I don't care if I make enemies, I'm going to say it, the kicking I see on the UFC and MMA type of thing is not really kicking. Truth, it is leg swinging, without focus, and it doesn't work. This article is going to tell you why it doesn't work, and what to do about it.
I had a friend, name of Ted, some forty years ago when I was doing Chinese Kenpo. He dressed like a hippie and had long hair, and he happened to have the most amazing kicks. One day he was driving through the rush hour traffic when a fellow cut in front of him, so Ted hit the horn.
The fellow stopped his car and walked back towards Ted, who got out of his car and backed away. The fellow was a monster, easily three hundred pounds, and he dwarfed Ted, and he said some unpleasant things. Ted held up his hands palm out, and said he didn't want to fight.
The fellow swung a punch, and Ted rocked back and planted a beautiful roudhouse kick in the center of the monsters chest. The fellow sat down on the pavement, groaned, then stood up and rushed Ted again. Ted tried to back away, he held up his palms again, and told the fellow he didn't want to fight.
The brute threw a haymaker, and that was when Ted called on the true art of kicking. Ted sunk his weight, put his weight into the kick, and smacked the fellow on the chin. Bang and fellow laid down for a ten count snooze, and Ted went to his car and drove away.
So, sinking your weight and throwing the hips are important, even crucial, and some fellows do it and some fellows don't, but the ball of the foot, that was the key. Look, when the UFC gladiator bashes, he swings his leg like he is swinging a baseball bat, and there is not enough weight behind it. When you swing the foot and use the ball of the foot, the energy goes back along the leg and into the hips, and even into the ground and there is body and weight behind the kick.
Yes, kicking with the instep is okay, but kicking with the instep spreads the striking area over the ankle. The ball of the foot kick concentrates the mass into a smaller area, puts more weight into a smaller contact surface. If you want to put a nice, precise hole in a piece of wood, are you going to bash it and let the weight spread out, or use a balpeen hammer and focus the weight into a smaller area?
Kicking is an art, as is punching, and the UFC and MMA type of fighters are really doing boxing, not pure martial arts. To understand pure martial arts, one has to study pure physics, and then the answers will come, and then the art will be seen again. Art, not sport, and not in the ring, but in ones life, that is the answer and the solution and the way. - 30300
I had a friend, name of Ted, some forty years ago when I was doing Chinese Kenpo. He dressed like a hippie and had long hair, and he happened to have the most amazing kicks. One day he was driving through the rush hour traffic when a fellow cut in front of him, so Ted hit the horn.
The fellow stopped his car and walked back towards Ted, who got out of his car and backed away. The fellow was a monster, easily three hundred pounds, and he dwarfed Ted, and he said some unpleasant things. Ted held up his hands palm out, and said he didn't want to fight.
The fellow swung a punch, and Ted rocked back and planted a beautiful roudhouse kick in the center of the monsters chest. The fellow sat down on the pavement, groaned, then stood up and rushed Ted again. Ted tried to back away, he held up his palms again, and told the fellow he didn't want to fight.
The brute threw a haymaker, and that was when Ted called on the true art of kicking. Ted sunk his weight, put his weight into the kick, and smacked the fellow on the chin. Bang and fellow laid down for a ten count snooze, and Ted went to his car and drove away.
So, sinking your weight and throwing the hips are important, even crucial, and some fellows do it and some fellows don't, but the ball of the foot, that was the key. Look, when the UFC gladiator bashes, he swings his leg like he is swinging a baseball bat, and there is not enough weight behind it. When you swing the foot and use the ball of the foot, the energy goes back along the leg and into the hips, and even into the ground and there is body and weight behind the kick.
Yes, kicking with the instep is okay, but kicking with the instep spreads the striking area over the ankle. The ball of the foot kick concentrates the mass into a smaller area, puts more weight into a smaller contact surface. If you want to put a nice, precise hole in a piece of wood, are you going to bash it and let the weight spread out, or use a balpeen hammer and focus the weight into a smaller area?
Kicking is an art, as is punching, and the UFC and MMA type of fighters are really doing boxing, not pure martial arts. To understand pure martial arts, one has to study pure physics, and then the answers will come, and then the art will be seen again. Art, not sport, and not in the ring, but in ones life, that is the answer and the solution and the way. - 30300
About the Author:
Al Case has analyzed martial arts for forty+ years. A writer and columnist for the magazines since 1981, he is the originator of Matrixing Technology. You can see his work on developing perfect and artistic punches and kicks at Monster Martial Arts. Look around the site for his free ebook on Matrixing.
