This seems like a lot of nonsense.
Much in life, and in the mistakes we make are nonsense.
If you were able to effect such a "block" or negation of your own kick in this manner then there is no way in hell you were executing this kick with anything like full power or speed
You are correct, I was throwing it about half speed, but with enough power behind the technique that he and I both concur had I even knicked him, his jaw would have shattered.
The real aim of my kick was to startle him to kick it up a notch and give a lesson what we were doing is actually serious, not to actually make direct contact. However, I was willing to allow that kind of contact to him, because based upon his own proclaimed reputation and claim of speed, I was fairly certain he could have dodged such a telegraphed kick.
Therefore there was no need to carry out such a clumsy block of your own kick. If you suffered such damage as a result in self-blocking such a weak and slow kick then you must be seriously prone to injury.
I would lot say the block was clumsy, just reliant on brute force, and less on technique. It was also less of a block, and more of a strike to my own limb. And ah, at one of the dojos I was fortunate to be allowed to train in, it was expected to break a one inch thick cinderblock be you adult or child. By the time of 3rd dan, 3 concrete slabs stacked on top of each other without spacing was required by both a side kick and a palm strike or elbow. 3 years ago I was able to break 3 cinderblocks, and even to this day am comfortable blocking a roundhouse kick with a heavy palm from even WTF practitioners. Though ah, I tend to still have to brace for any Muai Thai kicks.
That being said, means I was more than comfortable that I could outpunch my kick, given that the kick wasn't going full speed or power.
Are you saying you threw a full speed, full power kick that you would not have been able to "pull" or redirect but in the split second you realised it would connect and after your knee was chambered you were able to block this and arrest its motion with your own hand? And that the damage done was to your foot?
No, I threw between 40-50% of what my actual speed is capable of, and my hands are much faster than my legs. For example in the 1 second where I can on average throw 5-6 solid punches, I can only do 2-3 solid kicks. The kick I threw was a Silat roundhouse, initiated with a swing, but with the leg bent so that upon maximum extent I would make contact between the instep and lower shin.
I demonstrate this occasionally, but it is a difficult for many to actually perfect. Too many are afraid to test this against the wall lol. There is an ability to make contact with a strike in such a way that the kinetic energy of the strike transfers, and if one is fast enough, the kinetic energy will not have a chance to return, either because it disperses, or you moved faster than the initial acceleration of the kinetic force, which while interacting with a different material will either slow down, or less likely speed up.
If you punch say, a wall, physics mandates that energy be returned in equal force, the difference for us is that because we channel and focus our striking power this automatically causes our strikes to penetrate the surface. However, in martial arts we are sometimes taught how to strike and cause the kinetic energy in our strikes to internally enter the persons body through this principle. This is how some practitioners can strike you in the stomach, and you can feel it in the shoulder. Or in my case, with a heavybag they will feel it in their spine. If you strike and make the barest contact possible, say at 5 miles per hour, and can cause the internal energy of your external strike to extend say 1-2 inches, then pull the hand which made contact back at a speed greater than contact made, if done correctly the kinetic energy stays in the limb or structure that was made contact with. In Hapkido and live hands, this type of strike usually takes the path of least resistance and travels through your nerves, and hence why hapkido strikes can numb where they hit, or worse.
When I struck my foot, I did a sloppy version of that. Additionally, I've spent... years conditioning my knuckles against wood, concrete and nowadays cement and trees. My poor instep hasn't quite caught up to that conditioning.
Other examples of this can be seen when people do a successful side fall, dispersing the weight and spreading the contact. Another would be when thrown from a vehicle and shoulder roll. All it is manipulating the flow of kinetic energy either by directing it with penetration, or by transference. That last type of mechanic for striking is what I've found to be the general safest.
Unless you are of super-ability (and your youtube link (while showing some ok tech in itself purely from some kicking aspects (sorry, some of the ok tech comment should be re your training partner)) makes it hard to believe this) you are out of touch with reality, even your own reality, if that is possible.
Super ability. I get a lot of people saying things along those lines. I doubt I am any different than any other martial art on this board, outside of our unique experiences. I think a lot of martial artists on this board forget that in many ways they are also superhuman, given that you consider what we do to be beyond normal human limits, and some people do take their arts to that degree.
Anyone who can successfully do a snapping punch and break the sound barrier, I would say is superhuman. The giftedman who because of incredible spatial awareness can tell where anything aimed at him will be, and can thus cut even pellets midair, is superhuman. The man who through meditation was able to hike everest in shorts was superhuman. Ip man, jumping from roof to roof in pursuit of a man ended up having the door slammed on him to a top level staircase by the robber, and instead of falling down, he controlled his balance, leaning almost backward, righted himself, and then continued the chase. That was superhuman. When my master broke 6 cinderblocks without any spacing between, demonstrating live hands application of hapkido, that was superhuman.
The arts truly are about a path in life that gifts us insight into true balance of life. Sure we learn through this kata, forms, and sparring, but each of us lives our lives uniquely, and as such this affects our abilities.
The youtube link had several points, almost all of which were ignored. And I did make the video partially for this forum as much for my friends.
1- The video was to demonstrate control, that he and I can go at that degree of speed, while retaining techniques without injuring each other.
2- The video was of 'promise' sparring, not actual sparring. What we did was closer to shadow boxing, since contact was made.
3- The video was to demonstrate mainly kicks.
4- The video was constrained mainly to karate. We loosely implemented moves form our others styles but mainly stuck to only using the Chung Do Kwan where we trained together. He and I both are move than comfortable to throw knees, elbows, shoulders, but that wasn't the point of the video.
5- The setting was not in a dojo, but in the common area of our community campus. Consider how much that impeded what we were trying to do.
Additionally, if you'll note the styles listed, we forbade throws, sweeps, grabs, holds, pressure point strikes and spiking blocks. That being said, even though we forbade jiujitsu or muai thai strikes, we still did use elements such as stances, etc.
That is why I am oft in a longer stance- there was little risk of sweeping.
As for that youtube link, not really wanting to go there or critique but just for some constructive advice, outside of just having fun (I am sure you will say that is all that was) don't leave yourself so open to sweeps and have yourself on one leg for such long periods of time. Even in fun sparring my mates or trusted fellow karateka would sweep the leg if I was leaving it exposed for so long. You do it far too long and far too often. You also often do quite a wide stance in close to your partner, this leaves you far too open to leg attacks, luckily for you your partner knows nothing about these.
I really enjoyed your response, so I'm willing to go beyond the surface. The video was made for a lot of reasons, but the main reason it was edited in that fashion was just to make it more enjoyable. Frankly had I just left the footage as it was and taken out that terribad music, it would have come off better. But I digress. And criticism, constructive, is welcome.
But I must say this, watch the video closely, there is a point where I initiate a half snake through the grass, with my leg extended, and he could have stomped on it many times. I assure you when I say the individual I was sparring with has more than ample ability that if even an arm were extended, he could throw me across the room or into the ground. Likewise, he could easily go for a sweep. Everytime he's done that, he's ended up with one hell of a dead leg. I have rolled a rattan escrima over my shin long enough now that while I can't kick a tree, I did unfortunately have someone's toe break on my shin when they kicked it. Freak injury, their tendon ripped a piece of bone off from their toe curling so far back. So that being said, when it comes to sweeping, you can try it, but you never know if they not only know how to counter it, but might be willing to take it for that reason. I do. I see a sweep coming I just let them ram their shin against mine.
Given that you have never met me, nor knew the parameters of the rules governing our conduct in the video, I think your suggestions are valid. But, this was a video just of striking, and one meant for control.
And unfortunately when I posted this video for the board, rather than look for what the video was trying to demonstrate, they opted instead to attack what they thought was inadequate. Not enough power, contact, etc. Frankly, I'm impressed by the amount of control Alec and I had. At the :53 mark is a clear ridgehand that made contact with his neck, yet he is fine. And literally a half second before that, you can see his leading left hand with a backfist get pulled from making contact with my face close enough to it that it looks like contact was made.
When you have that degree of control, yet can break 3 cinderblocks as I've seen him do, give him some credit lol.
You'll also note that I quite often am dropping my hands while kicking. That type of critique from that video was what I was hoping for. Instead it was made so personal in the disparagement that there's a whole thread I believe now just for bashing the video lol.
Also, concerning sweeping. Everyone is sweepable, but sweeping itself as a technique is quite easy to block or dodge, given it isn't the kick where its a flick low round house kick. You can brace with the leg being targeted for sweeping, you can angle the edge of your shin toward theirs while dipping your knee. You can do what I prefer, which is just to pick the leg up to kick them at the extended leg. You could step back.
The problem with keeping a closed stance as you suggest, at least from what I've found in Hapkido, is this actually concentrates your center of gravity, making it much easier for another Hapkido practitioner to literally grab you by the wrist and hip throw you to the ground. Spreading your legs out, especially in tae kwon do can oft negate that if you're braced in a stance. Granted, there was no throwing, but it wouldn't have been the first time Alec and I practiced together and randomly threw one in. Additionally, while we have near equal speed with hands, he is not quite as equal with his kicks because of injury. considering his reach on me, it was the wide stance allowing me to extend axe kick which kept him at bay. His only option was to rush in for a flurry.
You see, I've been doing kendo for nearly a decade, and we're constantly on the balls of our feet, charging at each other, oft larger massed people, and the only thing that keeps you from being bounced way the hell off once contact is made, is by developing root. You would find it much easier to throw me, than sweep me.
Sorry this was long- but all for you Zero.
On the other hand, if your bicep is that big, maybe I won't. 
