Most Difficult Technique

[MichiganTKD]

I'm curious to know the most difficult technique any of you had to learn, or at least one that gives or gave you a LOT of trouble trying to master it.

I've always had trouble trying to do a jumping back roundhouse. Really a shame too, because it's one of my favorite techniques.

 

[Fortis]

After starting to learn some jumping moves, I still find the basic side kick to be one of the hardest kicks to really master with good clean technique.

 

[Touch Of Death]

After starting to learn some jumping moves, I still find the basic side kick to be one of the hardest kicks to really master with good clean technique.

I think the same can be said for punching as well.

 

[TigerWoman]

For women, anything with the word "jumping" is difficult. Why is that? Something about the whole female structure, more leg strength, not much abdominal. And women have knee and ankle problems. Well, those that make it to the higher belts do of course jump at least a few inches. So, I have found that even if I didn't have a knee problem, I would still have difficulty doing a double front break (instep hits) to two boards at even waist level. Then there is the flying side through two, at chest and head level. Guys can jump and have the height to even have time to kick out. My daughter who was 16 at the time could jump and could do a double fly side but she had trained since ten years old. I had to do fly side through 3 for 1st dan though.

I love tornado round kick, turn toward the back jump round kick. That's how I threw my knee out of joint though at blue belt. Still do it though now but not with wild abandon. 360° jump back is fast and powerful, a regular kick we practice alot in our school. Love to jump, just can't "fly".

But the question is most difficult -- for me jump back through 2 and an immediate reverse jump spin heel to 1 board 2 finger hold on the other leg. Gotta do it and I wish sooner than later.

 

[MichiganTKD]

You know, I have yet to meet a female black belt who hasn't had trouble doing jump techniques. It doesn't matter what age or physical shape they are in. They just don't seem to be able to pull them off well. Likewise, I hardly ever see women doing jumping or flying breaks. I think it has something to do with center of gravity and how the musculoskeletal system is designed for women. Not that inability to jump takes anything away from them. I know lots of guys that can't jump either.
I always wanted to be able to do a double front kick at about 6' in the air. I can picture it mentally but just can't seem to pull it off.

 

[karatekid1975]

I must be a strange female then. I can do jump kicks and flying kicks AND I have bad knees. I do have to be careful on the landing, but I can do them. On certian jumping kicks I can't get much height, like the jumping back kick. But then again, one of my isntructors said that when we do jump kicks, we are going for distance, not height.

Oh and the 360 is my fav also.

 

[Moo D]

Jump Reverse Roundhouse by far is one of the hardest kicks to complete successfully. As for mastering a technique, to do them well would be a big positive, mastery is way too far off for me!!

 

[TigerWoman]

I must be a strange female then. I can do jump kicks and flying kicks AND I have bad knees. I do have to be careful on the landing, but I can do them. On certian jumping kicks I can't get much height, like the jumping back kick. But then again, one of my isntructors said that when we do jump kicks, we are going for distance, not height.

Not any stranger than the rest of us. The women in our school HAVE to jump from yellow belt up. But unless you are in the 20-30 age range it is difficult to train hard to jump ie plyometrics etc. (which we do but inwardly scream) When you advance further, you will need the height ie fly side at chest -up level. Height gives you time for the snap and to do multiple kicks It also gives you the right kicking target range for a bigger person. But if you have bad knees and you are young, you are in my club, save your knees!

 

[karatekid1975]

Not any stranger than the rest of us. The women in our school HAVE to jump from yellow belt up. But unless you are in the 20-30 age range it is difficult to train hard to jump ie plyometrics etc. (which we do but inwardly scream) When you advance further, you will need the height ie fly side at chest -up level. Height gives you time for the snap and to do multiple kicks It also gives you the right kicking target range for a bigger person. But if you have bad knees and you are young, you are in my club, save your knees!

I can do all that WITH bad knees. I am 29. I can do plyometrics. I think I have a pretty good flying side kick for an old fart. I can jump head level. It has nothing to do with age. I also have a bad back. If I can do it, anyone can. I know when to take it easy, but I do push myself to a higher standard in martial arts no matter what it is. I try it, and I try to profect it. I don't let my limitations take over. I overcome them.

 

[MichiganTKD]

I'm 35, and I do jumping techniques better than when I was 25. Of course, I also eat a LOT healthier and take better care of myself than I did when I was young and stupid.
Personally, I try to stay active and involved in showing and doing techniques, because I never want to become a sedentary 50 year old Instructor who is content to have his black belts teach and just puts on a suit and tie to judge once in a while. I have WAY too much energy for that.
I just have to make sure to warm up adequately and stretch before trying jumping or anything strenuous like that, or else I pay the price the next day.

 

[TigerWoman]

I can do all that WITH bad knees. I am 29. I can do plyometrics. I think I have a pretty good flying side kick for an old fart. I can jump head level. It has nothing to do with age. I also have a bad back. If I can do it, anyone can. I know when to take it easy, but I do push myself to a higher standard in martial arts no matter what it is. I try it, and I try to profect it. I don't let my limitations take over. I overcome them.

I would love to be 29 again and it has everything to do with age which you haven't experienced. Its easy to say now at the ripe old age of 29. That's is what I said – jump training is difficult unless you are 20-30 – which you are. When you get older 40-50, your knees will be worse beside everything else. In martial arts, we ALL try to do our best, push ourselves despite our limitations (which we all have) or we wouldn't have gotten to black belt.

Its easy to land one foot in a fly side kick, most blue belts can. But its not easy to jump and kick out to break with 2 feet - l foot at chest and 1 foot at head level to break two individual boards. That was what I was talking about. Its a little different.

Keep up the good work and again protect your knees. Good luck!

 

[elcajon555]

I would agree that the side kick is one of the hardest kicks to master. It has been over 6 years and the side kick still gives me a lot of trouble, wheither it is not having a good foot position or not feeling like I have any power or just feeling clumpsy with it. I would also have to say that step on air spinning technigues like spinning hook and spinning crossing are hard and I have been working on them for a while as well. In fact I think most techigues are really hard and need continous work. In fact a person who has been training for about 10 years was just shown another way to fix his front kick so he will be working on a front kick and that is one of the first kicks you learn. And when I say fix I mean have more power still and a different variant. As for jumping I like jumping and flying, though it is a challenge. During my last pretest we had to do a flying side kick over 6 body shields stacked up. I was the shortest one in the group and that amount of bags comes up to almost my chest, so it does reguire me to jump really high. Well I was jumping for almost a hour because I kept knocking the bags over. Some of the jumps I would knock over because I did not clear them others I cleared them but knocked over the top bag with my back hand or my uniform. And it was around 10 at night. I probably jumped over 50 times and I then had to finish the rest of the test.

 

[Eldritch Knight]

The reverse side kick for sure. Anyone can do it, and it can be one of the best kicks ever (especially when you mix and match with rear round kicks) but perfecting the technique can be a great acheivement.

 

[Moo D]

I can do all that WITH bad knees. I am 29. I can do plyometrics. I think I have a pretty good flying side kick for an old fart. I can jump head level. It has nothing to do with age. I also have a bad back. If I can do it, anyone can. I know when to take it easy, but I do push myself to a higher standard in martial arts no matter what it is. I try it, and I try to profect it. I don't let my limitations take over. I overcome them.

I would say that 29 is not an old fart!!!!

Jump kicks make excellent demonstration kicks and have a difficulty all of their own. Plyometrics helps with gaining height and distance but accuracy and power is the hardest part to achieve.

Regards,

 

[Tae Kwon Doughboy]

Unfortunately the most difficult technique for me is whatever I am learning at the time. I'm one of those technicians who has to understand a technique before I can do it properly. Once I understand it I do it to the best of my ability until it matches my understanding of it. It takes me longer and more practice than most folks, but when I get a technique down it looks as good or better than my classmates. I envy those who are gifted enough to be able do it right on the first try.

My biggest problem in class is that there so much emphasis on speed that I find it difficult to use good technique in class. I practice technique at home and do the best I can at class. I hope eventually I will be able to do good technique at speed in class.

 

[TigerWoman]

Quote Taekwon Doughboy
My biggest problem in class is that there so much emphasis on speed that I find it difficult to use good technique in class. I practice technique at home and do the best I can at class. I hope eventually I will be able to do good technique at speed in class.

You are doing it right. Study the technique first, learn it right, then speed it up. I see too many, for example, doing jump spin heel (hook) wrong. They throw a wheel kick instead usually because of lack of muscle strength. They lose alot of speed and power because of bad technique. A properly executed JSH with a snap hook at the end is a beautiful sight to see ( bad to not see in sparring for the opponent) and is very fast and powerful. Speed will always come with practice. Practice gives strength.

 

[elcajon555]

I agree with time a proper technigue will gain speed, however the verus is not true, meaning if there is speed time will not produce a proper technigues. Do things to get them right not to get them done and fast.

 

[Tae Kwon Doughboy]

Thanks for the response. It's good to know it's not a lost cause!

We have an additional instructor this summer who really takes the time for us to see and feel the technique. She teaches TKD at a local junior college so she is used to working with the lower ranks. We worked with her last night. The funny thing was that we never fell behind the group with the instructor that pushes speed.

I expect I will make alot of progress this summer.

 

[Laborn]

540 spinningkick, very difficult, and the reverse side kick ahh....practice got to love it

 

[Yeti]

Definitely jump spinning hook. I've been trying to perform that kick adequately for two years... :idunno: