[Nick in NZ]

Hi - can anyone tell me what the proper technique is for a back kick?

I've been taught by most instructors that you lean forward, look over your shoulder and kick outwards with the heel of your foot - no higher than your bottom.
But we have a newer instructor (who is a fantastic instructor) and he says it is like a donkey kick - where your leg is slightly bent and he kicks sort of upwards in a short sharp movement.

what do other instructors / participants think?
interested to hear your thoughts... O:)

[Placebo]

Hi Nick,

In my Combat manual (born in 1999), photos make it look like it's straight back. But the technique explanation is very vague "Drive the heel backwards. Maintain the knee directed to the floor as much as possible. Return leg along same trajectory..." They also say target areas are the groin (which would be moving the leg straight backwards), or the solar plexus (which would be the angle upwards). Sorry, no definative answers to your question! On the DVDs, Dan tends to angle upwards, so I generally do that too.

I was also reading about the Side Kick in the manual, and it states "The foot remains dorsiflexed so the heel is the striking surface..." which is how I was taught by the trainer. However, sometime later we had to angle toes down slightly to strike with "the blade" (or side) of our foot. So maybe there's been a change to the Back Kick somewhere along the way also (??).

I've just realised, I've probably been no help to you at all #-o

[SandDancer]

I was taught that it is like a short, sharp donkey kick...I think the angle and height depends on how far you lean over....i.e. chest high will aim your kick to their kneecap....chest low will aim your kick to their groin/stomach.

For all kicks, we've always been told as instructore to never go above waist height (if participants choose to do so because they have had formal martial arts training, then that is up to them).

hope that helps!

[grandnat]

SandDancer, on Oct 6 2009, 06:41 PM, said:

I was taught that it is like a short, sharp donkey kick...I think the angle and height depends on how far you lean over....i.e. chest high will aim your kick to their kneecap....chest low will aim your kick to their groin/stomach.

For all kicks, we've always been told as instructore to never go above waist height (if participants choose to do so because they have had formal martial arts training, then that is up to them).

hope that helps!

Rach has used the cue "kick like a donkey" in several DVDs - but as on a few occasions they don't do what they cue - and kick out to the side a bit. It's like them saying "keep your kicks low" and then still kicking at face height.

[Mel]

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I was always taught to aim for the knee in a back kick. I have no idea why Dan and Rach always seem to do it higher. My husband tells me that from a martial arts perspective it's not functional to do a high kick cuz it's too slow.

In reality aswell, aiming for the "groin" in a guy is not a good place to aim because men are very very protective of that area. They will guard that area with their life!

I say a short sharp kick to the knee...........but that's not based on any manuals or facts. Just my opinion.

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