Tag Archives: gung fu kicks

The Best Way To Do Gung Fu Kicks

I say Gung Fu kicks, but the advice of this article holds for Karate Kicks, Taekwondo kicks, or any martial arts kicks. There are two things that we need to cover when considering the best way to kick somebody’s, uh…fanny. One is keeping to the basic kicks, and the other is the mechanics of the kicks involved.

gung fu kick

Don't just focus your fist, learn how to focus your feet!

 


When doing Gung Fu kicks one can get carried away with a lengthy list of circus moves. This includes jumping, spinning, and contorting in all sorts of ways. These things, however, while a blast and a benefit to the student, are not always good in a street brawl. Thus, when practicing martial arts kicks one should stick to the four kicks: front, side, wheel (roundhouse), or spinning rear kick.

When training in these leg moves make sure that you raise the knee. Raising the knee commits the hips, and therefore the whole body. A good tool to help you do this is to practice kicking over a chair.

Make sure that you use the correct part of the foot when striking. The basic parts are the toes, the ball of the foot, the instep, and the heel. When selecting which part of the foot to utilize, remember that the smallest striking area will focus the greatest amount of power.

Always turn the hips into your technique. Turning the hips commits the whole weight of the body into self defense move. This must be done quick and whiplike, all pieces moving as one functioning unit.

Do not waste time in the chambering position. One must kick like a whip, up from the ground to the target point, and back down from the target point to the ground. To hold in chamber is to take the power out of the kick, and to render it into pieces.

Kick at the right distance. Just as you shouldn’t fist when at foot distance, don’t foot when at fist distance. The better strategy is not to rob yourself of power and range, but to get so good at the basics that you can’t be stopped.

Most important rule of all: do hundreds, even thousands, of kicks every day. The fool who thinks ten kicks per foot per kick per day is enough is just that…a fool. Only by dedicating oneself, by going fanatic and mad dog in your training, whether in Gung Fu kicks, or whatever type of leg movement you are practicing, will you hope to obtain the best benefits that your martial arts discipline has to offer.