Question for TKD guys (and gals)

[Laura]

I'm trying to learn the basic turn kick. Frankly, I stink. I keep getting dizzy in the process, maybe I'm doing it wrong -- but it looks awful. Anyone else go through this when they first learned? How do you master the perfect turn kick?

[Piston]

My advice for a technically good turning kick is get yourself a chair, about hip height should do. As you bring your kicking leg up bring it over the chair and kick out, whilst at the same time moving your foot on the floor to be pointing almost directly behind you. The foot on the floor part will feel odd to start with, but it soon becomes second nature for all your kicks. When you start out on this exercise, make a definition between the lifting and kicking parts, and then as you get better mold them together. You may want to start with one hand on the wall behind you if you have trouble with balance.

[Hardball]

I had mega problems with the turning (err, roundhouse kick). I agree with the chair idea except I was taught to hold the chair for support and work on the pivot for the base (non-kicking) foot. Next up is your hip flexibility. You need tremendous flexibility in your hips. You may need to start a hip stretching routine which includes daily hip rotations.

[GranFire]

Uhm are we talking about the same kick?

The back leg round(house) you can practice some parts by leaning i=on the wall and just work on the mechanics of the kick, like pointing the knee at your target, foot position. done at a lower speed it will also strengthen the muscles needed. The you can kick over the chair or imaginary box...


However, the dizzy making kick I thought Laura was talking about is a back leg spin kick. If you do a lot, you get dizzy, do 5 on one side, 5 on the other leg.

At first you have to do them kinda slow to get the mechanics, but they are easier when you get past that stage and can add some speed.

Same applies as to regular kicks:

Look at your target
Pivot on the leg you are standing on
chamber the leg you kick with.


And give yourself permission to stink at it. it's part of the learning curve. I hope you have the same experience I had as green belt: A new white belt came up to me, after I had stumbled my way through class, learning hook kicks and feeling so clumsy "Where you as uncoordinated when you started as I am?" wondering what she had watched, I realized, that with getting better, my expectations had risen also.


when you work on a bag, find one spot, about hip high to target with your kick. depending on the misses you can adjust what you are doing, rotation aim etc...

[Laura]

Thanks for the advice guys - I should have thought about the chair, after all, if it was good enough for Jack La Lanne, it should work for martial arts too...

[GranFire]

GIVE HER THE CHAIR!!!!


LOL, good times... kicking over the chair!

[Tom Yum]

With all your kicks, you want to stretch them out over a chair in the extension position. It'll help you work on balance and improve your high kicking flexibility...



...but hell I said it, I'm a guy and a Republican so it must be wrong

[Tom Yum]

GIVE HER THE CHAIR!!!! LOL, good times... kicking over the chair!

I like your no bs style

[dodgeduckdodge]

I'm trying to learn the basic turn kick. Frankly, I stink. I keep getting dizzy in the process, maybe I'm doing it wrong -- but it looks awful. Anyone else go through this when they first learned? How do you master the perfect turn kick?

Find someone who is good at it, and copy.

Alcohol

[back kick]

Hey guys new here .... Pivot the standing foot I can not say how many times this has been drilled into my head without the pivot you will not have a good kick and if you do it to much you will damage your knee

[GranFire]

Muahahaha, had to do a spin sidekick Friday night to break boards. Took me three trials to break the blue plastic board...but I managed!