head hunters

[Manny]

Afther the Liga Mexicana de Taekwondo (Mexican Taekwondo Leage) my sambonim's training is focused to the face/head kicks, so I call this kind of training head hunter's trainining. In Mexico profesor Dai Won Moon wants to make TKD profesional, so alot of atention is giving to the new format of kyorugi.

Right now is better or more cool to kick the face or head cause you can win more points, 3 for a direct kick to the face/head area and 4 for a turning/spining kick to the face/head area, so everyone wants to kick the head and not take care of another things doing full sparring.

Yesterday was my time, I went dojang to train with the youngsters and sambonim line us infront eachother and set the thing to so something like the Liga Mexicana de Taekwon do, I have to engage twice with one of advanced students of sambonim's, I must tell you I am training again and my high kicks are not my best right now, however I know with more training my head kicks can be better.

In the first round thing should to be easy, you know, it's just a game, not full force techs just slaps to the helmet, however I knew my fellow student would like to beat the old guy (me) to show some kind of achievement so I prepared myself for a volley of high kicks, I did my best, trew a lot of high kicks, ax kicks, roundhouse kikck and some spining hook kicks, however been a heavy weight and my oponente a midle weight I was chasing him without sucess, my oponent only give me a slap in the face, I conclude I defend myself pretty well, the high kicks were ....... mmmmmm with full intention for both parties... not just a game as sambonim wanted but it seems sambonim was enjoying it.

Second round was harsh but this time I use more the head to thinking, I close the gap beetwen us and don't leave any space to this guy to use his kicks, most of them ax kicks and roundhouse kicks, I use the best kicks I could and several of them were very close but no score, we ended even this time but with something I like, this fellow student was very upset because he could not kick the s..... out of me, I ended with a painful dented shin and the other guy ended with two broken toes (I think).

So high kicks are not my thing but I think with some training they can be pretty decent.

Manny

 

[StudentCarl]

Good on you, Manny! Glad you had fun and found you could adapt your skills.

Carl

 

[Gwai Lo Dan]

I saw the movie Iron & Silk this past weekend, and a tai chi martial artist said that the basis of tai chi is yin and yang; if someone attacks with their right side, counter to their left side. It occured to me it's true on kicks too. If someone kicks high to your head, a great counter is a low kick...although WTF rules don't allow it.

 

[Manny]

I was a little upset by the slap in the face, so I chase and chase the guy sending a volley of head kicks and then in the second round I realice this guy needed room to kick high (roundhouse) and medium range to try his ax kick so I bloqued all his movements staying pretty close to him so I can push him out and send my kicks, some of them were very close but you know a small moving target like the head is dificult to hit, however this young guy was very upset cause no matter he used I did not allow him to be in a confort zone where to send his kicks, he went to the floor many times and this was frustrating to him, we angaged in a very personal way however the old guy used more his brains than his feet.

Yes I learned something important... against a young guy full of testosterone wanting my head off it's better to be cool and with eyes wide open and never lower the guard and work in the closest position possible.

Manny

 

[StudentCarl]

Sounds like you used what we call the short-fighter strategy: when fighting with someone taller or with greater reach than you, stay inside and don't give him his preferred distance. Head kicks work best when they're set up with body kicks and other movement first, almost never as the first kick. The head is a difficult target, but it is very, very satisfying to score one and yes, the foot slap in the face is not so fun to take.

 

[oftheherd1]

Nice lesson for both of you. I hope he learned as much as you.