Before I tell you about this excellent drill, I have to say that it is not my drill. I have created and invented many different drills and training programs for kicking over the years. But this drill is not mine. I learnt it during one of the seminars I used to take a while back. Unfortunately, I do not recall the name of the instructor and I cannot give the proper credit. But I do want to make sure that people understand that the drill is not mine.

This is a little bit different than probably anything you have seen before. It's definitely different than anything I have seen before at that time. And the only reason that I hold it in such a high regard is because I have seen and felt the power that this drill produces. Of course, over a long period of training, this is not a drill that gives you a quick result.

But when I first felt its power, it seemed surreal to me. It seemed almost superhuman to me. Since I cannot give a proper credit to the person who came up with it, I would like to describe the circumstances in which it was taught, and if anyone reading this have seen this shown before, has or knows who was the first person to teach us this drill please contact me and give me the name of its creator so that I can give credit to this person. I would truly appreciate it as I am sure the creator of this power kicking drill would as well.

This event took place on a weekend in one of the schools that I trained in. An acquaintance of my instructor at a time came into the school with two of his students. He was setting up to teach this drill. He wanted everyone to take it seriously because this drill looks so weird. And he asked the instructor at my school to call up three best kickers who had the best side kick. Three were called up and I was one of the three.

The instructor who taught this workshop, had a pad with him and a bunch of bricks. He warned us that the pad is not soft and the kick will not be absorbed so that we are prepared for that and do not hurt our feet.

He asked us to kick the pad while one of his students was holding it. He explained that we were not going to be able to penetrate the pad since there is a hard surface in front and padding is in the back. Our goal should be to push whoever was to hold the pad as far as possible with a kick. We all did what we were instructed to do. Created some distance from the pad and did a step behind or step through kick.

But going back to the story. All of us managed to push the pad holder somewhat, in other words, to get them to step back from the kick. The student holding the pad had an excellent stance and was very well adapted to receiving that kick. The martial arts instructor complimented us and asked us to now stand next to the pad. And kick the pad without moving the supporting leg. In other words, no stepping behind, no stepping through, no jumping or hopping. Just a kick from the place.

I have to say that I was very surprised that the holder has barely moved when the kick came in. Later on, thinking about this, I realized that the holder has received a lot of powerful kicks and thus leant how to adapt and how to ground himself into the stand with his legs and of course his core, so that the kick would not move him. Of course, this would have been a dangerous thing to do if there was no padding because the force of the kick would have to be absorbed without moving forward, back, side to side, simply standing there.

Next, the instructor, said that he was going to kick us with a pad. He asked if any one of us had a concussion, a whiplash injury, or any kind of injury before he executes the kick. While I did have a concussion that I experienced about 6 months prior to this event, I didn't say anything because I wanted him to kick me and I wanted to see what he could do.

If you have ever seen someone fly back from Bruce Lee's one inch punch, multiply that by three or five times at least, that is how powerful the kick that I was about to receive was. The workshop instructor positioned himself in front of me. And he threw a kick. A kick where I did not expect much power, because he did not accelerate his mass. It seemed as if he simply stood there and extended the kick. I flew back.

I have been hit by hard kicks many times before, both with the pad and without the pad. But those were the kicks that were accelerated, where the mass was transferred into me through the leg. Here he didn't move! He just threw the kick. I couldn't understand where this power came from. I flew back quite far, and as much as I tried to sink into my stance and ground myself, I could not. He asked if I wanted to try again. This time, I got really deep into my stance fully ready to withstand the kick, and again I flew back! At that time, I was a teenager and I was 150 something pounds. Two other guys who held the pad were a lot bigger and heavier than me. And they too flew as well.

After this demonstration he had our full attention and was ready to show us the drills that he does. We could not do this drill inside the studio, as it would have damaged the wall. So, we went outside. Everyone was given two bricks. He asked us to hold the bricks one against the other, against the wall. Multiple people holding the bricks. The bricks were in one straight line. At this point, he positioned himself, extended his sidekick and asked us to let go off the bricks. We all let go and he held a long line of bricks with his sidekick. He then told us to hold the bricks in place as he removed his leg.

He explained that the power as we already knew, and I'm sure you know this as well, of that specific type of training, comes from the ground. Usually, the way we were using our body was accelerating the mass into the kick providing that there was a distance for us to do so. But if that space is not available, then the power comes from the ground. He developed a brute isometric strength, which might be the best way to describe it. According to him, he has been practicing this drill, or over 30 years. Twice a week. Slowly adding more and more bricks, starting with one and building up.

And while this is a tremendous push and power of the kick as opposed to explosive power or penetrative type of power. I have no doubt that receiving a kick like that could do quite a lot of damage. Especially if it is aimed at a soft area of the body such as an abdomen. If it is aimed at the arm or the shoulder or the chest while the damage is still possible, most likely a person on the receiving end of it will have the fight taken out of them. So this, in my humble opinion, might be a good way to end a fight without doing too much damage, providing that the kick is not aimed at the vulnerable targets.

I also have to assume without actually trying it, but based on logic, that this method could be used for a front kick, a straight punch or a straight palm strike as well. I realize that not everyone is going to get an opportunity to do this type of training. I would have loved to do it, but I wasn't able to simply because I didn't have bricks. I might have found books, but at the same time I didn't have anybody to help me place it on the wall and take it off at the times when I was training. And for that reason, I never got to do this drill. But I decided to make a post about it simply because I've seen and felt the result of this type of training.

And if you are reading this and have an opportunity to do try this drill. You will want to make sure that you do it safely so that the bricks don't damage anything. Don't damage the floor. Don't damage the wall. And so on. And have someone who is able to help you.

It might be something worthwhile for you to do, just be patient. Afterall, the guy who invented this drill spent 30 years, twice a week perfecting his skill. I have no idea what his power was after five years or ten years or 20 years. But the power that I have experience, granted it was pushing power, but it was nothing short of amazing.

P.s. Thinking back about the drill, I realized that there are other ways to perform a similar type of training. It won't be as authentic and perhaps the results are going to be slightly different. But overall, the drill could have been performed with resistance bands, with cables or with a partner. A partner has to be trained enough to be able to control the pressure. But simply a sidekick is extended either into the pad or into the partner's chest and the partner just presses while a person performing the sidekick digs in and resists. Granted that it's a little different than the pressure with the bricks. Because the bricks are not pushing you. And here, your partner, the resistance band, the cables would be. So substituting a resistance to eccentric contraction is not exactly the same as isometrically creating a concentric attempt. But overall, the idea is similar, although not exactly the same.