By Scott Shaw
The Korean
martial art of Taekwondo is immediately identified by its extensive kicking
arsenal. The focus of Taekwondo’s expansive use of the kick became even more
clearly defined as the art moved into the ranks of an Olympic sport during the
1980’s.
At the Olympic
level, Taekwondo’s focus is placed upon the use of the feet as the predominate
weapons of offensive. No punching is allowed to an opponent’s face—though
kicking to the head is a viable and sought after option.
Modern Taekwondo
has focused primarily upon making the art an aggressive, attack orientated
system of martial arts. Though the kicking techniques taught in Taekwondo are
predominately geared towards offensive applications, the same kicks which are
commonly used as aggressive weapons of attack can be used to defensively
intercept the onslaught of an attacking opponent and immediately put an end to
his assault. The only difference between the offensive and defensive
application of the Taekwondo kick is how, when, and where it is targeted.
Taekwondo’s
Kicking Strategy
To begin to
understand how to use the Taekwondo kick as a defensive weapon it must first be
understood that if you are continually in an offensive posture—hoping to out
kick or overpower your opponent, then you will not be able to use your kicks as
defensive tools. This overemphasized offensive mindset is prevalent among many
modern Olympic style Taekwondo practitioners.
They are commonly taught that by kicking and kicking some more, sooner
or later they will win the match by points—if nothing else. Though this
understanding may, in fact, be at least partially true when you are wearing a
chest protector and engaged in a sanctioned match—this mindset will completely
be undermined the minute you go up against as savvy opponent on the
street—where the first and most powerfully delivered strike often times sets
the stage for who will win the confrontation.
Understanding
this, the modern Taekwondo stylist can begin to redevelop their expansive
kicking arsenal and use their kicks not only as powerful weapons of offensive
but as precise defensive weapons, as well.
The
Offense of Defense
When a Taekwondo
kick is used as a defensive weapon it must be initially understood that if you
possess the opportunity to launch a preemptive kick to an open target on your
opponent: such as a Front Kick to his groin, solar plexus, or under his chin,
than this is your opportunity to stop the assault before it begins and you should
take advantage of this opening. This
style of defensive offense is not always applicable on the street or in
sanctioned matches, however. Thus, the
science of the defensive Taekwondo kick must be studied further to see how it
can be used most effectively in all types of physical combat.
Defining
the Defensive Kick
When you begin to
use the Taekwondo kick as a defensive weapons there are three primary rules
which must be observed in order to make the feet effective weapons of defense:
1) The defensive kick must be easy to unleash.
2) The defensive kick must be very fast.
3) The defensive kick must travel to its
target in the most expedient manner possible.
Rule
One
The primary rule
of the Taekwondo defensive kick is that it must be easy to unleash. This is elementally important, for if a kick
is complicated or elaborate, it will too complex to actualize and your opponent
will no doubt deliver his attack to your body before you can intercept it.
Rule
Two
The second rule
goes hand-in-hand with the first—and that is your kick must be very fast. The problem with some of the kicks use in
demonstration orientated Taekwondo is though the these kick are very flamboyant
and pretty to watch, their application is very slow. To this end, those kicks must be left behind
in combat if you wish to emerge victorious.
Rule
Three
The third and
final rule is that the defensive Taekwondo kick must proceed to it target in
the most efficient manner possible.
As Taekwondo has
evolved over the past five decades, its methods of delivering powerful kicking
techniques has become more and more refined. Taekwondo has left behind many of
the exaggerated kicking movements, common to the Japanese martial arts, which
influenced Taekwondo’s early development.
What has emerged are fluid, very rapid, linear kicking techniques seen
only in this Korean based martial art.
With this evolution, the defensive applications of the Taekwondo kick
has increased multifold as the kicks have become much easier to unleash and due
to their linear design they are much harder to defend against.
The
Taekwondo Forward Side Kick
To come to a
better understanding of how the Taekwondo kick has evolved—making it much easer
to unleash in offensive and defensive applications, we can view the modern
Taekwondo Side Kick.
The modern
Taekwondo Side Kick is brought straight up, as if a Front Kick were being
launched. Once your leg has reached approximately waist height, your leg is
then pivoted at hip level, and the kick is snapped out in Side Kick fashion.
The style of Forward Side Kick can be launched from either your rear or forward
leg.
The reason it is
important to develop the ability to perform a Side Kick in this fashion is that
it is extremely fast and can be launched from virtually any standing
positioning. It does not require that you bring your rear leg up to the side
and then pivot your entire body, alerting your opponent to your intentions
before you actually deliver the kick—as is the case of the Traditional Side
Kick. Instead, you have alleviated many of the unnecessary components of this
kick, making it not only easier to unleash but substantially faster, as well.
The
Two Styles of Kicking Defense
Once the basic
rules of defensive kicking are understood you can then move on to actually
implementing effective defensive kicks.
There are type primary methods of defense, the Taekwondo practitioner
employees, while utilizing the kick:
1) The Intercepting Kick.
2) The Blocking Kick.
The
Intercepting Kick
The Intercepting
Kick is Taekwondo first-line of defensive kicking methodology. The Intercepting Kick witness you drive a
defensive kick into your opponent before his kicking or punching attack can be
fully actualized.
At the most
elementary level, Intercepting Kick Defense witnesses you deliver a basic Front
Kick, Side Kick, or Roundhouse Kick to an open Vital Strike Point on your
opponent as he is in the process of launching an aggressive attack towards
you. As targeting is very important with
this style of kicking defense, you will want to aim at a location on his body
which you will be assured of impacting.
Furthermore, you will want to target a location which, once you have
made contact with, will cause his attack to immediately stop. The primary
target locations for this style of Interceptive Kicking Defense are the knees,
the groin, or in the case of sanctioned Taekwondo matches, the solar plexus, or
under the chin.
This style of
Interceptive Kicking Counter Attack can also be used to intercept the punching
assault of your opponent. In this case,
you would target a Front Kick at his inner shoulder, just as he is recoiling to
punch. With impact, not only will his
initial attack be halted but also he will be left open for further counter
assault as necessary.
The
Intercepting Side Kick
The Intercepting
Kick is not limited to debilitating first-line kicking counter attacks. For example, an Interceptive Side Kick
delivered to the mid-section of your attacker will instantly stop any assault
he is unleashing.
The defensive
Intercepting Side Kick can be most rapidly deployed from your Lead Leg. This is especially true when your opponent is
launching an offensive kicking technique from his Rear Leg. As his kick rises, you simply deliver a
powerful Side Kick to his side, under his arms, and he will be send back, often
times to the ground.
The Intercepting
Side Kick is also very effective against the punching assault of an
attacker. As his punch is launched, you
powerfully deliver a mid-level Side Kick to his body. His punching attacking will be intercepted due
to the fact that not only is the reach of your leg longer than his arm, but it
is additionally substantially more powerful.
The
Blocking Kick
The second level
of Taekwondo’s defensive kick is the Blocking Kick. This style of defense witnesses you interrupt
the kick of your opponent by blocking it with a kick of your own. To achieve
this, your kick must be faster then your opponent’s and halt his attack as
close to its point of origin as possible.
In this way his kick will not have gained the necessary momentum to
knock you off balance before you can stop his attack.
The
Blocking Side Kick
The Blocking Kick
is ideally represented by delivering a low Side Kick to the ankle or shin
section of your opponent’s kicking leg as he attempted to unleashing his
offensive techniques. This style of
defensive kick will immediately interrupt his attack and leave him open to
further counter attack.
Follow
Up
Once you have
intercepted or blocked your opponent attack, with a kicking technique, you must
immediately follow up with a secondary counter strike or his assault will
continue. The style of secondary attack
you will unleash is predominately defined by the type of kicking defense you
initially utilized. For example, if you
intercepted an assault with a mid-level Side Kick to your opponent’s stomach or
side, then you can immediately use your free hands to deliver a Back Fist to
his face. If you have block his oncoming
kick with a Side Kick to his ankle, you may wish to continue with your kicking
defense by immediately retracting your kicking leg and deliver a secondary Side
Kick to a higher level on his body.
The most
important thing to remember is that your follow up technique must occur
instantaneously after your initial defensive technique has successfully
intercepted your opponent’s assault.
Additionally, your secondary counter attack must be able to travel
rapidly—striking your opponent to a debilitating location, thus, keeping the
bout from continuing further.
As you now
understand, the Taekwondo Kick is much more than simply an offensive
weapon. When used properly it cannot
only aid you in your self-defense, but it lead you to victory in any physical
confrontation.
Copyright © 1993—All Rights Reserved
