Jumping

Jump kicks

To perform jump kicks, you must first learn to kick, then learn to jump, and then learn to jump and kick. If you know how to perform a kick properly but do not jump properly, then any jump version of the kick will fail. The higher you jump, the more time you have to perform a kick and make a safe, proper landing, so a high jump is vital to any jump kick. Instead of doing the strength training necessary to build muscles for jumping high, many students just go through the motions of a jump kick while barely, if at all, leaving the floor. During the breaking portion of a rank testing, if your non-kicking foot is not off the floor when you make the break, then you did not perform a proper jump kick and the break in invalid.

To jump properly for a kick

• Start from your fighting stance with your knees bent, then jump. All fighting stances should have bent knees, so you never have to bend them for a jump. Do not make any other motion with your arms or body, just jump. Do not drop lower before you jump. Do not pump with your arms. The only indication your opponent should have that you are jumping is seeing you suddenly seem taller.
• When you jump, pull your knees upward toward to your chest. Do not pull your feet straight upward. Do not lift your feet backward toward your butt. When the knee lifted high, it means both legs are chambered for the kick. While one leg performs the kick, the other remains chambered. After the kick, the kicking leg re-chambers and then both feet return to the floor in a solid fighting stance.
• Although it first seems the wrong way to do it, when performing a jump-spin kick, you must first jump, then spin, and then kick. Do not start the kick first; it will lessen the height of your jump and will telegraph what kick is coming. When done properly, your opponent may see and react to the jump, but he or she will not know what kick is coming until it is too late to react. Most beginners, and many advanced students, try to spin first. This means they barely get off the floor with the jump. If you start the kick before the spin, your leg will move away from your center of balance and throw you off balance. Keep the arms in a tight guard position. If they move outward, you will be thrown off balance, and, since you will not see your opponent for a moment when the head is turned, you need to protect yourself against a counterattack. Also, if the spin is done properly, your head will jerk around quickly at the beginning of the jump-spin. When the head suddenly stops after the spin, it takes a moment for the brain to settle down and the vision to clear.

To add a spin to the jump

• Although it first seems the wrong way to do it, when performing a jump-spin kick, you must first jump, then spin, and then kick. Most beginners, and many advanced students, try to spin first. This means they barely get off the floor with the jump. If you start the kick before the spin, your leg will move away from your center of balance and throw you off balance. Keep the arms in a tight guard position; if they move outward, you will be thrown off balance, and, since you will not see your opponent for a moment when the head is turned, you need to protect yourself against a counter attack.
• Also, if the spin is done properly, your head will snap around quickly at the beginning of the jump-spin. When the head suddenly stops after the spin, it takes a moment for the brain to settle down and the vision to clear.

In all spin or jump spin attacks, the head spins first. If the head spins slower than the body, the spin will be attenuated. If the head spins slower than the body, the attack will fire before you see the target. The eyes must see the target before the attack fires. This ensures you know where the target is so you will not injure your opponent. If the target has moved, you may adjust your attack accordingly, stop the attack, or possibly even change the type of attack.