TKD instructor wants to train slow kicking (muscle control), why?

S

spacetime

Banned
Banned
Joined
Aug 17, 2014
Messages
11,863
Reaction score
320
I can kick accurately and freely at full speed only. I don't have the muscle control to throw consequtive roundhouses in slow motion. Why the hell do I need this ability for real fighting? That is to say application of techniques.... In real fighting I go full stop anyway.
 
spacetime said:
I can kick accurately and freely at full speed only. I don't have the muscle control to throw consequtive roundhouses in slow motion. Why the hell do I need this ability for real fighting? That is to say application of techniques.... In real fighting I go full stop anyway.
Click to expand...
I could write a long post and explain badly. or I could post a link to an article specifically about this method.
Im lazy.
http://www.karatebyjesse.com/karate-technique-secret-training-method/
 
Can you only punch accurately and freely at full speed too?
 
Pitier of Fools said:
That article is a bunch of BS and bogus science.

TS, if you want to learn how to actually fight, I would recommend finding another instructor.
Click to expand...

There was certainly a lot of bro-science in that article, but it is true that practising slower gives you a better awareness of your body and better technique.
 
If you can't do them slowly, odds are our technique is slipping up somewhere, when you are throwing them quickly. You just don't notice it because it is too fast to focus on the details.

You are supposed to start slow, and get the technique down, and then speed will follow as it becomes second nature.
 
If you cannot doing any technique slow it is probably wrong somewhere. It doesnt necessary to not work but technique wise you are doing it wrong somehow.
 
yookfarb said:
Can you only punch accurately and freely at full speed too?
Click to expand...

no... For whatever reason, my agility with regards to kicking is mediocre moving slowly but average at full speed.

This was the assistant instructor. My main instructor is 9th dan grandmaster (highest)and his training is slightly different.
 
High slow kicking builds your feelings of control when performing sparring style kicks like switch step kicks, triples, skipping kicks, jumps and foot replacement combos which CAN'T be done slowly for the most part. Slow kicking is a strengthening exercise and it helps you find the positions you will be searching for during fast, ballistic kicks.
 
What good is this excercise if I can't do it? It's just an evil circle.
 
Slow kicking will make you better by giving you more control and greater balance and agility with your kicks when they're fast. It may benefit your flexibility, as well, if you're using momentum to get to the extreme ranges of the kick.

Since you have plenty of opportunity to train with fast kicks, by the sound of it, complaining about being asked to train slow kicks makes you sound like a shitty student.

What good is this excercise if I can't do it? It's just an evil circle.
Click to expand...

Is this mind-blowing to anyone else? I don't know how long you've been training, but training to avoid all the things that make you feel like a newb is the wrong philosophy to take, imo.
 
There are a lot of techniques where you may think you know well when doing it at full speed, but you actually don't have as much control/accuracy as you think. Doing these techniques slowly sometimes can help expose flaws in your execution at full speed. The things you've written make you sound like you're not a student that is really very willing to learn. That type of attitude will stunt your growth in martial arts and many aspects of life.
 
JosephDredd said:
Slow kicking will make you better by giving you more control and greater balance and agility with your kicks when they're fast. It may benefit your flexibility, as well, if you're using momentum to get to the extreme ranges of the kick.

Since you have plenty of opportunity to train with fast kicks, by the sound of it, complaining about being asked to train slow kicks makes you sound like a shitty student.



Is this mind-blowing to anyone else? I don't know how long you've been training, but training to avoid all the things that make you feel like a newb is the wrong philosophy to take, imo.
Click to expand...

I can't perform it even badly. There is no point in training something I can't even aproach doing....
 
If you cant slowly lift your leg up at all, then maybe tkd is not for you.
 
BJ@LW&WW said:
If you cant slowly lift your leg up at all, then maybe tkd is not for you.
Click to expand...

Lifting your knee slowly in a 45 degree angle poses some problems for me. Maintaining balance, while kicking consequently with the front leg, and controling the muscles while doing is equally hard.

I don't mind sucking at useless light contact nonsense ,nobody would employ in a real fight.
 
spacetime said:
Lifting your knee slowly in a 45 degree angle poses some problems for me. Maintaining balance, while kicking consequently with the front leg, and controling the muscles while doing is equally hard.

I don't mind sucking at useless light contact nonsense ,nobody would employ in a real fight.
Click to expand...

This is mind-blowing. This is the exact reason you should be training it. I'm guessing you haven't been training long, but martial arts are going to be absolutely full of things that you're not going to do right or easily on the first attempt. The biggest thing you (meaning you, specifically) need to practice is how to be a good student, imo, because your mindset is entirely wrong for the kind of work that leads to incredible progress.

And the people who are going to be kicking your ass will have bothered to learn those things.
 
spacetime said:
Lifting your knee slowly in a 45 degree angle poses some problems for me. Maintaining balance, while kicking consequently with the front leg, and controling the muscles while doing is equally hard.

I don't mind sucking at useless light contact nonsense ,nobody would employ in a real fight.
Click to expand...

yeah thats the point, to develop the balance necessary to do the techniques, the best way is to practice the technique. try doing 1 without falling off balance, then doing 5 in a row, 10 in a row. working to find your balance.

the hardest kicks are on the leg that isn't normally your support leg. as southpaw, i can do most kicks slowly on my right leg as supporting leg, but if I switch to left leg supporting, its hard to do a slow roundhouse.

if you don't want to practice the technique, try 1-legged exercises to develop balance on one leg. most of the calistenics I do are on 1 leg. bulgarian split squat, 1-leg RDLs, and 1-leg burpees (this one is my favorite lol).

and for dynamic stretches, I do high kicks (try doing these without holding onto something, just kick out and use your swinging arm to balance), leg circles (like an axe/crescent kick) , knee circles. All of these develop balancing on one leg, you'll look like an idiot when you first attempt them bc you're falling all over the place, but I do them always before a jog or conditioning class and I've gotten pretty good at balance. and if you do yoga, get into tree pose for extended periods of time
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Latest posts

Forum statistics

Threads
1,236,411
Messages
55,418,608
Members
174,765
Latest member
durbanik916

Share this page

Back
Top