Question 024: Kick training
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First a definition of terms:
- Basic kicks. These are kicks where the kicking foot moves directly from the floor to the target. The support foot is always in contact with the floor.
- Intermediate kicks
- Jump kicks. These are kicks where you jump and both feet are off the floor when the kicking foot makes contact with the target.
- Spin kicks. These are kicks where the torso rotates backward before executing the kick.
- Jump-spin kicks. These are kicks where you jump and the torso rotates backward before executing the kick.
- Aero kicks. These are just variations of a jump or jump-spin kicks where the support foot is back on the floor before the kicking foot makes contact with the target. It is used primarily as a faking movement. In the aero kick, you start a fake kick with one leg and then quickly switch to a kick with the other leg, which means that both feet are off the floor for an instant, and then the support foot is back on the floor before the kick makes contact. It is sort of a sloppy version of a standard jump or jump-spin kick. Although there is a jump motion, the intent is not to add a jump to the kick but make the opponent think a kick is coming from one direction while you quickly switch to another kick from another direction.
- Advanced kicks. These kicks use movements that are more complicated and require 360 degree body rotations.
- Acrobatic Kicks. These kicks use spins of more than 360 degrees, flips, drops, rolls, etc. Most acrobatic kicks are useless except for their entertainment value and the physical skills attained while learning to perform the kicks. They are usually not effective for self-defense and are seldom even used in sparring.