weird question but lately after every grip session or at home workout session I’ve been trying to have a better low kick, i don’t do MMA or anything like that i would just like to have a low kick that hurts like hell. I’m wondering how to condition my feet to be able to hit things harder without breaking it?
another part of my question is will kicking 1 gallon water jugs work? i kick a 1 gallon water jug yesterday and busted it open everywhere but it hurt like hell! my foot was stinging for over 20 minutes! if i do this once a day will my feet get more deadly i guess?
It always hurts, you just get used to it and don’t notice as much over time. Kind of like your wife nagging; she never actually shuts up, you just stop hearing her.
why are you kicking with your foot? Yes you can condition your body to become stronger and less affected by pain. I just don’t recommend kicking with the foot.
with that said, take a drum stick, tap your shin 500 times a day, albeit lightly. The entire length of the shin.
Then proceed to roll the drumstick up and down the shin… pushing down hard on every bump you feel.
If you just want to toughen the foot… get a heavy bag. who the fuck kicks a gallon of water? that is just obscenely retarded. So retarded I wanna kick you in the face.
Different arts teach different things. Muay Thai you land with the shin. Tae Kwan do is with the foot. I thought I read somewhere the foot is far more likely to break due the smaller bones (like the hand).
When holding pads, there is a noticeable difference when someone lands with the shin compared to the foot. The foot doesn’t generate as much power, by a long way.
Different arts teach different things. Muay Thai you land with the shin. Tae Kwan do is with the foot. I thought I read somewhere the foot is far more likely to break due the smaller bones (like the hand).
When holding pads, there is a noticeable difference when someone lands with the shin compared to the foot. The foot doesn’t generate as much power, by a long way.
If you just want to toughen the foot… get a heavy bag. who the fuck kicks a gallon of water? that is just obscenely retarded. So retarded I wanna kick you in the face.[/quote]
I bet doing it is way more fun than reading about it though.
[quote]Kirks wrote:
Different arts teach different things. Muay Thai you land with the shin. Tae Kwan do is with the foot. I thought I read somewhere the foot is far more likely to break due the smaller bones (like the hand).
When holding pads, there is a noticeable difference when someone lands with the shin compared to the foot. The foot doesn’t generate as much power, by a long way. [/quote]
Not knocking any art form. Tae kwon do has many great techniques, however I think kicking with the foot comes from sport fighting and not from a true fighting technique. I do on occasion catch opponents with the foot when my range is off or sometimes if I get countered with a punch but never on purpose. A head kick does seem to land on the foot because I can’t normally kick with power at that height.
I have broken several toes, some multiple times kicking. Thai pads will toughen you up pretty quick because even though you are aiming with the shin the foot inevitably lands on the outside pad.
When I was in Oki, we used bowling pins, bamboo and other things to tap on our shins, arms whatever to toughen them up. This is something that takes a long time and you can def. overdue it.
with that said, take a drum stick, tap your shin 500 times a day, albeit lightly. The entire length of the shin.
Then proceed to roll the drumstick up and down the shin… pushing down hard on every bump you feel.
If you just want to toughen the foot… get a heavy bag. who the fuck kicks a gallon of water? that is just obscenely retarded. So retarded I wanna kick you in the face.[/quote]
[quote]Kirks wrote:
Different arts teach different things. Muay Thai you land with the shin. Tae Kwan do is with the foot. I thought I read somewhere the foot is far more likely to break due the smaller bones (like the hand).
When holding pads, there is a noticeable difference when someone lands with the shin compared to the foot. The foot doesn’t generate as much power, by a long way. [/quote]
Not knocking any art form. Tae kwon do has many great techniques, however I think kicking with the foot comes from sport fighting and not from a true fighting technique. I do on occasion catch opponents with the foot when my range is off or sometimes if I get countered with a punch but never on purpose. A head kick does seem to land on the foot because I can’t normally kick with power at that height.
I have broken several toes, some multiple times kicking. Thai pads will toughen you up pretty quick because even though you are aiming with the shin the foot inevitably lands on the outside pad.
When I was in Oki, we used bowling pins, bamboo and other things to tap on our shins, arms whatever to toughen them up. This is something that takes a long time and you can def. overdue it.[/quote]
Can’t speak for TKD, but I know for a fact that Bill Wallace knocked quite a few people out in full contact professional fights kicking then in the head with the top of his foot. Not saying that kicking with the shin is wrong of course and it’s definitely true that the bones of the top of the foot are smaller and more susceptible to injury if they hit a hard solid object. Just saying that if done with the correct timing, judgement, and accuracy a kick with the top of the foot can be very effective.
The only time I would want to land with the foot is to the head, because of the extra height needed. I still think it would be much better to land with the shin.
The extra range would be nice, but the loss of power and the increased likelihood of breaking a bone negates that advantage.
[quote]Kirks wrote:
The only time I would want to land with the foot is to the head, because of the extra height needed. I still think it would be much better to land with the shin.
The extra range would be nice, but the loss of power and the increased likelihood of breaking a bone negates that advantage. [/quote]
Again, depends on the application and target. A lead off lead leg round kick to the belt line or front kick to the groin (self defense scenario) are both pretty safe techniques if done correctly, benefit from the additional range, and can set-up more powerful strikes or open up the head. Not every strike you throw is or even is supposed to be a fight ender.
Ok let me be more specific. I would never kick a hard target such as a leg or arm with the top of my foot intentionally. Now real life you do end up hitting with the top of the foot. Many times liver shots or body kicks and normally head kicks end up looking like that depending on the situation.
My point is that if you are kicking the shit out of jugs of water or some other hard surface with the intention of using the top of your foot as a primary weapon then there are better options.
Im not saying its wrong, you do need to condition your body. I spent a year kicking things with my big toe because in Uechi Ryu the kick with the big toe. What would be more beneficial is training to rotate your hips and open them up more and aim with the shin. The other things will fall into place.
[quote]Kirks wrote:
The only time I would want to land with the foot is to the head, because of the extra height needed. I still think it would be much better to land with the shin.
The extra range would be nice, but the loss of power and the increased likelihood of breaking a bone negates that advantage. [/quote]
Again, depends on the application and target. A lead off lead leg round kick to the belt line or front kick to the groin (self defense scenario) are both pretty safe techniques if done correctly, benefit from the additional range, and can set-up more powerful strikes or open up the head. Not every strike you throw is or even is supposed to be a fight ender. [/quote]
Fair enough. A kick to the balls is obviously one time when it doesn’t make too much difference if it’s the shin or the foot that lands.
However, I assumed we were talking about in general (probably more sports related) terms as in a self defence scenario no one should be going for head kicks.
[quote]Ranzo wrote:
Ok let me be more specific. I would never kick a hard target such as a leg or arm with the top of my foot intentionally. Now real life you do end up hitting with the top of the foot. Many times liver shots or body kicks and normally head kicks end up looking like that depending on the situation.
My point is that if you are kicking the shit out of jugs of water or some other hard surface with the intention of using the top of your foot as a primary weapon then there are better options.
Im not saying its wrong, you do need to condition your body. I spent a year kicking things with my big toe because in Uechi Ryu the kick with the big toe. What would be more beneficial is training to rotate your hips and open them up more and aim with the shin. The other things will fall into place.[/quote]
I think it goes without saying, OP is a novice (if that) and need not practice kicks higher than the stomach for now. Before he mucks about with body hardening he should learn how to kick a heavy bag with his shin with a traditional Muay Thai waist and low that land with the shin. That, a couple hundred times a week, will be adequate ‘body hardening’ for now.
Then he can get more technical and start developing flashy high kicks.
I’m a short bastard, and I try land with my shin as high as I can instead of the foot. Especially when I’m doing my milk jug drills.