Hello everyone, I'm looking for a little help here: We were covering side kicks the other night and the instructor described how our footwork should flow to ensure we align our hips properly to get the most power out of the kick. I understand that getting the foot to the right position gets you that, but my question lies in how to get the foot there in the first place. Maybe it was awkward because I'd never done it like this, but here you go: we were told to pivot slightly on the heel of the front foot while chambering the kick, and then shift the weight to the ball of the foot and pivot on that to align the hips for the power. I felt off balance trying to shift back slightly to pivot on the heel first during the chamber. How would you best describe how to transition to pointing the heel towards your target to get the most out of the kick? Thanks in advance! Justin
Hi Justin, I had this problem when i first started Tkd. What you need to do is do the kick very, very slowly, while first holding a chair or something for support. After a few days of 25 reps each leg try and do it without any support. After 2 weeks try and do it 50 times. Keep doing it till u can do it perfectly with your eyes shut. Another thing, you may be leaning too far back when you kick so you can gain hight, when you first start out (im assuming your a begginer) aim low, get the tecnique correct before aiming for head hight. If you want to know if your leg is chambered properly then you should be able to place something on it without it falling off. The energy from your kick must come from the pivot of your foot, then through your hips as you pivot your whole body, then to your knee as you chamber the leg, then shoot it out through your foot. Just keep practising and I trust you that you will be side kicking people's heads off in a few months.
I've been practicing Kuk Sool Won for a couple years, and I have always done the kick by pivoting on the ball of my foot. I was corrected the other night, and as you stated, with loads of practice, I'm sure it will get there - but it was a bit uneasy at first. He said the way he taught us (on the heel first) is much easier on the knees. I just felt a bit off balance having to rock slightly backwards first to shift the weight to the heel. Not that I don't believe him but I thought I'd ask around to see how other people described it. Thanks for your input, I do appreciate it! Justin
