Hapkido Kicking routine

[Kikkiki]

Hi everyone, I am 23 years old and I have been doing Hapkido for almost a year. I'm developing a kicking routine for myself based on my physical fitness to improve my kicking strength and speed. I have great overall cardio and strength and I do not think I will be burned out while doing this everyday. My goal is to refine my kicks while maintaining my balance.

I am trying to incorporate muscle confusion within my kicking routine for maximum growth. I have outlined my daily workout for the next 3 month (about 1-2hrs a day). I have created two levels of kicking for future growth to further improve on practicality. I may also have to tweak the number of kicks for jumping kicks in level 1.

Thanks in advance for any tips/advice/comments. Without further ado, here is my routine:


Hapkido – Self Training (Kicks Level 1)

Schedule: (Take 30 second break after each set)
Day 1  1,2 - 3,4 - 1,2 - 3,4 (Start Right Leg Back, aim low, Set A)
Day 2  1,3 - 2,4 - 1,3 - 2,4 (Start Right Leg Back, aim med, Set A)
Day 3  1,1 - 2,2 - 3,3 - 4,4 (Start Right Leg Back, aim high, Set A)
Day 4  1,2 - 3,4 - 1,2 - 3,4 (Start Left Leg Back, aim low, Set B)
Day 5  1,3 - 2,4 - 1,3 - 2,4 (Start Left Leg Back, aim med, Set B)
Day 6  1,1 - 2,2 - 3,3 - 4,4 (Start Left Leg Back, aim high, Set B)
Day 7  Rest


Warm-up ~10 minutes

Single kicks 15 times and double kicks 10 times (one count each).
2 Sets: Left/Right back.

1. Back leg (Single Kicks)
2. Front leg (Single Kicks)
3. Back leg kick exchange front leg (Double Kicks)
4. Front leg kick exchange back leg (Double Kicks)


Six Single Kicks Set A:
• Snap Kick
• Rising Kick*
• Axe Kick*
• Side Kick
• Inside Crescent Kick*
• Turning Kick

Six Single Kicks Set B:
• Snap Kick
• Turning Kick
• Reverse Kick*
• Heel Kick
• Hook Kick*
• Outside Crescent Kick*


Eight Double Kicks:
• Snap Kick – Rising Kick
• Snap Kick – Turning Kick
• Snap kick – Side Kick
• Rising Kick – Side Kick
• Heel Kick – Outer Crescent Kick
• Axe Kick – Snap Kick
• Hook Kick – Turning Kick
• Outside Crescent Kick – Turning Kick


Cool Down: ~5 minutes

Total Kicks: 1000

*This kick only has one height: high.


Each Month: Increase Number of kicks by 5

[Thomas]

I am not an expert by any means but as I look at your very well organized routine, I have a couple of concerns.

First, I presume these are all air kicks. I would caution against throwing air kicks too hard too often... it can be hard on the joints. Is there a way you can mix in some bag or pad work instead of air kicks?

I would also caution against using ankle weights in throwing air kicks (or any kicks)... again, instead of adding weight, I would recommend adding contact with a bag or pad.

Good luck with your training! It does sound like you have an intriguing plan and the motivation to keep this up - just be careful on your health.

[Kikkiki]

Thanks for taking the time to reply Thomas.

You are absolutely right about the jump kicks putting strain on the joints. I have edited my routine to something a bit different after actually trying it. (I posted the routine before I had a chance to try it). I have made several other changes to my routine to balance it out a bit better.

I took out the ankle weights because that will definitely add unnecessary stress on the joints.

Do you know any online sites where I can get a pad that mounts to something? I don't have anyone to help me hold the pad up while I kick. I don't want to get a bag because it is too big and quite expensive if there it a way around it.

Thanks again for the reply.

[El Medico]

I think Thomas meant kicking the air in general,not just flying kicks.

Could you get/make a couple kicking shields/pads and tie them by their handles to a tree? Whatever you buy that's quality will cost you some money but it's not a bad investment providing you buy something that will hold up over time,and such things aren't really that expensive-but if you don't have the florins anything is too expensive.

[Convergencezone]

Also, I you may want to think about dynamic strecthing as a warm up and relaxed stretching afterwords. I would also do sets of slow kicks with one hand on the wall for strength.

[Emil]

Muscle confusion is a myth. It does not work. The only way in which a muscle can grow in strength and/or mass is by progressive overload. P90x and other muscle confusion routines seek to overload a muscle, and the leave it alone the next week. This does not progressively overload it.

As for the kicking routine, Im not an hapkido practitioner, but i do have experience as a nak muay. There certainly is a lot to be said for refining kicks in the way in which you have propesed. However, after a certain point, i believe you will not so much be improving the strength of your kicks, but rather the technique, which I gues can amount to the same thing, as the better the technique, the greater the speed of your kicks, and so the greater the power you can generate. Having said that, asside from this kicking routine, I think you would greatly benefit for leg exercise asside from just kicking, such as squats and deadlifts. There is a lot to be said for specificity, but no athlete only trains specificly for their sport. A marathon runner will also incorporate sprints, interval training, and shorter distances into his training schedule, as this helps overall development of the cardiovascular system.

Em

[seiken steve]

Em is right muscle confusion in myth.
Looks like a good way of imporoving technique but I doubt you'll see much growth.

[Santa Barbara]

Muscle confusion is a myth. It does not work. The only way in which a muscle can grow in strength and/or mass is by progressive overload. P90x and other muscle confusion routines seek to overload a muscle, and the leave it alone the next week. This does not progressively overload it.



If you are looking to get big, yes, you're correct. If you're looking to lose fat, get ripped and muscular, the darn thing works, it does!

Kikkiki- Keep kicking, but listen to the advice of Thomas and El Medico, they know what they are talking about.

[Emil]

If you are looking to get big, yes, you're correct. If you're looking to lose fat, get ripped and muscular, the darn thing works, it does!

It really doesn't. In fact, the idea that it helps burn fat is erroneous, as many of the proponents of muscle confusion will tell you themselves that it tends to burn glycogen, which is not at all conducive for burning fat. It really doesn't tend to make you more muscular either, but just gives the impression of doing so.

In any case, the idea that bulding muscle mass and getting ripped and muscular are two seperate things isn't entirely correct. yes, certain ways of trainiong cultivate different results, but the overall result is mostly determined by one's diet and appropriate recovery.

I offer this review of muscle confusion not only as a qualified fitness instructor, but as one who has experimented with it in an attempt to give it a fair review. Trust me when I say that it physically cannot work, based on simlple biology.

Em

[seiken steve]

Kikkiki- Keep kicking, but listen to the advice of Thomas and El Medico, they know what they are talking about.

I may have the total wrong end of the stick here, but what exactly is that ment to mean?

[El Medico]

I may have the total wrong end of the stick here, but what exactly is that ment to mean?
It means we're recognized as sagacious in manner, magnanimous in imparting deep wisdom,and just generally awe inspiring.

And your asking just reveals how jealous you are!

Na-na-nana-na!

[Bruce W Sims]

I think the approach is a very challenging one. For myself I see a need for this sort of drilling, especially within such arts as TKD. As a Hapkido teacher, the only thought I have is that there may be a need to inter-relate the kicking with striking or grappling motions. In this way, I can imagine that one would doing one or two kicks as a set-up for strikes (or vice-versa) or perhaps as a set-up for a throw (or vice-versa).

Just thinking out-loud, as it were.

Best Wishes,

Bruce

[seiken steve]

It means we're recognized as sagacious in manner, magnanimous in imparting deep wisdom,and just generally awe inspiring.

And your asking just reveals how jealous you are!

Na-na-nana-na!

Haha yeah I think you're right!
I actually fell in love with you weeks ago, I just never knew how tell you.

:love:

[Done-Gone]

EDIT

[Coges]

Hey kikkiki. I would suggest that you take into account your current kicking ability and where you want to get to as far as your kicking skills. As you are probably aware, kicking isn't the be all and end all of Hapkido, yet it does provide a useful skill.

If your kicking technique is already good then focusing on speed and strength (power) sounds good. If your technique is not up to scratch then I would focus on technique first and foremost. Without the proper motor patterns for your kicking you are just reinforcing bad movements with more speed and strength which will ultimately lead you nowhere.

There is plenty of material on kicking technique out there but (Van Zandt will love this) Bill Wallace seems to have a great system of mixing in slow kicks focusing on technique with fast kicks. Also, as others have already mentioned, doing some form of weight training (squats, deadlifts, lunges) is not going to hurt your kicking ability. Especially from a strength or power perspective.