They shift their weight, pivot and the leg follows, no significant bend involved.

I'm not saying the leg remains locked out, but there is no chamber to speak of. Maybe chambers are added to very high kicks, I don't know, but I've not seen what I would define as a chamber in the kicks of the thai boxers I've trained with.

Yoda, maybe you could shed some light if you're around?

[stump]

But before I get accused of dragging this off topic...

personally I think the benefits of chambering are purely aesthetic. It allows you to throw multiple kicks with one raise of the leg but that's only useful in limited situations - certain competitions.

The advantages are it makes a kick look very impressive especially when you see Chloe Bruce or someone like that do it...but that's ok limited interest to me personally

[Cain]

Also chambering's used heavily in front thrust kicks...

|Cain|

[johndoch]

Why is it that people seem to think that thai fighters only have one kick in there arsenal. I ve seen plenty of thai fights on TV and plenty of them chamber. This is common as cain says during front thrust kicks and also back kicks.

[AsSaSiN]

We are taught to kick with our roundhouse unchambered. But we are taught variations. one of them is from normal stance (left foot forward), step out with your front foot to the left, and basically aim to sweep them. like a football kick really, so the leg is cchambered. (this kick is like a 45 degree kick, hip does not turn over)

[stump]

push kicks have to be tucked before they can be pushed so discussing the advantages/disadvantages of "chambering" a push kick is a bit like discussing the advantages of extending your arm during a punch. This imo is not a chamber, it's an integral part of a pushing kick.

[Andy Murray]

Bill 'Superfoot' Wallace.

[stump]

The exception that proves the rule :)

[johndoch]

Certain kicks like the front kick require chambers and dont work without them. The tucking in is the chamber and just by calling it tucking in doesnt mean its not a chamber.

Its nothing like comparing it to extending your arm during a punch its more like raising hands your into a guard position from which you can fire your punches, thats chambering. Its just like raising your knee to kick.

[Andy Murray]

Thai roundhouse is a classic example of a kick which doesn't generally chamber.

Then there's the spade kick you find in Wing Chun as well.

Just like we don't punch with our arms straight, sometimes we need to bend the knee when we kick depending on the effect we want the impact to cause.

[stump]

Chambering in roundhousese and certain kicks is optional, in others it is an integral part of the kick....that makes discussing the pros and cons of chambering different for each kick.

<<<Its nothing like comparing it to extending your arm during a punch its more like raising hands your into a guard position from which you can fire your punches, >>>

If you say so....so do your kicks start after you raise your knee? Mine start before

[johndoch]

No my kicks start from the ground but then again I dont walk around with my hands in the guard position either:)

[stump]

not even when you're preparing to fight? How about "the fence"?

[johndoch]

A punch starts wherever the hands happen to be when the mind decides you are going to punch. But to punch your arms need be in a prepatory (sp) position to transfer the punching power. So if you're taken by surprise and you would instinctively get your hands/legs into the the chamber position before striking.

Hmmm, this has got me thinking is it possible that the chamber for the thai round kick in the hips/ankle or other an area.

[Andy Murray]

johndoch;
Hmmm, this has got me thinking is it possible that the chamber for the thai round kick in the hips/ankle or other an area.

If a chamber is the 'ready to kick' position, then the whole stance/posture in Muay Thai is probably the chamber?




Meant to post this link earlier on.
Bill 'Superfoot' Wallace (http://www.superfoot.com/)

[SoKKlab]

Repeat after me
'There is no Chamber, There is no Chamber'

[Andy Murray]

Hmmm, 'The Chamber of no Chamber'.

Off to my mountain cave to muse on this some more. :D

[tai-gip]

As per Andy before the cave if its not from a stance then wouldnt chambering slow you down unless chambering is part of your natural kick because rather than just reacting you are preparing to deliver a reaction then delivering it ... then you have the speed vs impact scenarion you now five cent coin 2 feet nothing but from the top of a building due to the speed straight through you body just as effective as a one tonne boulder and not as hard to push off a roof eg chamber for power/force re speed impact power who knows each to you own

[KenpoDavid]

tai-gip.. please chamber some punctuation! hahaha

[chaozkingz]

u will definately need to chamber if u r doing multiple kicks. i don't know much about muay thai, so no comment on that. but on general snap kicks and thrust kicks there is definately a chamber.

snap kicks come from the snap of the knee, and thrust kicks comes from the push of your hip. anyone tell me how to do that without chambering?

[booksie_girl]

You have to chamber for those, the question is reffering to kicks such as the roundhouse, where chambering is optional.

[chaozkingz]

i still bend my knees on roundhouses. there is another kick similar to the roundhouse in the art that i am doing where we don't bend the knees, just a hip rotation, but it is a different thing... might have a go at the bags tomorrow to see how it feels :)

[stump]

Chaozkingz.....So how did it feel???

[TKD]

In traditional style Taekwon-Do we are told to chamber all kicks unless the kick is specified to not be chambered. The reasoning behind this is along this principle; which is easier to move, a 10 foot 40 pound pole, or, a 5 foot 40 pound pole? Answer; the five foot 40 pound pole, why? Because it has less excess length to throw you off balance, it is more centered, therefore easier to move faster. Which would strike harder because of it's greater momentum? Answer; the chambered kick. Think about it, when you extend the leg from the knee down right before you strike your target you are sill using the entire weight of the leg, the only difference is that you performed the kick faster because of the chamber.

[chaozkingz]

maybe because i am not used to it, roundhouse without bending the knees feels very strange. definately slower too.

i also found that without chambering, there is a greater risk of being thrown from that kick.

my friend went straight in to close the distance while i was kicking. he trapped that kicking leg and swept out the supporting leg.

usually when someone does that, i find it easier to change my kick to a knee (with chambering).

but then again, maybe it is because i am not used to it.

[cal_JJJ]

I'm not in a kick oriented MA like you-all, but we train to "chamber-kick-chamber" & ya that sounds slow but we train to kick that way in one motion so its not as slow as it sounds.

The reason for it is that it gives you more options to move. If you kick from the mat to the target you are fairly commited to finnish that motion. But with chambers built into your kicks you have points from which you can continue, step back, step forward, side step, switch type of kick, etc.

P.S. We never chamber punches except for the gaurd. Punches strike from where ever the hands are located.