Round kick clinic

Below are my notes from the Steve Morris DVD round kick clinic. These are the points that I have picked up and feel pertinent to my training as of this time. Of course as I delve more into this research these may alter.

Angles are critical as to how you deliver the power into the target so that they can't absorb the shot.

Angles are important to the delivery of power. Hit him into the ground and not just backwards. Deliver the shots into the muscle at an angle as if chopping a tree with an axe as opposed to striking a ball with a racquet.

Diagonal shot have more muscle alignment and usage rather than vertical shots which use less.

Body weight has to support the angle of the shot. Weight is posted over and through the supporting leg to allow the kicking leg to accelerate faster over a shorter distance meaning they have less chance of defending the attack.

The head is giving the direction of the attack. For example is throwing a high kick the head needs to go back over the hips to open them up. Body punches will have the head loading over the hips.

Engage the whole body in a dynamic way.

In terms of stance, when fighting orthodox v orthodox you need to be able to penetrate their stance for the takedown. I know that I am very tentative when stepping into their stance. I need to be more positive with this. Against a southpaw you need to get to the outside of their lead leg.

Don’t adjust the width of the stance to deliver the round kick. Your lead leg foot should be in line with their stance, squarer with the opponent.

Need to be multidimensional with your body. When throwing the round kick after a 1-2 you need to be moving back slightly not giving the hips forward motion as this will aid the opponent taking you down. To practise this concept using the punch bag as free standing with same side hand on the top and kick from this range. Use the tabata protocol with this technique to build endurance plus technique plus concept.

The reflexive jerk or pull back of the free part of the body will add extra power to attacks. The analogy of touching a hot stove causes a short but explosive reaction from the body. The arm does not flail in a large motion. This can be applied to punching and kicking. The pull in the round kick is in the waist of the kicking leg. Steve used the pattern on movement like the claw of a hammer in that the withdraw does nasty damage too.

The hands are used to aid the rotation of the spine in attacking, use the hands to balance takes the power of the attacks.

The voice needs to carry the intention of the action. Shorter for punches and longer for kicks as the amount of body use.

ANGULATION IS THE THING. LEARN TO THROW THE LEG AND STAY AWAY WHEN THROWING. ENSURE THE WEIGHT HAS GONE INTO THE ATTACK NOT JUST THE LIMB.