Post-impact control of kicking leg question

[HomerPlata]

Hello chaps and chapesses, got a quick question regarding how to reset after landing (or not) a turning kick.

I noticed earlier that, once I've hit the target (a punchbag in this case), I seem to just let my leg drop to the floor, after which I recover my stance. Is this an acceptable thing to do, or should I be sorta retracting the kick once it's landed?

I'm throwing it with more of a Thai mentality than TKD or anything like that, if that helps. Thanks.

 

[SummerStriker]

When you hit with a Thai style kick, usually your knee is bent through impact. Once you have delivered the hit, straighten your kicking leg hard into the bag. If you are still on the ball of your support foot and not adding any friction, as well as balanced and not leaning back, the push off into the bag will propel you to your starting position.

When you do this with multiple kicks, it isn't necessary for your kicking leg to go all the way back to fighting stance, but can instead land parallel or a little further back.

 

[ssullivan80]

That same hip/shoulder turn you use to throw/swing the shin into the bag, do the opposite post-impact to return/retract the kicking leg back into your stance. The foot on your kicking leg should start and end in the same position (for all intensive purposes, with few exceptions. As previously noted in thread). Be it a Thai kick or TKD kick, the same post impact techniques apply to a basic round kick/roundhouse (TKD just has more exceptions/variations to the rule).

 

[HomerPlata]

Thanks for the replies. I seem to let all tension go in my leg once I've made that solid impact, which I think is the reason it feels like a long time before I'm back in position.

I might do a few drills tomorrow where I just focus on the recovery phase of the kick. Cheers folks.

 

[Bennosuke]

Just as a small aside, you will hear some guys advocate pulling the leg down and back rather than reversing the motion of the roundhouse kick. Regardless rear kicking leg returns to its original spot. Also, you can of course intentionally drop the rear kicking leg in front, effectively switching stance to set up a specific technique from the opposite stance.

 

[dat1978]

another thing to check is, if you are planting forward after the kick, that probably means your balance is off and too far forward. when kicking you have to counter-balance your leg coming forward by slightly leaning back with the body. i see a lot of people, especially beginners or people with tight hips, doing this. so it might be a control issue with your leg at all, but a balance issue. you don't want to be falling forward onto the kicking leg.

here's a bag work video of sayok. notice how when he kick he's up on the toes of the post leg, he opens up and turns the hip, AND there's a slight lean back of the body to provide balance in the kicking position. he's able to retract the leg easily and with control and not fall onto the kicking leg.

[YT]e1pMXMh5jOI[/YT]

 

[Phlog]

If people kick and put their leg down forward its sweep the leg time. It's obvious and works almost everytime. Same reason why when you spin back kick, you spin back the other way after. Gets you out of harm's way.

 

[HomerPlata]

Thanks again guys.

To clarify, I'm not falling forward into a switched stance. My leg is returning to my stance correctly, it just feels like it's taking ages to get there.

My concern is that if I concentrate on resetting my leg by following the reverse path of the kick, I will not be imparting the full amount of power into the target (kinda like pulling a jab, sacrificing power for the sake of defensive form).

What happens now is that it hits the target with (what I believe is) decent form, but then once all power has sunk in my leg just relaxes and takes its time to be ready again. Almost like I'm admiring my own work.

I might post a video next week to explain what I mean.

 

[dat1978]

When you hit with a Thai style kick, usually your knee is bent through impact. Once you have delivered the hit, straighten your kicking leg hard into the bag. If you are still on the ball of your support foot and not adding any friction, as well as balanced and not leaning back, the push off into the bag will propel you to your starting position.

When you do this with multiple kicks, it isn't necessary for your kicking leg to go all the way back to fighting stance, but can instead land parallel or a little further back.

Thanks again guys.

To clarify, I'm not falling forward into a switched stance. My leg is returning to my stance correctly, it just feels like it's taking ages to get there.

My concern is that if I concentrate on resetting my leg by following the reverse path of the kick, I will not be imparting the full amount of power into the target (kinda like pulling a jab, sacrificing power for the sake of defensive form).

What happens now is that it hits the target with (what I believe is) decent form, but then once all power has sunk in my leg just relaxes and takes its time to be ready again. Almost like I'm admiring my own work.

I might post a video next week to explain what I mean.

ah i get what you are saying now. in that case, SummerStriker laid out the basic idea that i would suggest to try. for me, however, its more the extension of the hip than it is the straightening of the leg that helps me get the force into the target and also help propel my leg back.

 

[HomerPlata]

[YT]Vx25NQ9DnmA[/YT]

Right, here's some typical kicks.

It's funny because, since I've filmed it, the kick itself looks slow too - not just the recovery.

Anyway, have a look and point out some alterations I could make, if ya don't mind. Cheers :icon_chee

Here's one without impact too, if there's anything worth pointing out in general.

[YT]NO-QZ-sfmeU[/YT]