Traning at Home

[wingchun100]

just FYI...your image doesn't show up? Did you 'attach' it or 'copy/paste' it into your reply?

When you get the toolbar above the space where you enter text, there is a button marked "image" right next to the smiley face. Let me try "upload file" instead...

 

[wingchun100]

Try again...

 

[wckf92]

Thx. It worked.

 

[wingchun100]

You're welcome.

I am so used to just seeing a paperclip as the "Attached" symbol that it took me a while to figure out.

 

[Gerry Seymour]

Just got home, I'll post one tomorrow, but essentially it's simply 4 pieces of PVC pipe connected by four 90 degree connectors. The length of each side is equal to one of my Kali sticks. I don't glue them because there are some footwork drills that only use a triangle as well. In class we will just place the Kali sticks on the floor but I had some extra PVC lying around after another project so figured "what the hell, don't need to buy another 2 Kali sticks for a quintet.

Cool. I have some spare PVC lying around (including some 90-degree elbows), as well as a pair of sticks. I might cobble one of these together and start playing with some footwork drills. I need to look on YouTube for some examples of Kali drills...unless my friend Mike has some on his videos I own (he used to teach a blend of Kali and Silat, now just teaches Silat).

 

[Gerry Seymour]

Simpler solution. Get some painter's tape and just tape out the pattern on the floor. It sticks pretty well for as long as you want it, and peels up nicely when you don't want it any more! It will stick to carpet or flooring. I use it for Silat Langka patterns.

That works, but requires I stop and tape it out each time. Easier mid-class to toss out the diamond (okay, it's a square, damnit!) to work on something. The PVC also (as mentioned earlier) makes it clear when you step across the line, rather than around it.

 

[Gerry Seymour]

Primarily on the side kick, even though I do it only as high as the knee. There are some people who will go as high as the waist, but I don't like to do that because I always think, "If I were fighting a grappler, this would be like handing them my head." Hell, even if someone DOESN'T train in grappling, I think they could take advantage of it.

I'm not saying my self-imposed "no kicks higher than knees" rule is right for everyone. It is just the one that seems right for me, given my balance issues.

The most common reason I've seen for loss of balance on a side kick is a student either standing too tall on the support leg or simply raising the weight during the kick (so support leg getting straighter during transition, making weight rise too much). Neither of those is necessarily an error (I've seen good kickers make both work), but both make balance more difficult, IME.

That answer assumes you're talking about a kick with even moderate speed. If you're having trouble with a slower kick, it's as likely to be a simple weakness in the balancing muscles around the ankle, which is remedied by the "post" exercise someone else mentioned.

 

[wingchun100]

The most common reason I've seen for loss of balance on a side kick is a student either standing too tall on the support leg or simply raising the weight during the kick (so support leg getting straighter during transition, making weight rise too much). Neither of those is necessarily an error (I've seen good kickers make both work), but both make balance more difficult, IME.

That answer assumes you're talking about a kick with even moderate speed. If you're having trouble with a slower kick, it's as likely to be a simple weakness in the balancing muscles around the ankle, which is remedied by the "post" exercise someone else mentioned.

It also has to do with proper release of the energy. I am not sure I am going to phrase this so it really explains what I mean, but I will try my best.

Say I am standing with my right side toward my opponent, and I want to do a lead side kick. I lift my right leg and start to pivot so I can put my "hip" into the kick. Sometimes what happens is I get ahead of myself. If I kick before the hip is turned into it, then I lose balance.

Another thing that hinders it is what I do with my upper body during the kick. If I lean away from the kick too much, then over I go.

 

[Gerry Seymour]

It also has to do with proper release of the energy. I am not sure I am going to phrase this so it really explains what I mean, but I will try my best.

Say I am standing with my right side toward my opponent, and I want to do a lead side kick. I lift my right leg and start to pivot so I can put my "hip" into the kick. Sometimes what happens is I get ahead of myself. If I kick before the hip is turned into it, then I lose balance.

Another thing that hinders it is what I do with my upper body during the kick. If I lean away from the kick too much, then over I go.

The former is a timing issue - which way do you usually end up off-balance (not including any over-corrections)?

The latter sounds like an unconscious over-correction, perhaps a response to the first issue?

 

[wingchun100]

The former is a timing issue - which way do you usually end up off-balance (not including any over-corrections)?

The latter sounds like an unconscious over-correction, perhaps a response to the first issue?

I am standing in my cubicle at work now, doing a low side kick in an attempt to recreate the loss so I can explain it to you, and of course I am not losing my balance!

Now that I think about it, I think the loss occurs only when I go higher. For example, there is a section in the wooden dummy when we step back from it and deliver a side kick that lands just under the lower arm, as if we were kicking someone in the torso. During this motion, I usually find myself falling to the side during the kick. Which side depends on the leg that is kicking: I fall in the direction of whichever leg is still on the ground.

Another phenomenon is that, when I bring my leg down after the kick, I find myself "falling" into it, if that makes sense. In other words, instead of controlling my balance so that I bring my leg back to the ground in a steady stance, I pitch forward. This could lead to something very dangerous happening...for example, if I pitch forward into a punch.

 

[wckf92]

Now that I think about it, I think the loss occurs only when I go higher. For example, there is a section in the wooden dummy when we step back from it and deliver a side kick that lands just under the lower arm, as if we were kicking someone in the torso. During this motion, I usually find myself falling to the side during the kick. Which side depends on the leg that is kicking: I fall in the direction of whichever leg is still on the ground.

Another phenomenon is that, when I bring my leg down after the kick, I find myself "falling" into it, if that makes sense. In other words, instead of controlling my balance so that I bring my leg back to the ground in a steady stance, I pitch forward. This could lead to something very dangerous happening...for example, if I pitch forward into a punch.

Remember, if you are slightly off with your timing, and you have a dummy that is "springy", then the energy will return into and through your kicking leg. IOW, if your kick is more of a 'push' energy than a snappy 'hit and get off' energy...your base leg must be able to handle that.
As for 'falling into it'...you must master your own COG very well before moving on in the curriculum. That is why I think you should train your single-leg stance a lot first. Anyway, just my thought. Good luck to you.

 

[Punchy]

If it's occurring when you kick higher , it could be a bit of a flexibility issue . Try doing dynamic stretches .
Here's a link of what I'm talking about . I go higher than this though to promote better flexibility

 

[Juany118]

Simpler solution. Get some painter's tape and just tape out the pattern on the floor. It sticks pretty well for as long as you want it, and peels up nicely when you don't want it any more! It will stick to carpet or flooring. I use it for Silat Langka patterns.

Yeah I used to do that but I like doing the drills outside on the deck or in the yard when the weather is nice. Painters tape and grass don't work well together.

 

[Gerry Seymour]

I am standing in my cubicle at work now, doing a low side kick in an attempt to recreate the loss so I can explain it to you, and of course I am not losing my balance!

Now that I think about it, I think the loss occurs only when I go higher. For example, there is a section in the wooden dummy when we step back from it and deliver a side kick that lands just under the lower arm, as if we were kicking someone in the torso. During this motion, I usually find myself falling to the side during the kick. Which side depends on the leg that is kicking: I fall in the direction of whichever leg is still on the ground.

Another phenomenon is that, when I bring my leg down after the kick, I find myself "falling" into it, if that makes sense. In other words, instead of controlling my balance so that I bring my leg back to the ground in a steady stance, I pitch forward. This could lead to something very dangerous happening...for example, if I pitch forward into a punch.

There might be another thing going on in that first example. You mention that in this form, you're stepping away to have room for the higher kick. I think the motion of your body is more important to the problem than the height. It sounds like you may not be getting to a neutral body position (in other words, your weight is still moving laterally) before the kick. Since I assume the move shifts weight to the support leg, the continuing motion would shift just past it, and you'd be off-balance to the side of the support leg. This would also explain why you're not off-balance when simply trying to kick in your cubicle. Experiment with a slight purposeful drop of your weight just to the heel of the support leg (assuming that heel is pointed at the target). See if that kills the over-shift I'm imagining is there.

With the second one, that sounds like you're keeping your weight too far to the heel (again, I'm assuming the heel is pointed at the target), and depending upon the strike against the dummy (or person, who may also be a dummy) to correct for it. For this, try a slight, purposeful lowering of your weight through that support knee, which will fix this over-extension if I'm picturing it correctly.

Both of these (assuming I've spotted the causes), in my experience, correct themselves as you develop a better feel for your own balance points in movement. Practicing slow kicks both with and without contact, with one finger on a chair back (to make balancing MUCH easier), and playing with different ways of raising/lowering your weight will help you develop that "feel" (and the support muscles at the ankle).

 

[KPM]

Try again...View attachment 20137

Sometimes called a "Tripodal dummy."

 

[wckf92]

Sometimes called a "Tripodal dummy."

Correct. That is the term I use, but have noted over the years that most of the other families refer to it as a gerk jong.

 

[Juany118]

That works, but requires I stop and tape it out each time. Easier mid-class to toss out the diamond (okay, it's a square, damnit!) to work on something. The PVC also (as mentioned earlier) makes it clear when you step across the line, rather than around it.

And this isn't a bad basic Kali footwork work out video.

[video]

Sent from my SM-G920P using Tapatalk

 

[KPM]

Correct. That is the term I use, but have noted over the years that most of the other families refer to it as a gerk jong.

"gerk jong" sounds nasty, but that's just me!

 

[Juany118]

And this isn't a bad basic Kali footwork work out video.

[video]

Sent from my SM-G920P using Tapatalk

Late edit. Now of course this footwork is a bit more "open" than you typically find in WC, but not universally because, imo, how tight or open your footwork becomes is governed by your opponent.

Example... I am 5'10" and last night I was training with someone who is about 6'4" so I needed to open up my footwork because his reach was substantially more than mine. Now studying Kali as well this was easy, but I have seen some "pure" WC people stumble a bit when they have to open up either in a circumstance like this or when dealing with a subject armed with a knife or club (in training of course).

As such I would still say such a drill is of value to a WC practitioner as well. However my experience with WC is TWC and there appears to be more "stepping" footwork in it than other styles of WC so mileage may vary in terms of opinions on this.

Sent from my SM-G920P using Tapatalk

 

[KangTsai]

Primarily on the side kick, even though I do it only as high as the knee. There are some people who will go as high as the waist, but I don't like to do that because I always think, "If I were fighting a grappler, this would be like handing them my head." Hell, even if someone DOESN'T train in grappling, I think they could take advantage of it.

I'm not saying my self-imposed "no kicks higher than knees" rule is right for everyone. It is just the one that seems right for me, given my balance issues.

First tip: keep your support leg straight
Second tip: do you have any idea how hard it is to catch a proper side kick? It's not any more dangerous for you than a front kick and arguably has more damage potential.
Third tip: raise your kicking knee first then pump out