Kicks are more powerful and have greater reach than hand techniques. Their weakness lies in the having to stand on one leg and in how the recoil of the blow affects balance. Kicks are also slower than punches and thus are easier for the opponent to anticipate and respond. A strategy to avoid this is to raise your leg but not to indicate the type of kick to follow, such as by raising the leg for a front kick but instead doing a roundhouse kick. High kicks require good hip and leg flexibility and fitness. Know your own ability and limits.

Chamber kicking leg's knee as high as possible for:

• More power. A kick that travels straight out from the hip will have the most power.

• Greater selection of targets. From high chamber, it is easy to kick high, middle, or low depending on opponent's reaction. From a low chamber, all the opponent has to do is use a low block to stop the kick from going higher.

• Slows opponent's reaction time. Since a kick may be delivered either high, middle, or low, the opponent does not know where to block.

• Multiple kicks. If kick is re-cambered high, it is ready for another kick, or to be used as a block. If knee is dropped after a kick, it must be raised again to kick, which slows the next kick.

• Allows a kick against a close-in opponent. With a high, tight chamber, you can kick an opponent that closes in on you or who is in close. A kick from the floor would be jammed between the two bodies

Tips:

• Always maintain your balance. Snap the kick out and back as quickly as possible so you are on one foot as little as possible.

• After a kick, step down where you want to step, not where you must step because of a loss of balance. If you have your balance, you can quickly follow up a technique with another technique.

• Kicks are similar punches in that they must be in combination to be effective.

• Begin with hips. Legs whip out from hips.

• Use full-power only at full-extension.

• Maintain straight line through the body, hips, and legs.

• Do not make any sudden changes in rhythm and movement.

• Use eye feints.

• Use peripheral vision to detect movements.

• Do not raise heel of support foot in an effort to gain height, you will lose power.

• Legs are longer, so use it to your advantage.

• Legs are more powerful than arms.

• Legs are slower than arms.

• Kicks are not easily seen because they are at the edge of vision.

• When using a jump kick, do not bend knees before the jump. Your fighting stance should always have the knees bent, so, to jump, you just jump without any other extraneous movements.

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