high kicks

[hand2handCombat]

need stretch techniques for high kicks
PLEASE!!!!

Thank YOu

 

[Nightingale]

Stretch slowly and don't bounce. do leg lifts, and splits, both ways (legs out to side, and legs back and forward, Barbie style).

However, keep in mind that a kick to the knee tends to be more effective than a kick to the chest, generally speaking. I've met some amazing martial artists who couldn't do more than a waist high kick.

 

[Rob_Broad]

You might want to check out the following threads, there is a lot of useful info in them.

http://www.martialtalk.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=2631&highlight=stretching

http://www.martialtalk.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=2795&highlight=stretching

http://www.martialtalk.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=1570&highlight=stretching

 

[Shinzu]

i would like to say that in my opinion high kicks are less effective that waist of low kicks.

but....

the first thing you need to ask yourself is... am i doing the kick correctly? if not, then you should work on your technique before worring about the height.

deep leg stretches are great for flexability as well as butterfly streches (sitting and bringing both your legs in).

remember to stretch all of your muscles in your legs. calf stretches are excellent also.

 

[samuraijack]

there are alot of information out there about how to stretch or do the splits or whatever you are looking for. as for me personally, I don't teach my students to do high kicks, all kicks are kept at waist level or below, why would you want to kick above the waist, first of all, it puts you off balance and makes you more suspectiple to counter attacks. i'd much rather take out the knees, or sweep the feet. but to each his own

 

[Danny]

Why not learn to kick someone in the head? The more techniques you know and practice the better. The major reasons I would kick someone in the head are 1) I can reach allot further with my legs then with my hands, 2) he may be covering his body, 3) I can kick a hell of a lot harder then I can punch, even at head level.

Anyway back to the post...

Static stretching isn't what you should be doing. For high kicking what you need is dynamic flexibility, and therefore should be doing dynamic stretching. Swing your leg forward without bending your knee as high as you can letting it bend at the bottom of the downward part. (Kick yourself in the butt.) Next find something to hold onto. Swing your leg sideways as high as you can. Finally hold onto something and swing your leg back as far as you can bringing your knee to your chest at the beginning of the movement. Lastly rotational inside, and outside. Hard to explain in words but imagine you have a piece of chalk between your toes, what you’re going to do is draw a big semi circle on a wall. (Did that make sense?)

That should improve your dynamic flexibility markedly if you do it regularly. Do 15 or so reps per exercise per leg.

 

[Kenpo Wolf]

Originally posted by Danny

Why not learn to kick someone in the head? The more techniques you know and practice the better. The major reasons I would kick someone in the head are 1) I can reach allot further with my legs then with my hands, 2) he may be covering his body, 3) I can kick a hell of a lot harder then I can punch, even at head level.

I dont see nothimg wrong with head kicks under the proper considerations , but they are hard to pull off with tight pants, on slippery ground or in places with no room to move. Not only that, when you kick above parrellel to the ground, you lose power and reach. This rule has no exceptions and is based on fact. I usually kick the knee or groin, which will double up any opponent, and then kick him in the head with even more force then you could I he was standing tall. I'm not going to debate over this but I'm just saying that high kicks are not the only way to go. Develop the high kick and it will even give more power to the medium and low kicks

 

[theneuhauser]

i like to push against the wall in a high side kick position, sort of like doing the splits, but you have resistance between the ground and the wall.

 

[fissure]

In response to those who question high kicking tech., saying they are of little use in certain situations- slippery ground ect. I would say that a reverse punch is of little use from the guard position, and a basic hip throw doesn't work very well when you are being kicked in the groin. But I don't believe I will quit practising them! The danger comes from placing too much emphasis on high kicks, making them the mainstay of your arsenal.
:EG:

 

[sweeper]

genneraly I wouldn't use a high kick, but if I see a big opening for one I'll throw it. a thrust kcik to the jaw is kinda like having a third arm for an uppercut