mantis kicks

[mantis]

less than a year ago i was very interested in TKD. But i happened to join a 7 star mantis school.
Back then i was very much interested in high exotic kicks of TKD and i was complaining all the time that mantis doesnt have those nice kicks.
less than a year later, we are learning a 360 or a tornado kick (which is something i never dreamt of doing before!). For some reason, i feel these kicks are pretty useless, and i dare not try and use them in a fight. Odd, aye?

btw, part of me understanding why we do not have high kicks is trying to kick my teacher a low door-shutting kick, but guess what! he's knee had a date with my groin in a split second.
just wanted to share this little experience.

 

[coldsteel87]

All arts tend to have some fancy kicks in them that dont seem to practical. Most of the time they really arent practical. The tornado kick can though be useful. If you throw a cresent kickto gain speed for a quick tornado kick it can be useful. but the higher you jump the less practical it becomes. Use what you learn from different arts and pick out what you think is unpractical. Thats how all the greats did it.

 

[7starmantis]

Yes, but remember in mantis many times high kicks are only executed when you have "plucked" or pulled them down so your kick can be effective and not unbalance you. I see more kicks like this in Wah Lum than 7 Star but they are there...then again when would I try and use butterfly stance? I have seen my Sifu and Si gung use these types of things efectively though.

7sm