Kicking

[leopard]

I think you meant me not graham.

Many thanks for the advice i will certainly bring it onboard.

The idea in the video is to slip the punch while putting your 'intent' in the upper weapons. This has the effect of taking the mind high or focusing the attackers defensive response on what your hands are doing. The kick shouldn't be readable or visible when applied.

As Chris M said, its part of the stepping and should feel to the attacker like you are just stepping in. When you really 'wind up' a kick it is simple for the defender to check the kick with their knee, as per Classical Muay Thai. Our aim here is for all the kicks to be hidden ... i am still working on this

Bearing in mind this is essentially ba gua stepping (in spite being a rather sloppy ass display!) this step should be links to a bunch of others.

As i say many thanks for the comments on the vid, they are appreciated.

Best regards
Chris

Sorry about that, Chris. I didn't mean to malign you by calling you Graham!

Anyway, just threw my 2cents out there. Now that you mention that you were working on using invisible kicks/splitting the opponents focus, I get it. Respect for putting yourself out there on video and best in your training.

[middleway]

Sorry about that, Chris. I didn't mean to malign you by calling you Graham!

Yes it did hurt a little hahaha

all the best

Chris

[GrahamB]

Bastards.

[GrahamB]

4. If they check & use their knee or toe right you will catch one in the groin

That's the thing that stood out most for me.

I've been taught to kick in various (contradictory) ways by various teachers in the past. One thing that made an impression was one teacher always brought the rear leg through very straight so the knee and upper leg were parallel to ground, before going into either a straight, side or hook kick with a pivot on the front foot. (Kind of like a Golden Cock Stands on one leg from Yang style) This was to protect the groin at all times.

I can see the wisdom of this, but it rules out the Thai-style kick that Chris is doing, which just feels so.... nice.... to do... of course, you cant get kicked in the groin in Thai boxing, so it's not an issue there, but is this a case of a 'sport' style not being so applicable to "the streetz"?

[middleway]

Personally i think that with the knee leading before the shin, and the kwa closing in its alot harder to get in on the groin than it appears... especially when you have a palm in your face. Plus like we say, this isnt the sort of kick you stand back and fire off to hit the legs. Its something thats done trying to split the opponents attention.

Really IMO it is inside what is commonly thought of as 'kick range'. I dont like to use kicks in 'kick range' too much personally. I think they are too easily coped with ... with groin kicks, blocks or checks and scoops.

When your kicks are like your steps it is actually very difficult for the opponent to make a choice on what presents the most threat. The hands or the feet. When your hands are coming in hard and it looks like your stepping but they are now nursing a flexed Shin bone from a toe kick (yusuf is pretty badass at this so i hear ), or a mussed up Femur from a round kick ... what can you do. Ignor the hands and get nocked out, ignor the legs and get one of your legs disabled ... attempt to cover both and be compromised for the next flurry, ignor both ... well you get the picture.

this is the whole idea with splitting the attention high and low, It is very difficult to defend being attacked low and high virtually simultaneously .... especially when the kicks or hits are hidden.

interesting topic is kicking! It is integral to the idea of being overwhelmed IMO.

Cheers
Chris

[Ian]

My requirements for kicking (not a comprehensive list):

-no compulsory lines of attack
-use the whole leg (involve the hip joint; lift from the core)
-use the whole body where possible (he's where I want to be)
-connect with a small surface area
-change lines mid kick
-almost always from the front leg
-don't move the shoulders
-opposing forces
-shooting in and out

How to train this? Ancient Chinese secret.

[RobP2]

Ian you naughty boy

Intergrating the kick in the step works for me, plus as Ian mentioned involving the hip. In fact if the hip is involved in all your movement a la "wave movement" the kick becomes less of a kick and something you do with your legs - in much the same way that a punch is just part of the figure 8 movement. Makes things a lot more repsonsive and less predictable

cheers

Rob

[JusticeZero]

Hmm...
My list looks more like..
-lead with shoulders and base
-don't use the leg
-wide circles with the hip
-hands ready to step
-multiple options to transform in mid-motion
-don't lead with the leg, foot, or knee
-twist the spine
-uncoil
-park deeply