Home training to improve kicking speed

[keek4fun]

Hi there. I've been training in TKD for a little over 2 years. Although I've progressed in strength, I don't feel that I've improved in my sparring. My kicks are low and slow. Can anyone advise on home training to improve kicking height and speed?

 

[Adept]

Hi there. I've been training in TKD for a little over 2 years. Although I've progressed in strength, I don't feel that I've improved in my sparring. My kicks are low and slow. Can anyone advise on home training to improve kicking height and speed?

You need to increase your flexibility and your explosive leg power. Flexibility should be pretty obvious if you've been training for two years. Look into plyometric exercises to increase speed and power for your legs.

 

[Corporal Hicks]

Try getting yourself a punchbag that could handle your kicks, then you can kick it powerfully building the muscles in your legs and improving the speed of them.

Try doing air kicking as well but dont damage your joints by over extending or throwing your leg out too fast and make sure your warmed up maybe by doing star jumps or by skipping rope. By air kicking I mean holding onto something (or not if your balance is good enough) and slowly extending your legs into the kicks, its going to pull on your muscles like hell at first, but eventually it will become easier and your be able to do it faster!

Hope it helps and that I havnt got it wrong!

Regards

 

[Corporal Hicks]

Hi there. I've been training in TKD for a little over 2 years. Although I've progressed in strength, I don't feel that I've improved in my sparring. My kicks are low and slow. Can anyone advise on home training to improve kicking height and speed?

Can I just point out that your profile says your a Taekwando, 1st deg. black belt, and yet you've been training little over two years. Your say that your kicks are low and slow then technically you shouldnt be a black belt. If you really got to black belt in two years then you would be training alot and your kicks would be more powerful, correct me if I'm wrong but it sounds like your with a dogdey system!

Regards

 

[Zepp]

We should give keek4fun the benefit of the doubt for now and assume that he's underestimating himself.

For improving flexibility for kicking, I sometimes do leg raises very slowly, sometimes while holding onto something to keep my torso upright. These, and other slow or static strecthes are best done after you're warmed up, or after a workout. The Health Tips forum has lots threads on stretching that will have more tips for you.

For improving explosive power, plyometric exercises will definitely help. So will going back to basics and refining your kicking techniques. If you're really hardcore, you might also try using ankle weights, but be careful. That's also a great way to hurt yourself if you overdo the weight or the amount of time you train with it on.

Happy training.

 

[Adept]

If you're really hardcore, you might also try using ankle weights, but be careful. That's also a great way to hurt yourself if you overdo the weight or the amount of time you train with it on.

Happy training.

I would recommend against the ankle weights. The extra weight on the end of your limb places undue stress on your knee as it snaps out. The only way to avoid this is to 'pull' your kick before it fully extends, which simply breeds bad technique. If you use a weight light enough to avoid this, you may as well just wear shoes. Ankle weights are good for slow, practice kicks and leg raises, but not full speed kicks.

Instead I would recommend training using light, flexable rubber cord. Tie this to something (or have someone hold the end for you) at the right length that you will be experiencing resistance as you kick.

 

[Zepp]

I would recommend against the ankle weights. The extra weight on the end of your limb places undue stress on your knee as it snaps out...

Well, I did warn that it can be dangerous. When I weighted myself for training, it was on and off for a period of about 5 weeks (and I wore shoes in addition to the weights). I also trained equally without the weights to keep my technique sharp. It did help me increase my overall speed and stamina.

I also know of a capoeira instructor who's weighted his ankles for years. I wouldn't risk doing it for that long, but he hasn't developed any problems that I'm aware of. It's all a matter of degree and the individual, and how careful they are.

The rubber cord is also a good idea, and probably safer.

 

[terryl965]

Speed is irrelivant to the over all problem most times when people say the are slow it is because they sit on there heals and not the ball of there feet before throwing the kick if they would just sit up on the ball of there foot the speed or over all quickness will get better try to do alot of calf raises to help build those muscle.

 

[jjmcc]

to pick up strength and speed when i studyed tkd a few years ago i used to put my feet pads on and pick points on a tree in my garden as the weeks progress make your kicking higher.


I also find it unusual that you are a black belt after 2 years and you lack flexibility im not saying your not but maybe your gradings have been to soon and you have not gave yourself chance to progress.

 

[TigerWoman]

Well if you are a black belt, you also know it takes repetition and alot of practice. As a black belt, you are at least an assistant instructor. How do you teach this? Home training is not needed if a student is going to class three times a week or more. Most students acquire flexibility, strength and speed in the four or so years that it takes to get to black belt. TW

 

[keek4fun]

Before becoming a black belt, I attend classes 4-5 times a week. However, in our 45 minute class we don't do too much conditioning and there isn't much follow through on same excercises. Seems like everyday we do something different and do not target the same muscles. I am 41 years old and I have not been excercising regularly since high school days until I began TKD.

I am not familiar with other TKD programs other than the one I belong to. Why do many of sound surprised that I am a black belt after 2 years? How long does it take in your program?

I've met all the requirements and past the BB test, including board breaking at required heights. I would like to improve the height and speed of my side kick, round kick, and hook kick.

 

[Adept]

Why do many of sound surprised that I am a black belt after 2 years? How long does it take in your program?

Usually about four years. Personally, I'm not a fan of belts and ranks anyway.

Anyway, if you want to improve kicking height, you will need to improve your flexibility. I'm sure you know a few basic stretches. What you need to do is warm up first, get your muscles nice and loose. A short jog or some plyometric exercises is good for this. Then do some dynamic stretches (which is where you swing the leg up just fractionally past its comfort point, stretching the muscle) take it slow and be careful with these, you don't want to pull a muscle.

Afterwords, before you cool down, do your static stretches (which are just stretches on the spot). You will get a better result if you stretch when the muscles are warm.

You need to do this regularly to see results. If you stop for a while, you will lose a lot of flexibility.

 

[terryl965]

Before becoming a black belt, I attend classes 4-5 times a week. However, in our 45 minute class we don't do too much conditioning and there isn't much follow through on same excercises. Seems like everyday we do something different and do not target the same muscles. I am 41 years old and I have not been excercising regularly since high school days until I began TKD.

I am not familiar with other TKD programs other than the one I belong to. Why do many of sound surprised that I am a black belt after 2 years? How long does it take in your program?

I've met all the requirements and past the BB test, including board breaking at required heights. I would like to improve the height and speed of my side kick, round kick, and hook kick.

Requirements are one thing being able to do them with excellents is another and if you are having trouble with basic kick to get them up then you need to re-consider your belt rank and find a new school. Sorry just a honest answer fron a old man..

 

[TX_BB]

Flexibility is one key for height, so work on that with hamstring stretches and hip stretches being the center pieces of your stretching routine. If you need faster results try to find a partner to work on your stretching routine with you, ideally they'll be near the same size and weight.

It sounds like you have core strength issues. Try adding hanging leg raises and back extensions to help. You can work the medicine ball with a partner to work the obliques and hips.

Also try partial reps in the air, then with bungee core. Partial reps do two things. 1) They develope all the stabilizing (helper) muscles that are used in the phase that you are working on. They do this by eliminating the momentum from the previous phase. 2) Forces you to focus on the muscles preforming the action.

Practice fast, faster, fastest the way you practice is a good indicator on how you'll spar.

Keep working on it.

 

[Galvatron]

I always give people the benefit of the doubt, but 2 years is a bit fast to ascend to 1st Dan.
I sometimes criticize the Tang Soo Do organization I belong to for promoting people to black belt too rapidly, and it takes 3 years there.
At the TKD school I train at, it's not uncommon to take 5 years to reach 1st Dan.

 

[dubljay]

Every one has brought up good tips but I see one thing missing. The issue of rank aside a very critical and overlooked aspect of speed is the speed at which you bring your leg/arm back. Generally speaking your strike should return twice as fast as it went out. The concept is that the faster you bring your strikes back the faster you can send them back out. Regarding kicks alone its not wise to be on one foot for too long of a time (we are talking a matter of seconds and split seconds). Stability and mobility are everything in fighting. You can't move to well when you still have your leg up in the air. So work on bringing your kicks back as fast as possible. Also on a note of joint safety NEVER fully extend your kicks ( lock out your knee) over time full extension will damage your knee.


Just my thoughts

-Josh-

 

[Corporal Hicks]

Well depends what your doing in your class? If your simply learned it to become a black belt by learning the system then maybe. Just remember because your a black belt doesnt make you a good fighter, just means that you know system and maybe a bit of Korean. I agree with Adept, I dont like belts or ranks, one of the main reasons I quit tae Kwon do is simply because it had a rank and belt system and you get alot of knobs who call themselves fighters and Martial Artists yet they still havnt realised the difference betwee 'street fighting' and sparring. Sparring is not self defence. So if your a sparring club belt belter and have learnt it in two years as they suggest ditch your belt and find yourself another school.

 

[loki09789]

Hi there. I've been training in TKD for a little over 2 years. Although I've progressed in strength, I don't feel that I've improved in my sparring. My kicks are low and slow. Can anyone advise on home training to improve kicking height and speed?

two separate things at the early phases of training.

Ht. equates to flexibility, so regular and consistent stretching (both static and dynamic) will improve that.

Speed is made up of many factors: Mechanics, technique, speed-strength, muscle relaxation.... So train consistently and slowly for form at home with a disciplined schedule and you will improve. Talk to your instructor about what to focus on for improvement. Is it your form? Is it your fitness/strength/conditioning? Is it your tactical sense/timing?

You must identify what it is that you must bring up before you can progress.

 

[Rob Broad]

As Bill "Superfoot" Wallace said, "The only way to get higher kicks is to practice high kicks everyday. The more often you kick, the faster they will become.

 

[jjmcc]

Also try water training kicking against the water it gives you a lot of resistance and strengthens your legs you might laugh but maybe try aqua aerobics they do a lot of water resistance training youll be surprised!!!