video of my head kick, what needs to change?

[killer_kicks88]

http://s34.yousendit.com/d.aspx?id=1BBHWMPSAUZTJ2TO37ATD6F9B2

 

[killer_kicks88]

oh ya, it's a quick time file so try going frame by frame with the forward arrows to really check my form, my instructor says i guard myself well and i pivot well and turn my hips over well...lets hear your thoughts, thanks guys!

 

[dom]

Your right hand drops. It also seem like you should twist your hips more.

 

[killer_kicks88]

everyone drops the hand on the side they are kicking on, thanks for the tips

 

[Michael Wanaka]

Your right hand drops. It also seem like you should twist your hips more.

His right hand should drop. It's basic muay thai.

Also, your defense could be improved by kind of reaching across your face with yoru right hand and *not* dropping your left hand right before you kick, which also telegraphs it.

 

[killer_kicks88]

His right hand should drop. It's basic muay thai.

Also, your defense could be improved by kind of reaching across your face with yoru right hand and *not* dropping your left hand right before you kick, which also telegraphs it.

thanks...everything else is good though?

 

[BranndonC]

downloading it now, you can host free videos on www.putfile.com and they last more than a week, and people can comment on them

 

[dom]

His right hand should drop. It's basic muay thai.

Srry, didn't know. Only ma that i did that rrly involved kicking was tkd and only did that for a few months and that was when i was little. I'm more of a hands guy.

 

[Michael Wanaka]

Srry, didn't know. Only ma that i did that rrly involved kicking was tkd and only did that for a few months and that was when i was little. I'm more of a hands guy.

It's all good.

 

[SmashiusClay]

Not too bad, you're turning your hip over nicely and getting pretty decent pivot, one thing is that ( and this may just be the camera angle its hard to really tell but it looks like the kick's a tad low and you're hitting at more chest than head height).

The most obvious fault is that you're telegraphing with your left hand, but on the third and fourth kicks your supporting leg is shifting towards the target as you hit, this might well be because you're working on what looks to be pretty loose earth but you should keep an eye on this as if you slip too much you could land on your ass (see Franklin/Shamrock for why this is a bad move). One of the things that might be causing this is a lack of flexibility that means your leaning back too far in order to hit high so a bit of extra stretching might be beneficial.

Hope that helps and keep up the good work.

 

[killer_kicks88]

Not too bad, you're turning your hip over nicely and getting pretty decent pivot, one thing is that ( and this may just be the camera angle its hard to really tell but it looks like the kick's a tad low and you're hitting at more chest than head height).

The most obvious fault is that you're telegraphing with your left hand, but on the third and fourth kicks your supporting leg is shifting towards the target as you hit, this might well be because you're working on what looks to be pretty loose earth but you should keep an eye on this as if you slip too much you could land on your ass (see Franklin/Shamrock for why this is a bad move). One of the things that might be causing this is a lack of flexibility that means your leaning back too far in order to hit high so a bit of extra stretching might be beneficial.

Hope that helps and keep up the good work.

thanks alot for the tips, ya the dirt i train on is crap, so i slide alot, i don't know why it would be a flexibility issue considering i can nearly do the front and side splits, but again, ty for the tips ^_^

 

[SmashiusClay]

thanks alot for the tips, ya the dirt i train on is crap, so i slide alot, i don't know why it would be a flexibility issue considering i can nearly do the front and side splits, but again, ty for the tips ^_^

Yeah it may instead be a problem with your balance and weight distribution (I had a similar problem when I started MT and would occasionally land on my arse), it is possible though that even though you have good static flexibility your dynamic may not be as good, I know plenty of judoka who have amazing static but could'nt kick above waist height (hell, a female friend of mine who took up MT could do the splits but could'nt hit above mid thigh height).

 

[Madmick]

thanks alot for the tips, ya the dirt i train on is crap, so i slide alot, i don't know why it would be a flexibility issue considering i can nearly do the front and side splits, but again, ty for the tips ^_^

Also, are you able to keep your lower back flexed when you are doing the side-splits? Hip flexibility is more important than leg flexbility (although both are necessary) for kicking high. If you're always leaning forward when you're splitting and not doing other hip stretches, your kicks won't be as high as they should.

TKD guys really know their ROM's, man, EvilEyeGouger is the one to talk to about this.

 

[Tim Chan]

first time i've seen a bag on a tree. you should probably get a heavier bag that hangs lower, though that thing has it's uses. mostly for hitting moving targets, and footwork. not really good for power generation and doesn't allow for mcuh below the head.

 

[killer_kicks88]

ya right next to it i have a 100lbs. bag but the top has become really soft so i didn't want to make the video on that bag

 

[OpethDrums]

i didnt see the vid. but having a bag on a tree is some straight chong li shit. i hope the branch doesn't break when you're under it

 

[Kaban]

You may want to step in at an angle, if you are concerned about power.

 

[mrhappie45]

just rotate your hips more.. through the kick not just towards the bag.

 

[EastPointKck]

everyone drops the hand on the side they are kicking on, thanks for the tips

And everyone is not supposed to be doing that. Keep your fucking hands up at all time, no excuses.
A good fighter can hit you at any time and with anything. A good fighter like myself will salivate at someone dropping their hands for shit like that.

If I saw you do that, I'd step in with the hardest fucking cross and just nail you, and I'd land before you too(shortest distance between two oints is a straight line).

KEEP YOUR HANDS UP AT ALL TIME! ( Everyone should know that ).

 

[Guards]

I'd say I train a slightly different school of stand-up than you do, but I watched each of the kicks frame-by-frame, and I picked apart some of what I didn't like... Respectful, positive criticism follows:

1.) A few others have mentioned, your left arm 'drops' or telegraphs your kick like a neon-light to anyone who knows what to look for. You don't want that, at all. And by at all, I mean that left hand should NOT be moving from your preferred 'guard' position while throwing that kick, UNLESS you're with a live opponent and that left hand needs to move in another defensive fashion. Your left arm is the ONLY defense your upper body has while throwing head level kicks with your right leg. This means Kidney, Liver, Solar Plexus, Ribs, Neck, Jaw, Nose, Eyes, Ears... If your left arm is not a shield, you leave yourself COMPLETELY exposed to counter-strikers. When you practice by yourself, use any piece of headgear(hat, headband, helmet, whatever) and physically GRAB ONTO what's on your head to train your hand to stay up in guard and not swing, move, nothing.

2.) I know you're trying to keep your arms relaxed and fluid while throwing kicks, but please, please, please, keep your hands closed. In each of your kicks, there are are clear frames where your right hand is below waist level with your fingers outstretched. Some of them are worse than others, but unless you compete/train ONLY as a stand-up fighter with closed(8-16 oz) gloves, you run the risks of some very, very serious sprains, breaks, or worse. A counter-kick, a slip, a shoot, any number of things could get to your hands at this point, even by freak occurance. Broken fingers and hands don't just end fights, they can ruin careers.

3.) A 'little trick' that works for some, but really whittles down to personal preference, and the specifics of your sport. When throwing a kick that will result in one hand dropping, keep your elbow turned in, instead of out. Keep it a bit closer to your ribs. The 'feel' of the movement should be like throwing a backfist, instead of the 'scooping' downward hand motion. It's a little difficult to describe in only test, but in your pictures, your hand drops with your palm to the rear, back of the hand facing to your front. IF, on the off-chance that something goes awkward, you get countered to the body on the outside of your kick, you'll most likely take some trauma to a fully-extended elbow. Not so good. Recovering your right hand to the 'guard' is also very linear from here. If you swing your hand down, and the palm is facing forward, with the back of the hand to the rear, any counters, even to a fully extended arm, are going to impact muscle tissue and a joint that's ready to move into it's full range of motion. The real advantage comes in the recovery, though. When your leg comes back, and you're moving your right hand back to it's fighting position, it's already a fully cocked fist that can throw uppercuts, body shots, hooks, or block.

Some of these might seem nitpicky, and may not 'work' for you. We're all different fighters, from different schools. If they don't do what you want 'em to do, feel free to throw them aside. I've been training for quite a while, and some of these are things that I've picked up, been taught, learned from experience, or whatever. My game is also a bit more 'round' than just stand-up, though, as I train more for MMA than any other individual sport. You're doing pretty good so far, though. Got some nice basics, but tempering your basics is what separates the good from the great.