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Is it really practical to swing my hips when doing a roundhouse kick?

5K views 17 replies 11 participants last post by  Kin 
#1 ·
I've done a few heavy bag training recently and I noticed that although things like side-stepping and pivoting add power to my kick, it is EXTREMELY HARD to do a jab+cross+kick combo efficiently in that manner.

When I cross, I simply position my lead foot on an angle that makes power-angle kicking feasible. I do none of that pivoting or side-stepping crap.

Yes, I do notice that my kicks are "better" and more powerful IF (and this is a big IF) I only do the kick as a single attack, NOT a part or the ending of a combo.

The power I can generate without doing the fancy stuff doesn't seem to be significantly weaker compared to the flashy, muay-thaiy, kickboxingy, taekwondowy bullshit being taught everywhere. I mean, if your glutes, hammies, and quadriceps have power (which is accomplished through a regimen of Olympic-style weightlifting and heavy squats), your kicks WILL BE POWERFUL. All you need is a rock-solid shin or instep and you're gonna be the next Cro Cop.

So seriously? Is it even necessary to learn things like pivoting your rear foot, swinging your hips, and side-stepping to be a successful striker? I thought this was all about efficiency?

If true martial arts are all about efficiency, then why do we have to learn these impractical, inefficient things?
 
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#2 ·
This is like...wow...

A 1-2-power roundhouse is one of the most important combinations in combat sports. Keep doing it until you can do it right.

Turning your lead foot prior to throwing a roundhouse kick is pivoting your planting leg/foot, Turning = pivoting (synonyms). Whether it is done during the combination or after or before is immaterial, pivoting is pivoting.

Side stepping is crap? No, side-stepping is one of the most fundamental components of combat sports. Its called lateral movement.

Proper rotation of the body, and alignment of the leg, hip, spine and associated musculature of the leg, hip, core are where kicking power comes from. Almost all of the real power from a roundhouse kick come from the rotation.

Unless you are turning your hips, its physically impossible to land a kick with your shin bone or instep.

Practice and get it right, or quit.
 
#3 ·
So is it fair to say that things don't necessarily have to be perfect, but one must at least get a solid grasp of the basics?
 
#10 ·
Huh? Wow... My eyes are hurting.

To answer your question: Is it Is it really practical to swing my hips when doing a roundhouse kick?

Answer: Yes. If you're doing it right, it would be impossible not to.
 
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#15 ·
In his other video of him hitting the bag, he was hitting a banana bag. Looked like a TITLE bag if memory serves, I'd guess 100lbs, maybe.

He trolls over on bodybuilding.com though, so when I saw that he joined here I kind of expected this. He posted one or two threads where I actually believed in him for a minute, but looks like he's back to just trolling.

As for the original point, all the talk about "efficiency" while kicking and such: If we're talking about being efficient - people throw plenty of strikes where they don't particularly mean to do damage, feints and such. But if you're throwing a strike with intent to do damage, then you should maximize that in every possible way. Meaning use your hips for the extra power. Using your hips does not use that much energy that it somehow becomes inefficient.

You have a fairly valid point about how an accomplished oly lifter could generate more power than a professional fighter, IF the oly lifter had optimal technique. But an oly lifter's kick technique isn't going to surpass an accomplished kickboxer's kicking technique, so it doesn't matter. It takes as much time to perfect one's roundhouse kick as it takes to perfect one's c&j or snatch, because a roundhouse kick is as much a motor engram as an oly lift. If you don't belive me, let's compare top tier MMA strikers to powerlifters. If you can ignore skill with superior force generation, then powerlifters who bench 500+ should be laying low every pro mma fighter with straight punches all the time. But instead we see guys like Anderson Silva, who aren't particularly heavily built (almost wirey), but who are laying other pro fighters low with jabs, of all things. That's because Anderson Silva and guys like him have been training their strikes for 20+ years.

I respect oly lifters and fighters who incorporate oly lifts. But seriously, you're being silly as hell. You coming in here and questioning the efficiency of the basics of martial arts because you did one or two bag sessions, is like me coming to an oly lifting forum and questioning its basics on the basis of me doing power cleans once a week.

Stop trying to reinvent the wheel. Just get at it, bust your ass, and have fun with your training.

/wall of text
 
#18 ·
That's the dumbest thing I've ever heard. I've seen your vids and you are a clown. Or, perhaps, as other people have suggested -- a troll.

I, on the other hand, am a n00b. Haven't been on the forum in a while so when I tried to post neg rep, it was positive. Oh wellz.
 
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