Originally Posted by
Judge Pen
There is no martial application (at least that I will believe) to kicking your own hand. It is taught to us as beginers when we were first taught cresent kicks (smash kicks as my teachers called them) as a tool to focus the vector of the kick (and it makes a nice sound). I did it when I was a beginer but stopped doing it as I advanced.
I believe kicking your own hand evolved out of the type of application Yao Sing mentioned. The way it is performed in modern wushu is obviously not caring about any application, and has devolved into a display of flexibility. But in taijiquan, the hand which separates with the leg during the kicking techniques is a grab and hold, with the kick going into the ribs or lower body. I believe this is the same in traditional shaolin forms where you kick the hand, such as xiao hong quan. In my opinion, kicking head height in practice is just for flexibility and strength, application will mostly be mid-lower level kicks. It's always possible to pull someone's head down, with the hand and foot meeting in the middle. I was not taught this in SD/CSC, but picked it up from later instruction. As much as I did learn, and have the opportunity to work with partners and spar, there was also a lot of fundamental stuff I didn't learn from CSC. I am glad I had ten years of prior training going into it, I was able to superimpose the new training on the old to make something more effective than I would have had if I started in CSC with no prior experience.
"I am a servant of the Secret Fire, wielder of the flame of Anor. The dark fire will not avail you, flame of Udun! Go back to the shadow, you cannot pass!"