talking about kicks

[Manny]

Well let's talk about kicks inside Kenpo Karate (by Ed Parker), I just want to know:

1.-The kicks vs punch ratio.
2.-what are the kicks used in kenpo or the more used kicks.
3.-Kenpo use high kicks? to the head?

Manny

 

[Xinglu]

Well let's talk about kicks inside Kenpo Karate (by Ed Parker), I just want to know:

1.-The kicks vs punch ratio.
2.-what are the kicks used in kenpo or the more used kicks.
3.-Kenpo use high kicks? to the head?

Manny

1 - this is entirely dependent upon the practitioner, I have seen Kenpoka lead with a kick 90%, I have also seen kenpoka that rarely kick.

2 - This depends on the Kenpo, but I have found that generally the most common are:
Front kick (snap and thrust)
Side kick
Round kick (to include round thrust)

In Kara-Ho you see more hook and crescent/reverse crescent/three-quarter crescent kicks then any other flavor of Kenpo I have trained in.

3 - Not really. There are a few exceptions, but as a general rule, kenpo kicks are from the sternum down and if a kick goes to the head, it is because the head has been lowered due to other strikes (like a palm strike to the groin). I have also seen high kicks used in techniques, however they are usually the last movement: meaning in reality, they guy shouldn't be standing still.

 

[MattJ]

1.-The kicks vs punch ratio.

Tough to give an exact, but I would say probably 80/20 hands/feet in EPAK.

2.-what are the kicks used in kenpo or the more used kicks.

Front, side, roundhouse are most common, with back and spinning back somewhat less.

3.-Kenpo use high kicks? to the head?

Yes, but moreso in the extensions than the base moves.

 

[Manny]

1 - this is entirely dependent upon the practitioner, I have seen Kenpoka lead with a kick 90%, I have also seen kenpoka that rarely kick.

2 - This depends on the Kenpo, but I have found that generally the most common are:
Front kick (snap and thrust)
Side kick
Round kick (to include round thrust)

In Kara-Ho you see more hook and crescent/reverse crescent/three-quarter crescent kicks then any other flavor of Kenpo I have trained in.

3 - Not really. There are a few exceptions, but as a general rule, kenpo kicks are from the sternum down and if a kick goes to the head, it is because the head has been lowered due to other strikes (like a palm strike to the groin). I have also seen high kicks used in techniques, however they are usually the last movement: meaning in reality, they guy shouldn't be standing still.

Thank you and thank MattJ to answering my questions, and taking your answers I want to give you my perception, remebre I am new to Kenpo karate (Ed Parker).

In kenpo dojo when we are practicing techs the kicks are low ones, the higest kick is to the blader or groing (testicles), yes there are some times we kick to the stomach but that's the highest kick we do, and yes when the oponent is down ( knleeling of flat on the ground) we use kicks to the head.

Now, talking about sparring is a diferente way, in dojo we have two kind of studentes or classmates, a) the ones who have only kenpo karate formation and b) the ones who came from diferent MA backgrounds.

The classmates including the sensei in point fighting sparring and in continus sparring use more the hands and the kicks that they use are mostly side kicks (for the reach I think) maybe some front kicks. The other classmates (one kick boxer, two tae kwon doings, one capoeria) use more kicks and they use sidekicks,round house kicks, hook kicks and back kicks mostly to the body but several to the head. Myself coming from a kicking MA use more kicks but to the midsection, I am not as fast as years ago (I am 42) and my high kicks are not as good as the ones to the torso. The kicks I most use are the roundhouse,the sidekick and the back kick or spining back kick this last kick some times with sucess some times not.

I believe the ratio we use (the guys with a kicking background) of punches vs kicks is around 70/30, with very few kicks to the head, infact there is only one guy with nice flexibility and agility that uses kicks to the head.

I have to tell you in my youth when I was more flexible,in shape,training everyday mi high kicks were pretty good, however right now at my age I need more time for warm up and flexibility to kicks high and my balance is not so good, so I think kenpo with his low kicks and good hand techs can be very benefical to me.

Manny

Manny

 

[Xinglu]

I have to tell you in my youth when I was more flexible,in shape,training everyday mi high kicks were pretty good, however right now at my age I need more time for warm up and flexibility to kicks high and my balance is not so good, so I think kenpo with his low kicks and good hand techs can be very benefical to me.

Also consider this: Even if you could throw lighting fast and powerful high kicks, what would you do if you found yourself on slippery or uneven/unstable ground?

High kicks would be almost useless at that point. So Kenpo is adding more tools to your tool belt that will make you more versatile. Likewise, your kicking experience adds to your Kenpo

 

[LawDog]

My system's core kicks are,
*front kicks and round house kicks,(they are the same kick just executed on a different hip angle),
*thrusting and back kicks, (again they are the same except for the hip angles).
All of the other kicks, including the high ones and the fancy spinning ones are technique specific.
Ratio - approx. 70% hands to 30% kicks. Depending on the student / instructor, it can flex a little bit either way.
:ultracool

 

[MJS]

Well let's talk about kicks inside Kenpo Karate (by Ed Parker), I just want to know:

1.-The kicks vs punch ratio.
2.-what are the kicks used in kenpo or the more used kicks.
3.-Kenpo use high kicks? to the head?

Manny

1) I'd say the punch ratio is higher than the kicks, but as others said, it'll depend on the person.

2) I would say front, roundhouse, side.

3) Sure, after we bring the person down. Kenpo has kicks, but I would say the majority are all waist level or below.

 

[Manny]

From all the asnwers here about kenpo kicks I can conclude the following:

a) The average rattio hands vs feet is about 70/30.
b) The majority of the kikcs used in Kenpo are low and mid level.
c) The mots used kicks are simple but efective ones: 1.-Front kicks, 2.-roundhouse kick, 3.-side kick.

Talkin about a SD/MA point of view Kenpo Karate is a nice MA for the average man/woman, I mean you don't need to be a fancy or flamboyan kicker to defend your self, you don't need to be a profesional boxer to defend your self.

Best.

Manny