KICK WITH YOUR FOOT!

 By Yang Shuangxing

“Again!”, my teacher called out as we executed another front kick. I don't know how many we'd done, but it was a lot...my legs were starting to burn. But his scowl told the story. He obviously wasn't pleased. He finally walked up to me and I knew I was about to get yelled at for the benefit of the whole class...

“Kick with your foot!”, he barked.

Huh? Isn't that what I'm doing? What in the world...?

Sifu Chen saw my confusion and told me to execute another kick. Just as I did, he scooped up my leg and held it in the crook of his arm. Slapping my foot, he said, “Not this foot!” Then he pointed at the foot upon which I was balanced and said, “THAT foot!”

He became even more exasperated when he saw that I was completely lost, but he managed to calm himself and explain just what he meant. The support foot must drive against the ground as the kick is made; it isn't just a peg upon which we balance (which is what most people do). Driving it into the ground adds a lot more impetus to the kick!

Of course, this applies only to “straight line” kicks such as the front snap/thrust kick, side snap/thrust kick, and back thrust kick. Circular kicks that involve a pivot negate our ability to drive the support foot against the ground; the roundhouse kick, crescent kick, and various hooking kicks, for instance.

The support foot must drive against the ground BEFORE the kicking foot leaves the ground; once you are standing on one leg, you can't drive it against the ground. So the timing of this part of the technique is critical...it drives the hip(s) into the kick so that you're not simply kicking with the strength of one leg.

To do this will require some considerable practice.