So, after reading some lecture, I've realized that to do highkick in the way that I want, so this is: I want to hold the leg for a second or so in a very high position let's say in the height of my head, is needed strenght and flexibility(split perfomance). After some home-training(I trained at the academy too) I made some "steeps" towards the split, let's say that when I'm stretched I can go down to be let's say 15cm from the real side-split, I've also trained the strenght of the legs. And now I'm asking you....give me some instructions to make my way to a hard high-kick and a good split. Tell me some drills. Thanks!
Match your flex work with you speed work. Do a lot of pad work. just keep working on it. you will get better. Go sign back up with a MA school. they will give you the help that you need.
First off, to do a good high kick(i.e. head height) it is not necessary to have a full split. You only need enough split to get a little higher than your head. Second, not all kicks are going to be POWERFUL head height kicks. I would say the best are reverse hook kick, rear leg turning kick, and side kick. If you are 15 cm from a full split, then you should be able to hit head height, and, lets face it, what's the point of kicking any higher, there really isn't one unless you happen to be really short. Just practice your kicks up high and eventually you will get better at them, I'm not saying stop stretching, I'm just saying, that to accomplish your goal of strong high kicks you really only need to practice your kicks more.
Maybe you missunderstood me, I said that I would like to stop the leg in the very high position for five seconds let's say, I kick very high, above my head too, but you know that a little something I would like to accomplish.
Ah, .... I would love to be able to extend my kicks up high and leave them there for a few seconds... but alas I cannot! I have seen some awesome Kung Fu forms with slow tension high kicks that are held ans then body pivots into another direction on the standing foot.... just totally awesome to watch! All I can say is to keep working on developing leg strength/// and also the muscles of lower back and glutes which also come into play in holding up the weight of the leg. Weak hip flexors (muscles that raise a thigh for every kick) inhibits your kicking ability.... lack of strength, height in the kick and kicking endurance. Exercising hip flexors is one of the most important conditioning exercise a martial artist can include in their training workout .... In my fav book "Stretching Scientifically" .... Kurz explains that if possible, you should do even your general strength exercises in the same movement pattern as your technique. For example, in a general hip flexor exercise for kickers, lying down on a bench, let your left leg hang below the bench (to put it through the same range of motion as when kicking "with the rear leg in a fighting stance), and as you raise your left leg simultaneously press your right leg to the back and extend your left arm to the back while moving your bent right arm forward into a guard position. This is the pattern of limb movements synchronization in the front, side, and roundhouse kicks. Thanks to spinal cord reflexes, these additional movements of the arms and the other leg increase the tension of muscles lifting the left leg. Strengthening the hip flexors ....the main kicking muscles: The strength and endurance of the hip flexors (the iliopsoas muscles) determine both the power and the height of your kicks.
Ah, I see now, in that case the problem probably is the strength. However, how are you throwing the kick may have something to do with it, for a turning kick that is strong(i.e. rear leg) I have never seen anyone leave the leg up there, I'm not sure that it's possible. I have seen and can do what you are saying off of the front leg though, you give up alot of power this way but for a turning kick I'm not sure it can be done any other way. Now, the sidekick, that is a hard one, I did some very intensive training for that and still cannot get it to full split extension. I can get it above the head but that is it. The way I did it was just to practice chambering, extending, and retracting in verrrry slow motion. On the extension hold it for at least a minute before retracting the leg. Basically that exercise can be done with any kick to strengthen the muscles used to perform that kick. Hope that is what you were looking for.
Yes, TKD that's probably it. And just something else, in that exercise you described...do you hold something with your hands to gain balance or you traing without grabing something?
To begin with, it may help to hold onto something for balance, later on though you want to do it without balance aids. Second thing, it's helpful to use something, starting with a chair and getting progressively higher, that you can extend your leg over, this helps you be sure you're not slowly dropping the leg because of fatigue.
