Punch or Kick

[terryl965]

In your TkF is it more about the punches or the kicks? If it is about the hands what techniques are you using to improve the hands and if it is about the kicks is it more for SD or the sport. I mean do you really consider your training to be more flashy kick like jumping and spinning or more leg kicks and below the waist.

 

[Twin Fist]

we practice high kicks to learn balance and co-ordination

in SD, we never kick higher than the bladder.

 

[Deaf Smith]

Terry,

Since my views are 100%/100% (that is you should be able to use only hands or feet or both to defend your self you will see lots of training methods for both with me and when I teach the class (which is quite often now.)

Now I'm real orientated on self defense. So my training mirrors that. BUT, we do use high kicks but it's not an end in itself.

Now for training...

Reguardless if it's hands or feet we spend time on doing the basics right, then speeding them up, then slowing back down (to check correct technique.) Slow, fast, slow, fast, slow... and then we add compelxity. From single puches to single blocks to combinations of punch/block, to blocks and multi-punchs. Not only using the slow/fast/slow technique to teach it but adding different angles and heights. Yes low, medium, high and angles (like doing backfist or tiger paws, or bolos, or bear paws, or... plain strait puches and reverses.) Add blocks. Add one timing. Add side steps, add slides and shuffles, add... well you can see it can get real complex with just hand methods.

And then the feet. Same ideas as for teaching. Slow/fast/slow. Combinations, angles, footwork.

Alot of the footwork is the same for hands and feet, so one one starts figuring it out for one, it helps the other.

Slow to fast, near to far, large target to small, still to moving. And all take time and lots of sweat! None of it is easy, none of it is quick to learn, but then Musashi said nothing is easy at first!

Deaf

 

[terryl965]

How do you feel about high kicks for SD Deaf Smith, I mean we teach them on a regular bases but for SD we tend to tell the students to use more lower and powerful kicks.

 

[Deaf Smith]

It depends on the student Terry. People with short legs... hahaha that actually includes me, will find high kicking not advisable as to score a hit will put you so close, doing a high kick, you can just punch the guy!

But, for those with long legs, are flexable, and fast, yes I can see high kicking as a valid technique that gives them options. I know several who are lightning fast with their legs and can kick hard at head level.

So it depends on the student and their capabilities.

What I won't do is force all students to do high kicks no matter what. They may get extra points for good high kicks, but that's it. Those that can't kick high overcome that by specializing on low-medium hight kicks and even better hand techniques. And yes, one can get extra points of outstanding hand techniques.

Say, did you know how Bruce Lee felt about hands .vs. feet? It's pretty interesting what he wrote.

Deaf

 

[BrandonLucas]

It depends on the student Terry. People with short legs... hahaha that actually includes me, will find high kicking not advisable as to score a hit will put you so close, doing a high kick, you can just punch the guy!

But, for those with long legs, are flexable, and fast, yes I can see high kicking as a valid technique that gives them options. I know several who are lightning fast with their legs and can kick hard at head level.

So it depends on the student and their capabilities.

What I won't do is force all students to do high kicks no matter what. They may get extra points for good high kicks, but that's it. Those that can't kick high overcome that by specializing on low-medium hight kicks and even better hand techniques. And yes, one can get extra points of outstanding hand techniques.

Say, did you know how Bruce Lee felt about hands .vs. feet? It's pretty interesting what he wrote.

Deaf

To me, that's the key. It doesn't hurt to teach the higher kicks, especially for coordination and flexibility, but just because the kicks are taught doesn't mean that they have to be used constantly. And it certainly does depend on each student's capabilities. I think that should be what all arts focus on: the specific student, not the students in general.

You can give 2 different people the same set of tools to perform the same task, and they may achieve the task using different tools, but end up with the same result.

 

[Manny]

I like to kick midsection of the body, cause I can kick hard, kicking to head level is dificult to me and my kicks are not so good. I like my training more SD or street oriented so even I like to kick low, I like to grab and do takedowns and arm/eñbow/wrist locks. Punches?? i lke them to the midsection and to the head/face/neck area.

Don't know, some times I think I'am more karateka than taekwondoing but remeber I was taught TKD the old way.

Manny

 

[level7]

If its for SD, practice the techniques that will down your attacker quickly. You don't need to get fancy. A shot to the side of the knee or groin will do the job. Close in, a shot to the throat or stomach, elbow to the face/jaw/neck/ribs will buy you some time. These things you can't do in sparring. For a sneak attack it will be your reflex that will most likey save you. One Step training will provide competentecy here (will an attacker really come at me with a forward punch?! I think it is too structured).

For sport you have time to think/plan your method and deployment, hence the heavy kicking. Will you use this in a street fight, maybe, so there is crossover benefit there.

That's how it looks like to me after getting exposure to this art. We're training for two different aspects so I think you'll need to be proficient in both areas, "fancy" kicks for sparring and hard core bringem' down quickly moves.