Learning to kick can be one of the most rewarding and difficult tasks when beginning your martial arts training. There are several things you must do to execute effective kicking techniques. I spent many years honing my kicking skills by researching, studying and training with some of the best kickers in the world. During my competitive years, I was well known for my lightning fast kicks that were often felt but never seen. I would like to share with you some key points to help you on your way to fast and powerful kicks.

1. Flexibility – This is definitely an important factor when performing kicking techniques. Having a daily routine of different stretches is best to focus on dynamic stretching to start with (leg raises) and using static stretching during and after your workout.

2. Strength – Having the necessary leg and core strength is another important aspect to consider. Squats, lunges, calf raises, hip twists, and muscle-building devices with help in this area.

3. High Knee Chamber – Learning to bring the knee towards the chest before execution is very helpful in concealing which kick you are going to throw, it also provides protection to the midsection and makes kicking to the head region faster and better. efficient. A good exercise is to place both hands on a wall in front of you, then proceed to lift your knee toward your chest area. To get the right alignment picture, he has a coke can on his shoulder and is trying to knock it down with his knee.

4. Hip Twist Drills – This is another great drill to increase the power and speed of your kicks. Stand with your left leg forward, place both feet on the ground, and push your right hip back and forth; start slowly and then increase speed. Sets of 30 to 50 repetitions are best and are repeated on both sides. If you do it correctly, you should feel tension and even stitches in your midsection as you do this exercise.

5. Concealing the kick with your hands: Using hand techniques is a great way to confuse and/or hide your kick from your opponent. Personally, I like to use my lead hand as a shield by blocking my opponent’s field of vision before executing the kick. Another good method is to hit them with your hands and when they cover you can have time to use more advanced kicking techniques.

6. Try to keep your body upright – Depending on the tournament rules, many coaches/competitors have different opinions on this method and some like to move their body away from the kick. I personally prefer the vertical method as it allows me to kick an opponent at close range and also gives me the ability to follow up with other techniques such as punches, kicks, throws and takedowns quickly and effectively. How I practice this skill is using a heavy bag or sparring partner and the idea is to practice kicking at a longer distance from the target and then gradually move closer while trying to maintain an upright position. Flexibility, high knee chamber and hip twisting exercises will help achieve good results.

7. Practice slow kicking drills – This is also a great drill for improving strength and accuracy. Use a 10 count system starting from your left leg forward position and kicking slowly with the 10th count with the kick at full extension (hold the kick for at least 10 to 60 seconds). Repeat 5 times on each leg. I practice this drill using front, side and roundhouse kicks.

8. Ankle Weight Training – Using ankle supports is good if you need more resistance when performing the slow kick exercise above. Do not perform quick kicks with ankle weights, as this will upset your balance and cause injury.

9. Bungy Training – This training aid is great for building power and speed. Attach a bungee cord to both legs and practice your kicking techniques at a medium to fast pace. Repetitions of 10 – 20 each leg with 3 series.

10. Speed ​​kick drills – There are many different ways to practice speed kicks. My two most popular methods are using forearm pads/kick pads and doing pyramid training (Multiple kicks of the same leg – 1, 2, 3, 4, 4, 3, 2, 1 or 1 – 10 10 – 1 or 100 kicks in a row) repeating these exercises usually 3-4 sets, and my other favorite is using the flapper pads. This is a time trial exercise where you kick the pad as many times as you can in a specified time. I usually start with 3 1 minute rounds and then build up to 3 3 minute rounds. (30 second rest intervals)

11. Focus Pads – Used to improve timing, reaction and distance skills when kicking. Your partner will have 2 focus pads and they will both move like they are training, your partner will randomly reveal the focus pad in either hand and you have to kick the pad as fast as you can. 3 rounds of 3 minutes with 30 second breaks.

12. Heavy Bag – This is where you work to develop more power into your kicks. Make sure the bag is heavy enough so that when you kick it, it has little to no movement. This will help condition the hitting area and give you more power in your kick. It also helps as a good exercise routine. Rounds of 3 x 3 minutes.

13. Repetition – The secret to success – practice, practice and more practice. The key to most things in life.

Please note that this is a basic template on some of the methods that have earned me a reputation as one of the best kickers in the country. There are many other exercises and training techniques that you can use to achieve similar results. If you would like more information on this topic, please do not hesitate to contact me if you would like more information.