I'm a MT n00b and just can't get the kicks...

**dwkfym** · Posted On: 7/14/2011 1:46pm

a bit part of that "balance" is just having the muscle strength to keep that leg up.
Classic bullshido advice: just practice more.

If you really want to get a specific workout for it, turn your hip over and freeze mid kick, before you extend the knee and hold it . Or do a kick in slow motion

**justinthyme** · Posted On: 7/17/2011 12:30pm

Originally Posted by zaohu

Thanks for the advice, guys. I know I'm on my toe on my non-kicking leg and my Kru has also constantly corrected me on paying attention to my heel and pointing it waaaay toward the bag or my drilling partner when I kick. Keeping the leg loose and pointing my hips forward sound like the main issues to me. Neo Sigma, by dragging the shoulder what do you mean?

Also, WhiteShark, it's interesting that you bring up Alex Gong's video. My coach, Kru Paul Metayo, was one of his coaches.

zaohu - you could also try and break the kicks down. i started very late so flexibility was always an issue for me. i overcame this by breaking the kick down. you could start off by just getting the chamber right and maintaining your balance (for example, push your hips slightly forward while you bring your knee up). once you've got that right, add the foot pivot at the same time (essentially going from 45 degrees to 180 degrees with the non-kicking foot while you lift your knee up). once that feels comfortable, do the first part and then roll your hips over. just try to get it in one fluid motion so that you can keep your balance easily. once that works, you can focus on the final part - the actual kick. hope this helps, but bear in mind i'm talking more from a tkd / hapkido style kick. your MT kicks dont chamber as much, but i think you'll still get the idea of breaking it down. in my experience, most people struggle with kicks due to either a lack of flexibility or focusing too much on the kick smashing the target. get the technique right, the power will come

**Mr.Miyagi** · Posted On: 7/19/2011 2:54am

Originally Posted by Colin

The biggest obstacle for me when I was first learning the MT style of kick was that my leg was often way too tense.

As soon as I received the advice to treat my leg like a loose sock, it started to fall in place for me. So essentially, making the transition from hard and tight, to soft and loose, then eventually to hard and loose was the period that my kicks improved the most.

This was the biggest change for me, throw your leg around like a whip...or nunchuck (I finally get to use this, I loll'd so hard the first time I saw this, someone on here made this amazing piece!):

I also found doing the 'wheel-turn'/'rope-pull' with my arms helped as well, to regain balance after striking.

**Cake of Doom** · Posted On: 7/19/2011 4:49am

Originally Posted by Ignorami

Extra question. My main issue holding back my Thai kicks (which fully suck) is I have no lateral flexibility in my hips. I can swing my legs forwards and backwards, but barely at all side to side.

If I was performing a krotty side kick, the max target height would be their knee.

The result is shoddy kicks that become snap kicks to get any height.

What are the best exercises I could do to get this better at home, where I don't have access to a bag?

We do one at class which just involves lifting the leg out in front, and rotating out and putting it down to the side. Is that it?

Have you tried dynamic stretches? Helped me out loads.

**Ignorami** · Posted On: 7/19/2011 6:38am

Originally Posted by Cake of Doom

Have you tried dynamic stretches? Helped me out loads.

Not sure I really understand what they are.

As I have been variously taught, they used to be the dangerous way to stretch, then it turned out that was ballistic stretching, and dynamic was different. Then ballistic stretching was ok too, then it wasn't.

Do you have some dynamic stretching exercises or links that you'd recommend from your own progress?

**Cake of Doom** · Posted On: 7/19/2011 6:42am

I'll see what i can find.

**Cake of Doom** · Posted On: 7/19/2011 6:53am

http://people.bath.ac.uk/masrjb/Stre...etching_4.html
Dynamic stretching, according to Kurz, "involves moving parts of your body and gradually increasing reach, speed of movement, or both." Do not confuse dynamic stretching with ballistic stretching! Dynamic stretching consists of controlled leg and arm swings that take you (gently!) to the limits of your range of motion. Ballistic stretches involve trying to force a part of the body beyond its range of motion. In dynamic stretches, there are no bounces or "jerky" movements. An example of dynamic stretching would be slow, controlled leg swings, arm swings, or torso twists.

Now i can see why ballistic stretching caused injuries. tl;dr They're basically the same except dynamic is controlled

***WhiteShark*** · Posted On: 7/20/2011 10:07am

Unless someone has an old injury or some biological feature that produces extreme inflexibility. Time would be better spent learning correct mechanics than stretching.

**dwkfym** · Posted On: 7/22/2011 9:31pm

Do both! But I wouldn't do anything more than what you already do pre-workout. Maybe just a bit more emhpasis on splits. I know a lot of guys who get on the split machine only to realize the real cause is just their lack of necessary muscles to pick up their leg and toss a good kick.