Kicking height

[InvisibleFist]

Even at my very best, I have not been able to get my legs flexible enough to kick above my head. I'm beginning to wonder if kick height is something you are just born with. I'm considering switching to Southern style kungfu so I won't have to deal with the problem any more.

What do you guys think? Can kicking height be acquired?

 

[Zepp]

No one is born flexible enough to kick over their head. In fact, there's really no reason to. Kicking at the height of your own head is realistically as high as you would ever want to kick. (And in the case of self-defense, you probably don't want to risk kicking even that high.) The only reason to be able to kick above the height of your head is to show off.

And yes, kicking height can be acquired, it just takes a time, patience, and lots of stretching.

What style do you train in where you're required to kick above your head?

 

[Raewyn]

You need to get strength in your legs first as well as flexibility. Just time and patience really!

 

[TigerWoman]

Raisin and Zepp are right. It takes alot work, time and patience to gain flexibility and some more work to gain strength in those legs. Took me nearly 8 years. I can kick over my head but women seem to be able to do that more. I have seen guys who actually work at it long and hard, achieve it though. Also, in being able to kick over my head, I don't hit big guys in their shoulder. ha ha You will get there, if you keep at it. TW

BTW There are alot of flexibility threads around which include great tips.

 

[Sarah]

Even at my very best, I have not been able to get my legs flexible enough to kick above my head. I'm beginning to wonder if kick height is something you are just born with. I'm considering switching to Southern style kungfu so I won't have to deal with the problem any more.

What do you guys think? Can kicking height be acquired?

This is what Tiger Woman said to me when I was asking a similer question, this is to get the strengh in the legs to get the kicks up there:

If you have the flexibility doing static stretching, then you need the strength. That why I do alot of double sidekicks. But at your stage, you just need to do the singles. Hold on to something and at first do 100 sidekicks per leg. Then when that is easy, after doing it multiple times spread out over weeks-2 or 3 times a week, start holding the leg extended out, foot pointed down, for a few seconds. Make sure your supporting leg's foot is pointing away from the kick for good balance and support. Do thirty of these to start and build back up to 100 over a month at least. These will help in your forms later when you have sidekicks too. TW

 

[Sarah]

One time in class a young guy said, "all woman are flexible"!! When a friend and I laughed at the concept, he looked at us and said, "I meant YOUNG woman". LOL[/size](we are both under 35)

 

[Scout_379]

Unless your bones actually do prevent you from kicking (RARE cases), then you can kick high. I'd say ballistic stretches and strengthening your core and hip muscles.

 

[OC Kid]

Bill Wallace said that he knew people who could do the complete splits and not be able to kick waist height. he said there were people who couldnt even get down into the split position but yet kick over their heads.
So what is the answer?????
Developeing strength in their legs by some sort of excersize including weights and alot of kicks. The only way to develope kicks is to kick.
Develope a kicking workout. I do a 1000 kick workout,sounds like a lot but its not, using a heavy bag , do 3 sets of 30 (180 kicks total) ,rear leg round kicks each side(another 180 kicks total) , then 3 sets of 30 round kicks w/the lead leg. The side kicks, then hook ect ect..That with strength trainig is the only way I know.

 

[Enson]

i'm that way. i can kick above my head but i can't do the splits for nothing. i try and try and i can't get that low. i need help on how to do that.

anyway when i first started it was quite hard and i could only kick waist level. a good way to practice is to kick and have someone hold your extended leg and lift it up. then hold it for as long as you can take it. make sure you breathe and its also good practice on meditation trying to control the pain. you'll get it!remember don't hurt yourself just do enough were you feel the stretch.

 

[gmunoz]

InvisibleFist,

Don't worry. You're not alone. I too, have a hard time kicking high, whereas I have a brother who tries and tries to kick higher and higher. However, I do struggle with it as well. Time, practice... and when we do that I figure more practice... and more... and more... and more...

 

[Gary Crawford]

Of course it can be done,but don't preasure yourself too much about it.It has alot to do with genetics.Some people have naturally longer muscles than others.It also has a lot to do with age.If you started MA as a young child and stretched a lot while you were developing,your muscles would be longer and you would kick higher.That's one of the disadvantages that people who start MA's later in life have to deal with.I started training when I was eight,now at 41,I can still do fingertip pushups with ease only because I did a lot of them as a child.I also have the ability to kick over my head,same reason.My kids can kick as high as they want and do full splits with ease,they have a little genetic advantage over me.As adults,It's so important that we know our phisical limitations,otherwise,injuries will hold back our training much more than the younger ones.There's nothing like feeling especially good while sparring or training one night and end up getting carried away and wind up with an injury that makes you rest for six weeks and you never really get over.Instructors always push us as far as they can,but sometimes,you really need to pull them aside and tell then how it is.If you have a good instructor,they don't want to see you hurt or injure yourself further.If they don't listen,take a complete break from the action and wait until you feel you are really over it before returning to the same school or start a new one.

 

[Genin Andrew]

Remember, the higher you kick the less balanced you become! a kick above the head has no value apart from "show".However high kicks do look impressive but you need to think about how important they really are to you.A short sharp snap kick to the groin will be much more effective in a self defense situation than a tripple backflip flying roundhouse kick or whatever you want to call a fancy high kick!

so examine the value of high kicks,and if they really are important to you then keep stretching! But keep in mind your balance,that is more important than height and fancy kicks...

much respect
-andrew