Getting height in your kicks

[David Jamieson]

Hey all.

Any of you care to share your training methods for developing height in your kicks. By that I mean "air time".

To get those aerials really sticking, what is your supplemental training? Plyometrics? Spring Jumping? Tan Tui?

What do you ascribe to?

peace

[Former castleva]

Nah,I don´t train such.
They are impractical.:D ;)

Good Old Stretching helps me when I want to improve it,but i´t is no big thing for me.
:)

[Arhat of Fury]

Kung,
Im not sure this is what your looking for but for myself to improve on jumping I use a combination of weighted squats on the smith machine. After I have done my heavier squats, I will put one plate(45LBs) on each side, keeping my stance just a little narrower than horse(toes pointed slightly outward) and go down to a 90 degree angle with my legs then EXPLODE on the way up as fast as possible keeping my body on the ground and letting the weight come off my shoulders into the air. I will repeat this ten times for 2 sets. This combined with low stancework has increased my jumping ability noticably.

Hope that helped,

Peace,

AOF

[firepalm]

Wind sprints, plyometrics, explosive weight training combined with a good dose of 'Jolt' Cola & caffiene pills...:)

[NPMantis]

Hey mate,

Basically try high repetition or alternatively there are a few other things I do, my personal fav is kicking with weights on ym ankles (make sure leg is slightly bent and you don't hyperextend - v.important!) or holding your leg static as high as possible or do the same but slightly move the leg up and down a few inches, it works the muscle in a different way.

Hope this helps a little.

Take care,

NPMantis

[NPMantis]

Sorry, I have just misunderstood your Q completely, please ignore my post, if you want to get better 'air' give me your email address or email me at admin@freelondon.org and I'll send you a few good training articles.

That WILL help!

Dumb NPMantis

[SifuAbel]

Now I'm confused, what do you mean by "air time".

[JusticeZero]

It would appear that for some unfathomable reason - impressing girls, perhaps, since I don't see any possible advantage in actual martial art application - KL wants to know how to do absurd flying kicks.

[NPMantis]

Hey there mate,

Just in reference to your point, it's not always about learning things that have an obvious self-defence application, I am quite certain Kung Lek would not use a flying kick in a self-defence situation (or at least I hope not!) but is just very nice to watch and if nothing else would develop the muscles in his legs a lot enabling him to kick more powerfully.

Do you agree/disagree?

Regards,

NPMantis

[David Jamieson]

:)

The question was posted to find other methods for gaining strength in kicks and gaining targeting ability and power.

It was also posted to share thoughts about the training involved in achieving better kicks.

As aerial kicks have a high degree of difficulty when it comes to performing them with any juice behind them I thought that it would be intersting to get some idea of how you folks practice and train to make your kicks better.

NPmantis, my email is in my profile and you can drop me a line anytime.

SA- airtime is the term that came to mind when thinking about some of the outrageously high and powerful kicks that I have seen on occasion, particulalry from Northern style practioners.

a la tornado kicks.

and no, I don't see myself using this type of kick for anythying beyond form demonstration as they can land you square on your butt when used on an actual opponent.

peace

[SifuAbel]

Every aerial kick has a different dynamic.

High knee tuck kicks such as tornado or the "flying front" depend on how long you can keep that tight knee tuck in the air. Its the driving down of that first leg that can ground you prematurely.



"Its better to have it and not need it then to need it and not have it."

[NPMantis]

http://www.exrx.net/Lists/PowerExercises.html

Check these out, posted on another thread. Some good jump exercises and animated gifs! Nice.

NPM

[Ego_Extrodinaire]

Kung Lek

Practice on a trampoline or with suspension ropes if you need even more hight. try learning classical ballet, it is similar to northern kung fu which is a kind of ballet equivalent in northern china.

[KC Elbows]

Watch gymnasts, basketball players, and wushu players. As was already stated, prolonging the tuck is important.

One of my best friends was a nationally ranked floor gymanst throughout high school, and practices both kung fu and copiaera(can't spell it today for some reason). I've not seen anyone who can gain the height he can. His take is that there is zero difference between gaining air in any endeavor, all three activities he takes part in, two martial arts and gymnastics, use the same phenomenon to gain air, the only differences lie in what they are using that phenomenon to achieve.

i.e. talk to the best jumper you know and find out what they do. It probably is tied in with strong legs and good tucking skill and, of course, being relaxed at the right time.

"Let me tell you something: they always jump."
-Best in Show

[SifuAbel]

I don't think more power will make a better tornado kick. Its more about flexability and proper technique. If you want to do a better tornado kick, learn HOW to do a better tornado kick. Learn WHERE to put the energy. Learn WHAT you are doing wrong currently.

[lotusleaf]

Since I practice a northern style, I just do a lot of repetition kicks. It gets a little tiring fast but you work your endurance that way too. I've noticed a considerable improvement in my tornado kicks by just practicing 20-30min. every other day.

[oilslickman]

Hi
You all have great ideas. Here is another. I call it "power of the horse"

Imaging, starting this exercise from a good low horse stance. No Weight but your own. Now explode upward, like a frog would jump, let the head and shoulders in a relaxed fashion lead the way straight up. As soon as the feet have left the floor, use the lower ab muscles to "jerk" the knees up to the chin. (If time stopped, at the height of this jump you would look like you were in the fetal position). Now comes the landing... remember how you started? Yup that's how it should land. Try to make the legs and feet move back into the horse position on your way down. Your bum never drops below perpendicular to the lower legs, (don't let it hit the floor) the feet stay pointed forward, the back is straight and the chin up.
Do these in 5's for the first month, then 10's after that. Real slow for the first few and try to make all I have written happen, you'll find "air time" increases with effort.

Oiley:cool:

[Ego_Extrodinaire]

Practice your high kicks. The most powerful of all is the tornado kick. It lets you sweep aside masses of opponents. It is worth while spending 90% of your time perfecting it.

[NPMantis]

What is the tornado kick exactly, I think it is called something different in my school. It is a crescent kick or a reverse crescent kick or something?

Cheers geez.

[Repulsive Monkey]

its alright if you're learning to do these thing for fun, but surely one needn't learn these things for fighting? The higher a kick goes the more impractical it becomes as a serious fighting method.

[Helicopter]

A spinning jumping cresent kick.

[Drache]

looks like this:

http://www.trickstutorials.com/tornadokick.htm

~Drache~

[NPMantis]

Oh yeah, we can that a whirlwind kick.

Cheers!