This week at Storm Martial Arts Woodley Academy we have been perfecting our Turning kick technique.
Many students struggle at first. The secret to success has less to do with the kicking leg and more about your standing leg and how you use it. The secret is to…
Point
Pivot
Pop!
Start by standing in Guard.
- Chamber -Bring your rear knee up as though you were going to kick a ball.
- Point your knee at your target.
- Next, with your rear leg raised, you pivot on your standing leg. Use the ball of your foot to turn – this will bring your hip around (your kicking leg will turn with you). The heel of your standing foot is now pointing towards your target.
- Your kicking leg is now inline with your target, toes pointed and ready to pop / fire!
Don’t forget… after you kick bring your leg back to the chamber position to land in front.
We will be encouraging the children to practice as much as possible at home, turning kicks are tricky to get right and may require a good dose of determination; please praise your Dragon or Tiger for sticking with it.
Parents….here are few tips you can use to help instil good technique.
The pad needs to be held out with a straight arm in line with the centre of your body. Height and distance will need some tweaking to get right. Start low and slowly raise higher. If you start too high technique can suffer. Good technique will ensure strong, high-reaching kicks in the future.
