Brainstorming Mobility Training

[Orange Lightning]

Well, in terms of kicking, remember that generally the higher your knee, the higher the kick will end up being. I practice 'knee-raises' bringing the knee to my shoulder ten times per side everyday. As fast as you raise the knee, you should return it to where it started just as fast without dropping it or losing control. I have found that to help me quite a bit, especially to get my kicks higher.

In terms of having greater mobility, I have found that being on the balls of the feet works quite well. In kendo, the lead foot's heel is raised high, while the back foot's heel is raised just enough to slip a piece of paper under it. I have found this great because it allows me to move quit nimbly. Keep in mind that the less surface area in contact with the ground, generally the more freely is one is able to move. I liken it to a ball on the ground- it moves freely because it keeps only one point of contact with the ground.

This is what works for me and I hope it gives some food for thought, but I encourage you to experiment until you find what works best for you.

Sorry. Missed this post somehow.
I like that knee raising idea.
For the most part, I agree that movement is generally quicker the less foot you have on the ground. But for kicking off my front foot, maybe it's just my imagination, but I could swear it helps to have it my foot just barely off the ground. That way, I can throw my foot off the ground with my calve. I don't know though. Could be my imagination. It might just feel faster or harder. It's probably a lot more telegraphed.
I am indeed still experimenting with footwork. Although I move around a lot, I'm not very springy. Not sure if that's an advantage or a problem with my method. Good advice though.

 

[Touch Of Death]

Hmm.....While I don't doubt the quality of them, I do plenty of footwork stuff already. I mostly just trying to strengthen the muscles that do the footwork (quads, hams, calves, core, and those little muscles in your feet), while vaguely simulating elements of footwork like balance and motion.
In other words, I'd like to be able to throw myself a little farther with my footwork, or be able to put my foot down a faster. Do you know any footwork drills like that?

Benny the Jet has some great foot work. Watch as much as you can on the Youtube.

 

[Touch Of Death]

Sorry. Missed this post somehow.
I like that knee raising idea.
For the most part, I agree that movement is generally quicker the less foot you have on the ground. But for kicking off my front foot, maybe it's just my imagination, but I could swear it helps to have it my foot just barely off the ground. That way, I can throw my foot off the ground with my calve. I don't know though. Could be my imagination. It might just feel faster or harder. It's probably a lot more telegraphed.
I am indeed still experimenting with footwork. Although I move around a lot, I'm not very springy. Not sure if that's an advantage or a problem with my method. Good advice though.

I wanna give you the opposite advice. Forget your knee, and pick up your heel to kick, like you are tucking your leg; then, point with the knee, and fire.

 

[Punchy]

To learn how to kick fast, kick slow.
If you always practice fast, it is easy to overlook flaws in your technique, plus movements tend to be kind of jerky and tense.
By practicing slowly you will develop good technique and a smoothness to your movement that will translate into speed.

Try this experiment. Kick high and fast, say face height.....now do the exact same kick, only this time s l o w l y.
Much tougher isn't it? The first time you are using muscle plus momentum, while the second time you are training the muscles used in kicking without the aid of momentum.

 

[Touch Of Death]

To learn how to kick fast, kick slow.
If you always practice fast, it is easy to overlook flaws in your technique, plus movements tend to be kind of jerky and tense.
By practicing slowly you will develop good technique and a smoothness to your movement that will translate into speed.

Try this experiment. Kick high and fast, say face height.....now do the exact same kick, only this time s l o w l y.
Much tougher isn't it? The first time you are using muscle plus momentum, while the second time you are training the muscles used in kicking without the aid of momentum.

And also stresses your body in ways it would never be stressed otherwise.

 

[Kung Fu Wang]

to improve the quickness of my general movement.

This footwork drill can be helpful.

 

[Orange Lightning]

To learn how to kick fast, kick slow.
If you always practice fast, it is easy to overlook flaws in your technique, plus movements tend to be kind of jerky and tense.
By practicing slowly you will develop good technique and a smoothness to your movement that will translate into speed.

Try this experiment. Kick high and fast, say face height.....now do the exact same kick, only this time s l o w l y.
Much tougher isn't it? The first time you are using muscle plus momentum, while the second time you are training the muscles used in kicking without the aid of momentum.

I never thought about trying it that way. I do that...kind of already. Not quite the same. I'll definitely try this.

 

[Orange Lightning]

This footwork drill can be helpful.

I do this sort of stuff all the time. It's awesome.

 

[Orange Lightning]

I wanna give you the opposite advice. Forget your knee, and pick up your heel to kick, like you are tucking your leg; then, point with the knee, and fire.

I think I get what you're saying, but I'm not sure.
I was taught to bring up my knee the same way for every kick so that the opponent wouldn't know what kick is coming. I only recently got good enough at the kicks to where I could kick in 3 different ways from the same point. Before that it had to look a little different or I couldn't execute the kick effectively. (It was a flexibility and leg strength thing).
What you're saying sounds a bit like a stop hit. Starting to point my kick at my target before it chambers to strike, ends up being faster but not as powerful? Do you have a visual demonstration?

 

[Orange Lightning]

Benny the Jet has some great foot work. Watch as much as you can on the Youtube.

I'll look him up when I have better bandwidth.
I was watching this boxing video the other day with Manny Pacquiao. His footwork is inspiring.

 

[Touch Of Death]

I think I get what you're saying, but I'm not sure.
I was taught to bring up my knee the same way for every kick so that the opponent wouldn't know what kick is coming. I only recently got good enough at the kicks to where I could kick in 3 different ways from the same point. Before that it had to look a little different or I couldn't execute the kick effectively. (It was a flexibility and leg strength thing).
What you're saying sounds a bit like a stop hit. Starting to point my kick at my target before it chambers to strike, ends up being faster but not as powerful? Do you have a visual demonstration?

Ah, I was going to say kick with the like you are kicking with the knee, to be faster, but if you stick your knee on your chest, first, none of that can happen.

 

[Orange Lightning]

Ah, I was going to say kick with the like you are kicking with the knee, to be faster, but if you stick your knee on your chest, first, none of that can happen.

Again, I think I get what you're saying. No chambering. Just kick as if my knee is my toe....yeah.
Do you know who Bill Wallace is? People called him Superfoot. This concept of bringing up your knee before every kick is his method. He retired undefeated from Full Contact Karate tournaments, and he was famous for this method. I figured it was a good one and started trying to do kicks with his method, but I lack the flexibility for it. Plus, I got too focused on form when I was trying. Because of flexibility differences, I kick slightly differently with my left leg than with my right. So I kind of ended up gimping my right leg for a while, because it didn't get the same intensity of training that my right did.
Actually, that's probably what brought this whole thread on. I started focusing on my hands more because I didn't like my kicking too much, and eventually started looking at alternative methods of throwing the same kicks.

 

[Touch Of Death]

Again, I think I get what you're saying. No chambering. Just kick as if my knee is my toe....yeah.
Do you know who Bill Wallace is? People called him Superfoot. This concept of bringing up your knee before every kick is his method. He retired undefeated from Full Contact Karate tournaments, and he was famous for this method. I figured it was a good one and started trying to do kicks with his method, but I lack the flexibility for it. Plus, I got too focused on form when I was trying. Because of flexibility differences, I kick slightly differently with my left leg than with my right. So I kind of ended up gimping my right leg for a while, because it didn't get the same intensity of training that my right did.
Actually, that's probably what brought this whole thread on. I started focusing on my hands more because I didn't like my kicking too much, and eventually started looking at alternative methods of throwing the same kicks.

Remember, being undefeated in the ring, is not the same as defending yourself in the real world.

 

[Orange Lightning]

Agreed. Took me a while to realize that. Not to discount the badassery of Bill Wallace though. I bet he would do just fine on the street.
I read my comment and I see now it must have read. I wasn't trying to make a point at all. It was just a tidbit of my training history.

 

[Touch Of Death]

Agreed. Took me a while to realize that. Not to discount the badassery of Bill Wallace though. I bet he would do just fine on the street.
I read my comment and I see now it must have read. I wasn't trying to make a point at all. It was just a tidbit of my training history.

Putting your knee on your chest might be good for a duel, of sorts, but when you add other people, it is you standing on one leg like Ralph Machio.

 

[drop bear]

Remember, being undefeated in the ring, is not the same as defending yourself in the real world.

It is harder. Less stupid risky.

 

[Diagen]

Hello! I am super new to this site and this is something that's been rolling around in my head for a while, so I wonder if anyone can assist me.
I am looking to improve the quickness of my general movement. Not strikes, not running speed, not power. I'm looking too, for example, have quicker footwork, slips, and blocks.
Or, for another example, not so much the speed of the kick, but the time it takes for me to bring my foot up, kick, and put it back. Obviously, I could just do a lot of kicking stuff and I would improve. But I'm used to that and I feel like I'm not advancing as quickly as I should. so I want things like.... ladder steps.

And I don't mean just for kicking. Any general movement, primarily for defensive purposes.

So far I've come up with some normal exercises that will improve this, but I'm mostly looking at unconventional stuff. I ended up doing something that was basically the "running man" dance move to try to speed up how long it takes for me to bring up my feet for kicks, before I realized what I was doing and I just laughed at myself.

Check out the kneesovertoesguy youtube. His 7 Mobility Checklist video is great, the exercises in that and How to Become a World-Class Athlete are pretty critical. Your speed will improve.