On Health, Fitness & Jeet Kune Do

Kicking, by its very nature is far more telegraphic than punching.

A punch is initiated with the hand before any other part of the body is set in motion, thus making it extremely non-telegraphic with virtually no preparation.

In order to throw any kicking technique however, the base must change from two feet to one and the upper body must shift to counterbalance the weight of the striking leg.  So how do you kick without giving away your intention?

Here are a few simple, concrete strategies in the executing a non-telegraphic kick:

1.  Deception

2.  Avoiding the “chamber”

3.  Low-line targets

Deception: The art of deception is perhaps the most important concept for success in the fighting arts.  When two opponents with equal physical attributes face off, it will be the more deceptive of the two who dominate. appearing to be faster, stronger and more overall less telegraphic.

In Jeet Kune Do, deceptive attacks are generally categorized under “progressive indirect” (one of the five ways of attack).  A progressive indirect attack is essentially initiating a forward movement with one attack in order to shorten the distance between you and the target, then changing the target or weapon in order to penetrate an otherwise effective defense.

For example, the “progressive” part could be a feinted eye jab (which allows the fighter to close the distance to the target) but finally change to a side kick aimed at the knee, thus completing with the “indirect” aspect of the attack.

In this picture, I land a snap kick to the inner thigh by first, feinting a jab, stealing a step, then throwing the kick.

2. Avoiding the “Chamber”: The classical method of the art of kicking generally stresses the chamber position as an important intermediate step before a kick is fired.  Although there are certain benefits to chambering the leg, the movement is extraordinarily telegraphic.  By changing the trajectory of the kick to more of an arc rather than sharp angle you will still have path clearance and excellent potential for power generation.  Kicking in an arc does not mean kicking with a straight leg, but rather that the knee and hip cocking is not severe enough to bring the foot away from the target.  As a rule of thumb in nearly any strike, make certain that the striking tool is always moving towards its target.

Difficult to capture on camera, here it can be seen that my kicking leg is traveling in a short arc from the floor rather than from a chambered midway point.

3.  Low-line targets:  Low line targets are the best targets in a self defense situation.  Bruce Lee once said that kicking the head is like punching the foot.  It’s actually not quite that severe given that the legs are much longer than the arms, but the point is generally well understood.  With this in mind, targets below the waist (ie. groin, knee, and foot) are closer to the striking tool and require less body shift to kick, thus effectivley reducing telegraph.

In the following photograph, JKD practitioner Sean Foon executes a successful low line stop kick to my knee.

These are fundamental principles to self defense oriented kicking, however “knowing is not enough” so remember to practice.

In Health,

–
Nhan-Esteban Khuong, L.Ac.
www.SGVJeetKuneDo.com

I recently came across this old picture of myself at four years of age during my first few months in Tang Soo Do.

Twenty five years later, it’s been an interesting and enriching journey to say the least.  I look forward to an even richer future.

Enjoy!

–
Nhan-Esteban Khuong, L.Ac.
www.SGVJeetKuneDo.com

Technorati Profile