Distance while sparring

[Tony]

I often have trouble making contact with my side kicks and some other kicks while sparring. I can make good contact with my punches and when the other person strikes with a kick, I am close enough to do a hook kick or round house but doing a side kick as an attacking move is very hard when the other person is further away! I was wondering what everybody else does to close the gap to make contact with a side kick or roundhouse! I seem to miss quite a lot!

 

[7starmantis]

This is probably going to be different from what anyone else will say, but I don't use a round house or side kick for extreme close fighting. a roundhouse to the knee, yeah, to the head no. What I use to get these techniques to work is a pluck. In mantis we do whats called a pluck, it intails yielding to a punch, the ngrabbing it and useing their own force and a nicely timed pull at the end of their punch to bring them in closer and off balance. Most times it ends with their head down by your knee. A side kick or roundhouse is perfect for this moment. Just be careful as they could continue their circle downward and duck under your kick and have a nice little skeet shoot on your grounded knee or even your boys.

7sm

 

[lvwhitebir]

Side kicks are my favorite move. They are effective for keeping people away from you because they are difficult to block and connecting means they are pushed back.

I set it up by typically doing a jab or a backfist. If it's close enough that they respond to it, I know my kick will work. If they pull their arm up to block, I try to kick underneath it.

I also set it up using a distance fake. I execute a few side kicks without going forward much. The opponent blocks or not, but gets used to the distance needed to stay out of range. I then do a deep step-behind and kick, usually able to cover 6 to 8 feet of ground. That usually takes them by surprise and sends them flying. I practice this on a heavy bag, standing farther and farther away from it to learn to judge the distance I can cover.

WhiteBirch

 

[markulous]

I would try setting up your side kick more. Treat your side kick as a hook or something in boxing. Are you going to just come out and go after the guy with hooks and knock him on his @$$ right away? Ehh sure maybe... But it's a lot less risky and it usually pays off more if you set him up with the jab. So if you are in a 90 degree stance just shoot your front leg forward like a jab. Just snap it out there and see how that sets it up.

 

[moving target]

Maybe you should practice boxing without any kicking for a bit so you are more comfortable getting up close. Or maybe just take away your kicks so you are forced to get in close against an opponant who doesn't want you there. If you are in close enough to punch you shoul be able to land a side kick. So use combinations, throw a hand combo and finish off with a side kick.

 

[Marginal]

Might be a question of telegraphing too. A lot of people lean back while they're loading up a side kick which makes it easy to avoid.

 

[Touch Of Death]

I often have trouble making contact with my side kicks and some other kicks while sparring. I can make good contact with my punches and when the other person strikes with a kick, I am close enough to do a hook kick or round house but doing a side kick as an attacking move is very hard when the other person is further away! I was wondering what everybody else does to close the gap to make contact with a side kick or roundhouse! I seem to miss quite a lot!

If your talking about kicks off the back leg, step throughs are very slow and unsafe; however, lead leg kicks can be either quick started or shuffled. Shuffling is quite easy. Get into a fighting stance and (for a knife edge kick) swing your back leg toward your opponent and behind the lead foot,simply pick up that lead leg once planted and let her rip. It should feel like your running.(Rent "Return of the Dragon" for that Bruce Lee affirmation).
Quick starting a round house off the lead leg requires some fancy foot work but its really not that hard. Remember your upper carriage should not turn or shift weight to the back leg. Drop your lead leg back to the ball of the foot and either step forward with the back leg(like your doing a kenpo salute) or switch both legs at the same time. Your new lead leg will pull you toward your opponent, for a round house. I hope that helps
Sean

 

[Zepp]

How you set up your kicks could be the issue. If it is, most people here seems to have some good ideas that you could work with. The other possibility is that your judgement of distance is a little off. (No offense, mine used to be too.) I recommend practicing some kicking drills with a partner who will be trying to block or evade your kicks (and vice versa).

 

[ShaolinWolf]

Might be a question of telegraphing too. A lot of people lean back while they're loading up a side kick which makes it easy to avoid.

Well, Marginal, that's not entirely accurate...I happen to have a superfast sidekick in sparring...not bragging. And when I lean back, it might be a head shot. but most of the time, my side kick flies so fast, my body proportions make it look like any other kick, such as a round kick or hook kick. That means, I don't lean for Side kick like I do for some hook kicks to the head. I'm able to close the gap really quick with a slide in or hop in sidekick. Another personal gap closer for me is the hopping roundkick where I do around 3-5 roundkicks while hopping in, which alot of the time my opponent moves back, which is great because after the roundkicks, I can set up for another move really quickly, unless they get me in time when I'm dropping my last roundkick.

For In close combat, alot of people normally lock up on me because I have long legs(the hopping roundkicks and the sidekick, along with hook and axe...). In such cases, I like to use twist kick, which is sweet because most people never see it coming, or slide back round kick, which is basicallY switching my feet position out. also, I like doing in those instances, if the person is short, or I'm very limbered up, Outer Crescent kick...I've never tried inner in that case, don't know why...probably locks up easier.

But in just normal close combat, I just go all out, especially with mutiple kicks, switch ups, hook kick-round kick, twist kick-side kick, hook kick-round kick-side kick, etc. I have alot of felxibilty(full splits, straddles, etc.), so I can get alot of head shots. And hand techniques...lol...my friends are like "HEY, THAT'S NOT LEGAL"...of course it is/jumping backfist when in very, VERY tight quarters...lol...that is so cheap, but it's legal, as long as it hits target areas.

Just a side note: We do not punch to the head(in tournament or in the school, but I occassionally box with my instructor... ) and we don't hit in the back or below the belt. Yeah, I know, but go to the US open. Then I could do punch to the head...lol.

 

[Marginal]

Well, Marginal, that's not entirely accurate...I happen to have a superfast sidekick in sparring...not bragging. And when I lean back, it might be a head shot. but most of the time, my side kick flies so fast, my body proportions make it look like any other kick, such as a round kick or hook kick.

Well, it was a generialization. Of course it's not going to hold true in all cases. That said, usually when people lean back and people know a kick is coming, they simply step back or otherwise move offline (usually with a counterpunch to the face etc) in my experience. Your amazing speed may get around this, but I'll take a risk and suggest that it may not hold true for everyone.

 

[ShaolinWolf]

Yeah, sorry...but that's why I said not entirely accurate...and I take back the superfast speed thing...I just meant that my side kick is fast..lol...it's not amazing...heh

 

[Marginal]

Heh. I can understand what you're saying. Won my first sparring division pretty much throwing out nothing but side kicks. Had one neat sequence where I stepped past the larger guy's front kick and got a kick into his chest while he was still extending...

Aside from that, most of my successful side kicks tend to come out when I'm stopping someone from closing distance. Hard to just pop 'em with one if I'm the one closing.

 

[Tony]

Well through my other sparring matches i have managed to make contact with beautiful hook kicks to the back of some guy's head and thats pretty good seeing I was sparring with someone much taller than me and older!
And also I find double roundhouses help but I find side kicks a little too risky to pull off unless I am really close enough to get one in, or I can set one up with other strikes! Also while sparring I notice this guy I have sparred with will charge at me with a punch and I will without thinking immediately duck but I don't use the same instinct to counter.

 

[Blindside]

Also while sparring I notice this guy I have sparred with will charge at me with a punch and I will without thinking immediately duck but I don't use the same instinct to counter.

That is when you use your side-kick! More specifically the fade-away sidekick, you get to duck AND counter.

Lamont

 

[Zepp]

And also I find double roundhouses help but I find side kicks a little too risky to pull off unless I am really close enough to get one in, or I can set one up with other strikes! Also while sparring I notice this guy I have sparred with will charge at me with a punch and I will without thinking immediately duck but I don't use the same instinct to counter.

It sounds like more of a timing issue for you. I think doing trading sidekicks drills with a partner will be the best practice for this.

 

[Tony]

It sounds like more of a timing issue for you. I think doing trading sidekicks drills with a partner will be the best practice for this.

Thanks Zepp

Thats a big help! The problem is we don't do drills like this much in Kung fu, but we do do a lot of blocking drills! oh and some padwork! Unfortunately I don't have any friends I could practice such drills with in private! But I do have a punch bag but unfortunately I am moving soon and won't have anywhere to put it! Maybe I could get one of those free standing punch bags, what do you think?

 

[tshadowchaser]

It sounds like more of a timing issue for you.

That and maybe distance training may be needed. Kicks are a speed drill with timing a geat part of the drill. You must either set up the kick or use it when your opponet is attacking.
Practice will eventually permit you to find out how and when you can use the kick best. I know that is not much help but there is no quick answere other than practice.

 

[Zepp]

Thats a big help! The problem is we don't do drills like this much in Kung fu, but we do do a lot of blocking drills! oh and some padwork! Unfortunately I don't have any friends I could practice such drills with in private! But I do have a punch bag but unfortunately I am moving soon and won't have anywhere to put it! Maybe I could get one of those free standing punch bags, what do you think?

Bags are helpful, but not so much for timing and distance practice. If the blocking drills you do involve blocking kicks, those should be a good opportunity to get this kind of practice. If not, maybe you should ask your instructor to devote some time to drills will give you a chance to practice distance and timing. As shadowchaser said, and many people on this thread alluded to, both tend to go together.

Have fun practicing.

 

[Tony]

Hi everyone

I think I'm getting better with making contact! Last night I caught a couple of good sidekicks on my opponent and unfortunately another one of my kicks got him in the groin which wasn't too good! Before sparring we did 2 minute rounds on the pads, using round house kicks, varying the heights all the time, then changing legs, then the next round was hook kicks, at varying heights and changing legs. Then jumping side kicks, then punches, and finally sparring!
I'm learning a bit more about setting up my kicks and using some nifty footwork too!

 

[Blindside]

Hi everyone

Last night I caught a couple of good sidekicks on my opponent and unfortunately another one of my kicks got him in the groin which wasn't too good!

What is wrong with kicking him in the groin? Teaches your opponent to gaurd it and not to hang a leg out there when he is kicking. Keeps people honest and on their toes (literally!). Of course, this is a kenpoist talking.

Lamont