Developing spinning hook kick

[StudentCarl]

I'm in the process of learning this, and got in a rut yesterday. Sometimes I'm stopping my hip, sometimes my shoulder and hip aren't together, and when I get to focuses on fixing those I stop extending my leg fully or end up in a wheel kick. It was a day when, the more I worked at it, the uglier it got. My master is also wanting me to work a bend in my torso to get the kick to head height, which is messing with my hip turn when I focus on bending more.

Would anyone suggest a starting point or a sequence to work through to get the right movement and coordination?

Thanks,
Carl

 

[Kacey]

When I teach hook kick, I start with the leg motion separate from the kick. Try this: stand on one leg and lift your other leg so that your bent knee is as high as your hip, then kick straight down at the floor, as if you were kick starting a motorcycle. Make sure you pull your toes up. The way your musculature works, as your leg hits full extension, it will pull back in a hooking motion. Then try the same motion with your kicking leg parallel to the floor. Once that motion works, try turning backward as you would for a back kick, with your leg up from the beginning of the turn. Turning back hook kicks are often easier than lead leg or rear leg turning forward because the motion puts your hip into the right position for the kick. Once you can do the kick turning backward, try turning forward.

Other tips: the motion of the kick comes from your hip, not your leg; the kick should cover about 12-15 inches with your leg extended and toes back before your leg bends again. The only way this will work is if you pull your entire leg from the hip. I understand what your instructor is saying - hook kick is great for hitting the back of the head - but I would suggest you get the basic kick down before you try to raise it. If you have access to a video camera, you might take some video of the kick so you can look at it and see exactly what your leg position is - that kind of feedback can be very useful when you're having trouble with a technique.

This may not be the way your instructor teaches or performs hook kick, so ignore it if it's not - but if it is, I hope it helps.

 

[Gwai Lo Dan]

Carl,
I am working on it myself - I'm 3rd gup. I find that the best practice is relatively short, but often. I find that if I do it to many times, it can sometimes just get uglier...and I get dizzy! My theory is your body can lock in some bad habits in one session, which you would ingrain by doing it 200 times. By taking a break, you force your body the next time to readjust and get the coordination again; in a way it's trying the kick a little differently perhaps and falling into the best way.

Other than that comment on length of training, I find it helpful to work the hook kick without the spin. After your hook kick feels good, try a slow spin first and do the hook kick again...then speed up the spin.

 

[ralphmcpherson]

The best advice I was given when learning this kick was to see the target. I see many people trying to do this kick with their leg connecting with the target and their head still on its way around. The body will move as quick as the head so if you concentrate on getting the head around quickly the body will follow at the same speed (ballerinas use this theory). Also, as others have said, there are only so many you can do in one session when learning this kick before they start going downhill. I also try and get a good hooking motion with my kicking leg which in turns speeds up the spin. I love the spinning hook kick and its a timber breaking grading requirement at our club. Are you taught to connect with the back of the heel or the end of the foot? We use the back of the heel but I have noticed a lot lately at demos by other clubs that the end of the foot gets used, perhaps for extra reach.

 

[jthomas1600]

I'm not qualified to give pointers on the kick necessarily, but I just wanted to second what Ralph said about getting your eyes around. That's actually a fundametal couching point for all sports that involve spinning/flipping etc....snowboarders, BMX, divers etc. You have to get your head around to spot your landing and your body will follow.

 

[Gwai Lo Dan]

Are you taught to connect with the back of the heel or the end of the foot? We use the back of the heel but I have noticed a lot lately at demos by other clubs that the end of the foot gets used, perhaps for extra reach.

I've been taught to connect with the heel, but to have the foot extended nonetheless for two reasons. First, it gives extra reach just in case, like you said. Second, the achilles tendon won't be stretched as much, and if you were to hit it by mistake, it would be less likely to be torn.

All that said, for sparring I'd rather connect with the sole of the foot for more of a slap than a solid hit. No point trying to hurt someone!

 

[Earl Weiss]

Tips for learning the reverse or spinning hook kick.
1. Lead foot pivots as far as possible on the ball of the foot.
2. Upper body rotates as far as possible before the kicking leg moves
3. As the kicking leg begins to move and the body rotates the kicking side arm should be placed behind the back. Throwing the arm behind the back forces the upper body rotation and makes the shoulder preceed the kick past the line of the target.
Note this is done in parts only for learning and polishing. NOT for optimal kicking. Same goes for hand behind the back.
After this methodology is done well you can work on a push off of the kicking foot in conjunction with simply using a lift of the leg coupled with the rotation.
You can then also concentrate on sthaving arms more extended and pulled in during the rotation for increased speed. Same principal a figure skater uses to spin (Conservation of angular momentum).

 

[ATC]

There are quite a few good drills in the video below.

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[IcemanSK]

I use these drills & this video to help my students. Thanks ATC!

 

[Earl Weiss]

Liked the videos. 2 comments. The hand touch is a good way to get the kicking side shoulder to follow thru. Same effect as my drill of throwing the kicking side arm behind your back.

One caution. The video seems to show always returning the kicking foot to the rear, start position. You should also practce stooping it to the front in a ready fighting posture.

Also, if you are a style that allows punching to the head I would practice immediately following the kick (stopping it to the front) with punches alternating the first punch with the kicking side hand and the first punch as a reverse punch.

 

[puunui]

I think spin hook kick has the most variation as far as performance and teaching methodology out there. Everyone seems to do it slightly differently.

 

[ATC]

The video seems to show always returning the kicking foot to the rear, start position. You should also practce stooping it to the front in a ready fighting posture.

Then you are not doing a back spinning kick (or whatever you like to call it), you would simply be doing a back kick then.

 

[puunui]

Then you are not doing a back spinning kick (or whatever you like to call it), you would simply be doing a back kick then.

Some people back kick and then at the point of extension, they hook the lower leg and land in front. I experimented with this way back in the day but found that it seemed to kill the power and momentum of the kick. If I hit someone with spin hook I want them to lay down. It is a finishing knockout kick for me. I think the probability of injuring your knee is greater doing it that way (land in front). Sometimes you see competitors doing it this way but I think it is more the return of hitting the head squarely and then not going through, so the kicker ends up recoiling without spinning all the way around and may even end up fading backwards.

 

[ATC]

I experimented with this way back in the day but found that it seemed to kill the power and momentum of the kick. If I hit someone with spin hook I want them to lay down.

Exactly why it is not a back spinning kick and just a back kick. Regardless if you hook or not, if the leg lands in front it is just a back kick (to me that is). Altering the finish is changeing the kick and its' intented use and results. Your explination was spot on.

 

[leadleg]

Liked the videos. 2 comments. The hand touch is a good way to get the kicking side shoulder to follow thru. Same effect as my drill of throwing the kicking side arm behind your back.

One caution. The video seems to show always returning the kicking foot to the rear, start position. You should also practce stooping it to the front in a ready fighting posture.

Also, if you are a style that allows punching to the head I would practice immediately following the kick (stopping it to the front) with punches alternating the first punch with the kicking side hand and the first punch as a reverse punch.

I think it is good to practice this way, in case you miss you can close or flow forward and not remain open too long. Also we sometimes stop the hook after it goes through and bring it back like a round kick.
Lastly we sometimes throw the hook but go past on purpose turning it into a round kick.
Mostly we do these drills for fun,but it does give excellent control.
I like the hook kick to come straight back with knees almost touching for stealth,but it does not have quite as much power.

 

[ralphmcpherson]

Exactly why it is not a back spinning kick and just a back kick. Regardless if you hook or not, if the leg lands in front it is just a back kick (to me that is). Altering the finish is changeing the kick and its' intented use and results. Your explination was spot on.

That is my interpretation also. If the leg lands in front then its just a back kick or turning side kick. At least, thats the way we are taught.

 

[Earl Weiss]

Then you are not doing a back spinning kick (or whatever you like to call it), you would simply be doing a back kick then.

So, are you saying you must roate 360 degrees to call it a spinning kick in your nomencalture?

 

[Earl Weiss]

Interesting, the video calls it back spinning kick, but the OP referred to spinning hook kick, so I gues the OP will have to tell us how they define theri term.

 

[puunui]

So, are you saying you must roate 360 degrees to call it a spinning kick in your nomencalture?

Sometimes, a lot of times I end up spinning only 270 degrees. Or my leg is straight from about 170 until say 270, then I hook or bend my my lower leg, which gives me the rest of the spin. Spin hook kick is just the term I feel comfortable with. Others call it back spinning kick, back spinning hook kick, spinning whip kick, and I even hear wheel kick every once in a while. I've come to the conclusion that there is absolutely no standardization for this kick. Everyone has their own theory and everyone does it slightly different, with different drills, more so than any other kick.

 

[ATC]

So, are you saying you must roate 360 degrees to call it a spinning kick in your nomencalture?

No not at all, but in most cases yes. And in this case the kick actually calls for a 360 degree turn or spin as the kick is defined.