The Knees of Blue Belt

Actually, there is only one knee that I consistently use in training. That is the straight rising knee. Sometimes I’ll combine it with a pull forward when going to the body. Sometimes I’ll go lower…

There are two different ways I deliver the weapon. I’ll either slide in and kick with my lead leg or I’ll shift forward as I drive my rear leg into the attacker.

In either case, a knee is a devastating and powerful weapon.

Without prejudice

The Spinning Kicks of Green Belt

The spinning back kicks of Kisae are done in a ‘plant and drill’ fashion. That means I turn, plant my foot and drive back with my kick. It means I can do this with power and speed day after day.

This isn’t the way I learned it but it is the way I practice it now.

The four kicks are a spin back thrust heel kick, a spin back swing heel kick, a spin back rising heel kick and a spin back hook heel kick.

They may not look very pretty but they are very powerful and easy to use.

Without prejudice

The Shift Forward Kicks of Orange Belt

These four kicks are very similar to the kicks of the previous belt. Without going into too much detail, the yellow belt kicks help a student build an effective kicking structure that can be modified slightly to produce a different outcome.

For instance, the top of the foot front snap kick to the groin now becomes a front thrust kick with the ball of the foot driving into the bladder or solar plexus of an attacker. I find that this kick makes up in power what it loses in speed.

Without prejudice

The Slide in Kicks of Yellow Belt

This week I’m practicing a few kicks from each belt level for Kisae Kempo. First I demonstrate the move slow and then I’ll do it fast. For some days, I’ve done the kicks bare foot and on others, I’m wearing shoes. Both ways are necessary for a firm ability to kick effectively.

Today I’m demonstrating the slide in kicks of Yellow Belt. The first is a basic top of the foot snap kick to the groin. The second is an offset top of the foot kick which I can aim for the outside of the thigh, or the short ribs of my attacker. The third kick is a top of the foot roundhouse kick to the inside of the thigh, the groin or higher into the solar plexus. The fourth kick is side thrust kick to the groin, bladder or the solar plexus of a forward facing man.

Without prejudice

A Flurry of Roundhouse Kicks and Back Fist Strikes

s a change of pace, I switched to a side leading stance and practiced my roundhouse kicks and back fist strikes.

Like I’ve said before, banging away on a stationary heavy bag is a good way to tell if I can hit a stationary heavy bag hard.

It is fun and gratifying in its own way.

But…

It is not a good way to tell how effective that same strike will be against an aggressive and competent attacker bent on hurting me. There are just too many other factors involved.

Without prejudice

A Flurry of Kicks, Punches and Fore Elbows

Today I’m continuing with yesterday’s exercise. I also add a couple of half distance punches and a couple of fore elbow strikes as well.

Without prejudice

A Flurry of Front Kicks and Straight Thrusts

Today I’m adding the element of kicking to the concept of a flurry of strikes.

I start by using the front kick as my initial way of closing with the attacker.

At one point I add the punch after the kick as a way to continue to pummel the bag.

At another time I double up on the front kick.

This makes it harder for my attacker to predict what I’m going to do.

Without prejudice