Kicking Combination 1
Within our Dojo, we have many combinations where each one comprises of several shotokan karate techniques.
This particular shotokan kicking combination is first practiced at brown belt and is then used at every examination, up to black belt.
The kicks should flow, one after another, with no pauses throughout the kicks.
Starting from a left side fighting stance.
1. Front kick (mae geri)with the right leg, then a short step forward with the right leg.
2. Side thrust kick (yoko geri kekomi) with the left leg, then a short step forward with the left leg.
3. Round house kick (mawashi geri) with the right leg, then a short step forward with the right leg.
4. Spining back kick (ushiro geri) with the left leg, then stepping forward with the left leg and finishing in a left side fighting stance.
Throughout this kicking combination, try and keep kamae, try not to let your arms wave around as you kick. Keep the kicks flowing, rather than kicking in a robotic fashion.
All these shotokan karate techniques should be practiced slowly first, then once you are confident in the technique, timing and rhythm of the combination, you can practice at full speed and power.
The difficult part is definately getting the kicks to be strong and flowing. The tendancy is to deliver a strong kick then pause momentarily in the air, before continuing to the next kick.
This combination wants to move like a stone that you throw, the stone doesn’t stop then start, it flows through to the end of it’s journey. The shotokan karate techniques in this kicking combination 1 should be the same. I know you cannot replicate the throwing of a stone with your kicks, but that’s the attitude you must have when practicing at speed.
For our online Dojo we have shortened this combination to just three kicks, as many of our members have small spaces to practice. The three shotokan karate techniques are ~ Mae geri (front kick), Yoko Geri Kekomi (side thrust kick) and Mawashi Geri (round kick).
1. Front kick (mae geri). A snapping kick, lift the knee sharply, keeping the ankle bent, then drive from the supporting leg and push both hips into the target as you kick, then vigorously snap the kick back to a high knee up position.
2. Side thrust kick (yoko geri kekomi). A thrusting kick, but don’t be fooled by the name, you must also snap the leg back as with the front kick, just make sure you snap after the thrust. After the snap back, again keep the knee high.
3. Round house kick (mawashi geri). Another snapping kick. One of the problems when kicking with this kick is that many people aim for the surface of the target, you must go through the target, then vigorously snap the kick back keeping the knee high.
4. Spining back kick (ushiro geri). A thrusting kick, you must also snap the leg back as with the front kick, just make sure you snap after the thrust. There are a few large mistakes that people make when kicking ushiro geri. They hook the kick is probably the most common mistake. Another one is where they over rotate and the back kick turns into a poor side kick. Another huge mistake is telegraphing the kick, try not to turn your back pause and then kick, it should be an extremely fast spin.
We hope you have found this kicking tutorial useful. Check out our Shotokan Community, where we are continually adding shotokan karate tutorials, which include ~ complete kata tutorials, live kata class recordings, individual kata moves, bunkai and much more.
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