| This ten article series will deal with the various | | | | ground. Way to go Hollywood! |
| components that need to be addressed when | | | | The first person you should consult with is your |
| considering the utilization of a particular kick in a | | | | instructor. If he is qualified and competent (you shouldn't |
| combat or self-defense situation. These ten | | | | be with him or her if they aren't) he will be able to fully |
| components can also be used by the tournament | | | | assess your ability and give you his honest and |
| competitor although certain segments would have to | | | | forthright opinion. The next group of people you should |
| be modified slightly for the tournament aspects of | | | | speak with is your senior classmates. They too should |
| kicking, rather than the more intensive nature of using a | | | | be able to give you their assessment of your kicking |
| kick or kicks in combat. Although all of these individual | | | | abilities. |
| components are important, they are most effective | | | | Now after you have spoken with your instructor and |
| when combined together and utilized correctly when | | | | your senior classmates, you can then talk to yourself. |
| executing a kick. | | | | Now I don't recommend doing this in a public place or |
| Although I will only be discussing one of the | | | | your liable to end up getting a visit from the large men |
| components in this article, here is the complete list of all | | | | dressed in white carrying the butterfly net and the |
| ten of them. | | | | canvas jacket with extra long sleeves. What I do |
| 1. Your Kicking Ability | | | | recommend is a private time of self-reflection where |
| 2. Your Intended Application | | | | you can honestly evaluate your own abilities. |
| 3. The Environment | | | | Here is a list of the important items that I feel you need |
| 4. Telegraphing | | | | to look at when considering what level your kicking |
| 5. Striking Implement | | | | ability is at. |
| 6. Striking the Correct Target | | | | 1. Length of time spent learning those kicking skills. |
| 7. Initial Impact | | | | 2. The degree of flexibility that you have in your legs. |
| 8. Impact | | | | 3. The amount of power that you are able to generate |
| 9. Retraction or Follow Through | | | | with your kicks. |
| 10. Return to Fighting Position | | | | 4. Your ability to execute every aspect of those kicks |
| Component One; Your Kicking Ability: | | | | correctly from start to finish. |
| Your kicking ability is just that, your kicking ability. Not | | | | 5. Your own past experiences in actual fights, not |
| your perceived kicking ability, but your actual reality | | | | sparring in the dojo or at a tournament. |
| based kicking ability. This may be a hard pill to swallow, | | | | 6. Your ability to effectively and consistently land a kick |
| but you may not have the ability to utilize all of those | | | | on a training partner anywhere from the waist down |
| flashy spinning and flying kicks effectively in an actual | | | | without them seeing it even after it hits them. |
| self-defense situation. Now the good news, if you can | | | | 7. Your ability to execute that very same kick without |
| realize this and accept it, then you are off to a lot | | | | telegraphing it. |
| better start than most people who like to kick. | | | | 8. Your attitude towards being confronted with a |
| Awareness is the key to survival, and nothing is more | | | | violent situation. |
| important than self-awareness. | | | | 9. Your overall physical condition. |
| Now there are a lot of "self-defense" experts out | | | | 10. Your ability to use your brain intelligently. |
| there than don't advocate kicking at all in a | | | | One of the best training aids that I have ever used and |
| self-defense situation. However, when you do a little | | | | still do is a large full length mirror. I have used a mirror |
| research into why they believe this, most of the time | | | | to train with ever since I first started taking lessons |
| you will find out that they had a bad experience and/or | | | | over 25 years ago. It is without a doubt the most |
| witnessed a bad experience with someone who tried | | | | important piece of training equipment that you can use, |
| kicking and ended up getting the worst end of the | | | | if it is used correctly. What you want to do is to stand |
| beating. This is almost certainly due to a lack of proper | | | | in front of the mirror in a fighting position. Then without |
| knowledge not only of how to kick, but also the who, | | | | thinking about it, execute a kick at your reflection in the |
| what, where, when, and why of correctly applying a | | | | mirror. Now a word of caution, make sure you are |
| kick. Which unfortunately seems to be fairly common | | | | back far enough from the mirror that you aren't going |
| with a lot of the McDojo's that are so prevalent in | | | | to actually hit it. This can not only be dangerous to |
| today's society. These articles will help clear up some | | | | yourself and be very expensive, but you could also |
| if not all of those problems. | | | | end up with seven years of bad luck. If you believe in |
| For as many of the "self-defense" experts that are | | | | that sort of thing. |
| out there that don't advocate kicking, there are many | | | | When you can stand in front of the mirror and |
| more that do, although they recommend that you | | | | execute a kick, or any technique for that matter, |
| should never kick above waist high. For the most part | | | | without telegraphing it then you're starting to make |
| this is very sound and intelligent advice, and should be | | | | some real progress. This is not an easy thing to do, but |
| adhered to for the most part by everyone. However, | | | | you can do it. It just takes a lot of time, hard work, and |
| like every known rule or law, there are exceptions. For | | | | proper instruction. |
| those few individuals out there who are truly gifted in | | | | The next article in this series will deal with the second |
| the art of kicking you can, with careful planning and | | | | of ten components needed to kick effectively in a |
| intelligence, execute kicks to a standing opponents | | | | combat or self-defense situation. That component is, |
| head with amazing results. I know I've done just that on | | | | "Your Intended Kicking Application." |
| numerous occasions. | | | | Shawn Kovacich has been practicing the martial arts |
| Now how do you know just how good you are at | | | | for over 25 years and currently holds the rank of 4th |
| kicking? Well, first and foremost unless you are a truly | | | | degree (Yodan) black belt in both Karate and Tae |
| perceptive and honest person with yourself, you can | | | | Kwon Do. Shawn is the author of the highly acclaimed |
| forget about asking yourself. If you do, you'll probably | | | | Achieving Kicking Excellence (TM) series and can be |
| be able to execute any one of a dozen or more jump | | | | reached via his web site at: Chikara Kan, Inc. |
| spinning kicks taking out as many as two dozen ninja | | | | Be sure and check out Back Kick, volume one in the |
| villains before your feet ever touch back down on the | | | | Achieving Kicking Excellence (TM) series. |