How To Improve Your Kicking Technique And Ability
By
Dr. Dennis McCain
Taekwondo is known for its high and powerful kicking. It has always been a challenge to me to coordinate and balance the following concepts: to accelerate the speed of each kick, maintain its correct position and angle, produce the desired power for breaking, and display control and flexibility. To achieve each of these areas in each of the varying kicking techniques, and in the patterns, is an adventure for each of us. What is the best way to move steadily toward this goal? The following are important areas to the serious student:
1The
choice to follow the explicit kicking techniques and teaching provided by your
Instructor, 2the personal desire to achieve these goals by hard work, 3and continued applications of these techniques during class, floor
exercises and sparring sessions.
Each student who really wants to learn must choose to trust his/her instructor
to teach correctly and follow that teaching to its desired end.
Your Instructor will "harp" on foot and knee position, angle of
attack, and many other important areas. Follow
that instruction, even if you do not fully understand the end result.
There will be a day when, after continued practice and obedience to your
Instructor, "suddenly" you will see the difference and reason!
Secondly, work hard to achieve your goals. While holding on to a rail or chair for balance, perform each
kick 25 times while looking in a mirror. Repeat
the drill using kicking combinations (hook kick - round kick, etc.), be at every
class to workout with other students, and be attentive.
Desired improvement, coupled with hard work, will produce results.
Never be satisfied. Strive
for excellence in your life. Your
life and time are important to God and should be used wisely.
Thirdly, develop your techniques during floor exercises and sparring.
Work hard to duplicate the technique being taught by your Instructor, and then
work in cooperation with your sparring partner to develop your kicking
combinations.
