How many of your guys chamber your roundhouse kick?

[Fled]

And by chambering i mean bringing your heel to your butt (maybe not that far) before blasting the opponent/pad/bag.

I've been studying alot of the great K1 highlights, and alot of those guys will chamber, especially head shots that result in KO's. My trainer/Sifu gives me the "what works for you" schpeel, but he did say when speed is of the essence, you can chamber, but that a "real" thai kick, your kick "follows the natrual curve of the leg" ....which i take to mean little to no chambering, and using the leg like a club, and letting the "step in" and the hips to all the work.

I want to hear some experiences, pro's and cons. Good? Bad? Speed VS Poerr VS bad form?

Ive searched, and read previous threads dealing with kick angles and "how to's" One guy said no snapping motion, but is chambering (pointing with the knee then blasting with the shin) the same as snapping? This is not a "how do I kick" post...its more of a "how do YOU kick (most commonly), and why?"

Thank you all.

[Nips]

Hmmm... well, in Kyokushin it's all about the chamber. I belive it's harder to read in the initial stages, as well as being easier to fake people and change course (Eg - if as you're bringing your leg around to crack some ribs you see them pick up on it early and get a guard up, it's easier to switch to the head).

These are pretty general comments, having never studied Muay Thai. I won't ever chamber my leg kicks ofcourse (does anyone?), but I definately chamber anything higher.

[drummermorkul]

I would think you'd be able to read the chambering well. Why not announce, "Hey I'm going to kick you now". I chambered a little before I learned how to kick right, needless to say I got checked.

[Troll Virus]

If you're generally interested in 'chambering'. I'd reccomend running searches on Bill 'Superfoot' Wallace.

[slayer31]

i am interested to see who you are talkign about when studying the k1 fight in regard to who was chambering their kicks.... watch a peter aerts highlight then get back to me. i think that simply its the 45 degree angle step (say if you were ortho right foot back... and your doin your right roundhouse, step with the left at 45 and get up on your toes... you know blah blah blah.... but when it comes to chambering it is not needed. there should be no snapping involved. use the comign up on your toes with the turning over of the hip and eventual rotation of the body to really bring it. i like to think of it as my hip comes first, then my knee, all the while my relaxed lower leg is going to whip out and try and kick alllllll the way through the target. the impact and balance will help you to retrieve your leg to your stance. just how i do things.

[Little Apple]

Can't say much about common techinques in K1 personally, but I was taught not to chamber, as that is not a "Thai kick." I would also say that "chambering" and "snapping" are the same, if I understand you.

[Fled]

Well the K1 Highlights im referring to are

Alexey Ignashov "Red Scorpion" - Time: 6:37 (looks pretty chambered to me)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JetiCEDpM-Q

Peter Aerts - Time: 4:03.. its a damned solid kick with what seems to be excellent form but if you're quick and you freeze it just at the end of 4:03, you see his kick is pretty chambered as well. To me at least.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XfmyC4drYuA

Im aware that chambering is not a "real" thai kick, but after watching so many chambered kicks resulting in KO's I had to wonder if there was something i was missing. Im a big Buakaw fan, so I try to emulate his kick form seen here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Q4IMbeALc8

[Piston]

Ignashov's kick looks like it comes from the knee in a not so MT style, haven't had a chance to watch the rest.

Chambering is useful in that it readies your next kick giving you great speed of delivery. I like to use it against guys who like to use their hands a lot. If you know what you're doing with it you can literally throw any kick you like from a chamber (with the excpetion of MT style roundhouses etc.). Its also very hard to side step a chamber. However you will need to look out for, big time, the leg kick, someone hits you with one whilst you're in a chamber and you'll be kissing canvas and not looking too clever.

*Edit* Just watched the Aerts video, plenty of chambering there. Also I dig Ignashov's knees just seems to throw em willy nilly from anywhere to great effect.

[slayer31]

i must be missunderstanding the exact definition of "chambering" your kick... can you clarify once and for all? i think some of us are missin it. but i told you... Aerts had the deadliest kicks man doesnt he...

[Hardball]

I use a TKD roundhouse and yes I chamber it and I also whip it at the last minute. ( Back leg roundhouse)

[kuk sool won]

I Chamber, it just contains so much more power. I try not to define my chamber too much as it gives away my target though. As said earlier once you've chambered you have a split second where you can change your target without lose any power and can be great for picking off an opponent.

[Fled]

i must be missunderstanding the exact definition of "chambering" your kick... can you clarify once and for all? i think some of us are missin it. but i told you... Aerts had the deadliest kicks man doesnt he...

When i say chamber, I mean anything more than a 90 degree bend in the knee of the kicking leg. Does your calf touch your hamstring when you raise your leg to kick? If so you chamber your kick. Thats about as best as I can explain it.

[slayer31]

haha good enough for me... then the answer is yes... that is what i was trying to explain when iw as talking about the lower part of my leg being relaxed.... when my hip is turning over it is relaxed but in a "chambered postition" if you will.

[Fled]

Thanks for all the replies, there does seem to be more bang in a chambered kick, and its interesting how slayer31 explains that even though his kick is chambered, theres no snap, its just relaxed and comes around when the hip turns over. I'll play around with it on the bag over the weekend and see what gives.

Its amazing how a kick that looks so simple can take quite a bit of finesse and application to perfect.

[gaijinu]

We never learn to chamber in muay thai, as someone pointed out, it's not muay thai kick. I don't think chambering contains much more power... Have you watched National Geographic's documentary? http://youtube.com/watch?v=8dDOvPZEXwc
They say the muay thai kicks are the most powerful.