# Problem kicking in air



## donna (Dec 5, 2006)

I have a real problem doing kicking drills in the air. I cant get any height and it hurts my hips(especially the roundhouse kicks). I have no problem when I have a target to hit, like the heavy bag or dummy, but I just cant seem to relax my hips enough when I have no target. Has anyone any ideas how I can improove this?


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## terryl965 (Dec 5, 2006)

Sometines Donna people tend to tense up when they do not have atarget to kick, one way to help iss make an imaginary target and make that your vital point of attack this will help keeping your body relax.


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## MA-Caver (Dec 5, 2006)

Exactly, just imagine that invisible ninja getting ready to kill you (slowly) and kick the crap out of 'im.  
Basically air-kicks are good for keeping your lower-body limber and supple. It's almost like swimming to help tone your muscles. You're basically kicking air anyway until you connect with your target. It also helps with speed and if you do it right... looks cool in the mirror!  
Your school should have Bobs and Wavemasters that you can practice on, so when you feel the need to hit/kick something there's that.


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## Kacey (Dec 5, 2006)

It's a lot easier to kick a target than air; it's also a lot easier to hurt yourself.  Practice performing your kicks low and slow, as technically correctly as you can, and then slowly increase your speed and your height.  This will increase your strength, flexibility, and balance and improve your kicks in the bargain.  Let us know how it goes!


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## exile (Dec 5, 2006)

Kacey said:


> It's a lot easier to kick a target than air; it's also a lot easier to hurt yourself.  Practice performing your kicks low and slow, as technically correctly as you can, and then slowly increase your speed and your height.  This will increase your strength, flexibility, and balance and improve your kicks in the bargain.  Let us know how it goes!



These are good points, and especially the emphasis on _slow_ kicking. My own little formula for kicking practice is: kick air to develop balance skills, kick bags (especially hanging heavy bags) to develop power, kick focu mitts (working with a partner) to develop accuracy. It's hard to develop power just kicking the air, because contact with a resisting target is criticial to measure just how much force you're delivering; the flip side is that it's harder to develop balance skills with a bag, because contact with the bag can save you from tipping over when your balance isn't perfect, whereas when you kick the bag, you basically are in good balance or you do a pratfall, one or the other. And going slow on an air kick really stresses your balance skills to the limit. If you do them so that you are in perfect balance throughout the arc of each kick---so that you could freeze at an arbitrary point and hold that position in excellent form for ten seconds, say---you wil find your kicking will go through the roof in quality. That's a hard place to get to---I think of it as evidence of a real master---but it's a very productive goal to aim at, I think.

Echoing Kacey again: good luck, and keep us posted!


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## KempoFlow (Dec 5, 2006)

I have the exact opposite problem.  I can't kick the bag to save my life.


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## Touch Of Death (Dec 5, 2006)

donna said:


> I have a real problem doing kicking drills in the air. I cant get any height and it hurts my hips(especially the roundhouse kicks). I have no problem when I have a target to hit, like the heavy bag or dummy, but I just cant seem to relax my hips enough when I have no target. Has anyone any ideas how I can improove this?


The thing of it is, you feel pain because your hips werent made to kick in that manner. 
Sean


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## ArmorOfGod (Dec 5, 2006)

Go back and read what Kacey wrote.  I agree completely.

One thing that helped me with this same problem is I would hold onto a chair and do my kicks low and slow--very slow.  Then gradually raise the height, but still go slow.

AoG


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## zDom (Dec 6, 2006)

ArmorOfGod said:


> One thing that helped me with this same problem is I would hold onto a chair and do my kicks low and slow--very slow.  Then gradually raise the height, but still go slow.
> 
> AoG



A variation on this: hold the kick at the fully-extended position, going for perfect form/position, and try to raise it an inch higher and for 30 seconds.

Buncha great advice above in this thread! Read and heed!


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## Shotochem (Dec 6, 2006)

KempoFlow said:


> I have the exact opposite problem. I can't kick the bag to save my life.


 
Don't aim to hit the bag.  Hit through the bag with your target being behind the bag or the person holding the bag.  The bag is merely in front of what you want to hit.  Focus, intent & penetration.


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## Robert Lee (Dec 6, 2006)

Spend a good time streching as you need to be flexable for kicking. Now kicking air first you want to never through full power kicks in the air they can be fast but stop them just short of full extension or you will regret it a few years later. Bags pads and such lets you see a target You strike through that target. For power. You focus say 6 inches beyond impact point. Air you have to use your minds eye to strike the area high or low that you are shooting for. Far as hurting your hip. Agin strech. loosen up Pivot you supporting leg/foot to adjust you body for the kick. Try practicing a rear leg kick to achive proper motion then if you through the lean leg you through it simular as the rear leg just a short motion. Might go to your bag throw some slow kicks just touching the bag look at your perormance and then try the same in the air Remember hold the power and stop the kicks just short of full extension.


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## The Kidd (Dec 6, 2006)

All great advice, my only 2 cents worth would be on your round roll your hip a little more over, sometimes when we kick in the air we dont follow thru not with our leg but our hips when we are kicking a target we more naturally do it.


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## donna (Dec 6, 2006)

Thanks for the help, a lot of good ideas there I can use.


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