Dear Friends, In the Past 12 Years I have written numerous articles focusing on the Kinesiology and Biomechanics of kicking. Over the years many people have asked "Why".

Why does my kick look like this and my Master's kick look like that? In the next series of articles I will answer these question. 

The ElasticSteel Method

If you never heard of me and my work, my name is Paul Zaichik. I am the founder of ElasticSteel Method of Athletic Conditioning, EasyFlexibility,  and probably most importantly for you (since you are reading about kicking) ESKMS (ElasticSteel Kick Mastery System). 

So let's dive in. Take a look at the two pictures below

Both are side kicks. Yes, the left picture looks like a back kick. But it's how many people throw a side kick. The picture on the right is actually an animation of my own kick. And by the way before you say it, the left picture is years away from the right one. Cheer up! with right training, the two side kicks are just few months away from each other. Again, With Correct Training! 

This is a program for the kicking height for all 3 side line kicks

The Supporting Leg

So let's look at the supporting leg. Why is the kick on the left look like a back kick? Look at the left side of the pelvis. Do you see it is dropped. That is why the kick looks like that. Why is the kicking side of the pelvis not up? Because the medial rotators are too tight. In this case the medial rotators are also the adductors. This means:

• Adductor  Longus
• Adductor Brevis
• Adductor Magnus
• Gracilis

Medial Hamstrings are also the medial rotators and being short there, will prevent proper hip turnout. 

To a lesser degree pectineus can prevent an outward rotation as well in this position. 

So now we know why the torso is looking down. Because of the lack of rotation in the supporting leg. 

The Height of the Kick

The next obvious question. The height!!! Everyone wants a high kick. The height of the kick has a lot more to do with the supporting leg than with the kicking leg. 

Tight hamstrings (More Medial), together with Adductor Magnus, the ischial component is what prevents the kicking side of the pelvis to rise up enough to throw the kick high.

In other words, the Abduction combined with the lateral rotation is missing from the supporting leg. 

How to Use This Info?

At this point you are probably wondering... You just threw a bunch of muscle names, and joint actions at me. But how can I use all this info. You can find the stretching techniques for those specific muscles that are preventing a good kick and do those. OR you can just do the ElasticSteel Kick Mastery System (ESKMS) and get great kicks that way. 

The Kicking Leg

Alright now. What about the kicking leg? Well having flexible adductors (Inner thigh muscles) on the kicking leg helps. How in the medially rotated position, the range is very small. Also remember that Quadratus Femoris is also an adductor and medial rotator. So that muscles must be taken care of as well. 

The Torso

And Finally The torso. Have you seen someone throw a very high kick, just to drop their torso so low, that the head almost touches the floor? 

This is a program for the kicking height for all 3 side line kicks

Does that look good? Well, you tell me. Also if you want to spar or fight in that position, be prepared to spend valuable time, dropping the torso and than raising it, during each kick. I rather keep mine up. 

To do that all the lateral flexors on the non-kicking side must be flexible. That's Rectus Abdominis, Obliques, Psoas Minor and Major, Spinal Extensors, Quadratus Lumborum. 

Torso Flexibility

A flexible torso is really what makes a difference between a high kick and a beautiful high kick. An easy to see kick and a hard to see kick. Think about it. If you see the head dropping, you know the kick is coming. Flexibility in the core allows you to throw that kick without sending a warning signal first. 

What's Next

In the next article we will talk about the muscles that need to be stronger to convert the kick on the left to the one on the right. And remember with right training, it takes very little time. "Keep kicking till you get better" is an old, outdated way. See what we offer instead.

Extreme STRENGTH, HEIGHT, POWER, PRECISION and CONTROL can now be Yours! 

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