Sparring Kicks
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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
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