Instructional Video

[Xander.2]

Hey, so I recently became the captain of a martial arts club in my high school. This means that I have to teach lower class-men various martial arts. Although I love to do it, I'm probably not the best to teach because I have only studied/trained martial arts seriously for a couple years. The video I'm linking is the video I'm going to send to my club members. Can you guys instruct me on how to improve my techniques? Especially the hook kick. There aren't any serious martial arts training halls near me that I can go to right now and I wont be seeing my sensei for a while so I'm asking for your help. Bag is heavyweight so that combined with my lack of muscle makes it look weak. I'm talking about the technique.

 

[Bill Mattocks]

Video is fine. You need an uke.

 

[Xander.2]

Video is fine. You need an uke.

Yeah that's not a possibility at the moment. I don't think these 14 year olds want to be punched and kicked on their first day.

 

[Bill Mattocks]

Yeah that's not a possibility at the moment. I don't think these 14 year olds want to be punched and kicked on their first day.

That's when they expect it least.

 

[JowGaWolf]

Hey, so I recently became the captain of a martial arts club in my high school. This means that I have to teach lower class-men various martial arts. Although I love to do it, I'm probably not the best to teach because I have only studied/trained martial arts seriously for a couple years. The video I'm linking is the video I'm going to send to my club members. Can you guys instruct me on how to improve my techniques? Especially the hook kick. There aren't any serious martial arts training halls near me that I can go to right now and I wont be seeing my sensei for a while so I'm asking for your help. Bag is heavyweight so that combined with my lack of muscle makes it look weak. I'm talking about the technique.

Tips: Don't teach beyond your knowledge and understanding. That will get you into a mess really quick. Take the little bit that you know, study it and know that you can explore it. For example: A jab is really simple. Now break it down.

1. How many ways can you jab?

• twisting jab
• range finding jab
• retreating jab
• defensive jab
• attacking jab
• set up jab
• vertical jab
• non-twisting jab
• single jab
• double jab
• chasing jab
• horizontal jab
• downward jab
• upward jab
• jab feints
• jab counters
• jab combos
• snapping jabs
• stabbing jabs
• Power jabs
• Long range jabs
• short range jabs.

2. How many ways can you draw power for a jab?

• Draw power from leg push
• Draw power from hip rotation and pivot
• Draw power from shuffle
• Draw power from arm
• Draw power from chest.

These are things you can explore and learn without getting into too much deep water. All of these are things you would see in various martial arts systems. Start with what you know and understand then grow. When you grow share your growth with others. It's ok not to know everything.

Bag is heavyweight so that combined with my lack of muscle makes it look weak. I'm talking about the technique.

Lack of muscle doesn't have anything to do with looking weak or feeling weak. Stuff in martial arts will usually look week or feel weak because you aren't connecting the power correctly. Your dominant arm will always feel like the stronger one because you are better at connecting the power for that arm.

If you really want to have good power then you have to do some work on your structure. This means stance training. And learn to breath. I can always tell when someone is punching without breathing because I end up holding my breath while watching. These are just a few simple things you can work on. It's not as exciting as doing a lot of martial arts moves but it will being to lay a good foundation for your self-training and it will give you the time you need to learn something new to teach or explore with the other students.

If you are truly serious about improving your techniques then this is what that process looks like. Not a lot of excitement but it's the fastest way to improve.

 

[Xander.2]

Tips: Don't teach beyond your knowledge and understanding. That will get you into a mess really quick. Take the little bit that you know, study it and know that you can explore it. For example: A jab is really simple. Now break it down.

1. How many ways can you jab?

• twisting jab
• range finding jab
• retreating jab
• defensive jab
• attacking jab
• set up jab
• vertical jab
• non-twisting jab
• single jab
• double jab
• chasing jab
• horizontal jab
• downward jab
• upward jab
• jab feints
• jab counters
• jab combos
• snapping jabs
• stabbing jabs
• Power jabs
• Long range jabs
• short range jabs.

2. How many ways can you draw power for a jab?

• Draw power from leg push
• Draw power from hip rotation and pivot
• Draw power from shuffle
• Draw power from arm
• Draw power from chest.

These are things you can explore and learn without getting into too much deep water. All of these are things you would see in various martial arts systems. Start with what you know and understand then grow. When you grow share your growth with others. It's ok not to know everything.

Lack of muscle doesn't have anything to do with looking weak or feeling weak. Stuff in martial arts will usually look week or feel weak because you aren't connecting the power correctly. Your dominant arm will always feel like the stronger one because you are better at connecting the power for that arm.

If you really want to have good power then you have to do some work on your structure. This means stance training. And learn to breath. I can always tell when someone is punching without breathing because I end up holding my breath while watching. These are just a few simple things you can work on. It's not as exciting as doing a lot of martial arts moves but it will being to lay a good foundation for your self-training and it will give you the time you need to learn something new to teach or explore with the other students.

If you are truly serious about improving your techniques then this is what that process looks like. Not a lot of excitement but it's the fastest way to improve.

Thanks for the advice man, will do. For teaching I'll just stick to the basics but expand them just like you said. I'll also work on my stances and breathing. I know breath is the root of all power in Shaolin Kung Fu at least, I just always forget.

 

[JowGaWolf]

I know breath is the root of all power in Shaolin Kung Fu at least, I just always forget.

And it helps you from getting light headed and passing out lol. This may help you with your breathing.

1. Oxygen keeps the "fire burning" . It keeps the muscles fresh and keeps you breathing. Breathing in fuels the punch
2. Breathing out gets rid of the carbon that "smothers the fires." You can't breath in until you breath out. Not breathing out is like taking oxygen away from the fire.

With the heavy bag. Don't be concerned with making it move, it's not important when it comes to punching. Find a spot on the bag focus on drilling a hold in the bag with your knuckles or your fist. Make sure your jabs go straight into the bag and then straight out of the bag. Don't swipe your punch. It's bad form and you'll just tear the skin off your knuckles. If your knuckles start to bleed or the skin starts to come off then stop because you are hitting incorrectly. At the first sign of blood move away from the back and practice punching in the air. Don't hit the bag again until your knuckle heals. It's not good to punch wounds on your hands and the healing process will help improve the the thickness of the skin on your knuckle.

Be gentle. If you do it correctly then you'll get strong knuckles without your knuckles looking nasty and beaten up.

 

[Christopher Adamchek]

Im impressed with your high block strike
As for your hook kick try throwing it with the lead leg first, a forward hook kick with the rear leg is quite tricky without spinning

 

[jobo]

Hey, so I recently became the captain of a martial arts club in my high school. This means that I have to teach lower class-men various martial arts. Although I love to do it, I'm probably not the best to teach because I have only studied/trained martial arts seriously for a couple years. The video I'm linking is the video I'm going to send to my club members. Can you guys instruct me on how to improve my techniques? Especially the hook kick. There aren't any serious martial arts training halls near me that I can go to right now and I wont be seeing my sensei for a while so I'm asking for your help. Bag is heavyweight so that combined with my lack of muscle makes it look weak. I'm talking about the technique.

tie something heavy to the bottom of your bag

 

[wab25]

Can you guys instruct me on how to improve my techniques?

Stop looking at the camera when doing your techniques. Sometimes it almost seems like you are more focused on the camera than the bag. This changes your techniques. Since we only get to see the video... we can only comment on the techniques we see, where you are focused on the camera. You will get better advise, if you show your techniques, as you usually do them. Otherwise, you might be getting advise on how to fix a problem that only shows up, when you focus on the camera.