Flying kick
Encyclopedia
Kick
In combat sports and hand-to-hand combat, a kick is a physical strike using the foot, leg, or knee . This type of attack is used frequently, especially in stand-up fighting...
in certain martial arts
Martial arts
Martial arts are extensive systems of codified practices and traditions of combat, practiced for a variety of reasons, including self-defense, competition, physical health and fitness, as well as mental and spiritual development....
and in martial-arts based gymnastics
Tricking
Tricking is the informal name of a type of physical activity derived from the martial arts that includes techniques found in gymnastics, B-boying, and similar disciplines. Examples of incorporated techniques include the 540 kick from Taekwondo, the butterfly twist from Wushu, and the double leg...
, with the particularity that the kick is delivered while in the air, specifically moving ("flying") into the opponent after a running start to gain forward momentum. In this sense a "flying kick" is a special case of a jump kick, any kick delivered in mid-air, i.e. with neither foot touching the ground.
Flying and jump kicks are taught in certain Asian martial arts, such as karate
Karate
is a martial art developed in the Ryukyu Islands in what is now Okinawa, Japan. It was developed from indigenous fighting methods called and Chinese kenpō. Karate is a striking art using punching, kicking, knee and elbow strikes, and open-handed techniques such as knife-hands. Grappling, locks,...
.
History
High kicks in general, as well as jump kicks, were foreign to Southern styles, and their presence in Wing ChunWing Chun
Wing Chun , also romanised as Ving Tsun or Wing Tsun, ; ; is a concept-based Chinese martial art and form of self-defense utilizing both striking and grappling while specializing in close-range combat.The alternative characters 永春 "eternal spring" are also...
as well as Japanese and Korean martial arts is probably due to the influence of a Northern style.
Historically, the development and diffusion of flying kick techniques in Asian martial arts seems to have taken place during the 1930s to 1950s.
During this time, Chinese martial arts
Chinese martial arts
Chinese martial arts, also referred to by the Mandarin Chinese term wushu and popularly as kung fu , are a number of fighting styles that have developed over the centuries in China. These fighting styles are often classified according to common traits, identified as "families" , "sects" or...
took an influence on traditional Okinawan martial arts
Okinawan martial arts
Okinawan martial arts refers to the martial arts which originated among the indigenous people of Okinawa Island in Japan, most notably karate, tegumi, and Okinawan kobudō....
, from the late 1940s specifically Shorinji Kempo
Shorinji Kempo
was established by as a system for self-improvement and training in Japan in 1947 based on Shaolin kungfu ....
. Okinawan martial arts in turn developed into karate and ultimately also taekwondo. Taekwondo's special emphasis on spinning, jumping and flying kicks is a development of the 1960s.
Practicability and purpose
While the efficiency of a jump kick in combat sports or self-defenseSelf-defense
Self-defense, self-defence or private defense is a countermeasure that involves defending oneself, one's property or the well-being of another from physical harm. The use of the right of self-defense as a legal justification for the use of force in times of danger is available in many...
is highly debatable,
the move is popular for demonstration purposeses
Kata
is a Japanese word describing detailed choreographed patterns of movements practised either solo or in pairs. The term form is used for the corresponding concept in non-Japanese martial arts in general....
, showing off the practitioner's skill and control, or as a dance move.
Flying kicks (regardless of concerns of utility) are considered among the martial arts techniques most difficult to perform correctly. A 1991 essay dedicated to flying kicks in taekwondo cites trainer Yeon Hwan Park arguing that the main benefit of training flying kicks is "the transcending of mental barriers by overcoming physical challanges that gives the student confidence". Park emphasizes that flying and jump kicks are among the most difficult and advanced techniques, and that he does not recommend their use in tournament situations, but at the same time he surmises that they might in theory be performed effectively even in self-defense situations once their execution has been mastered.
See also
- Butterfly kickButterfly kickA butterfly kick or horse kick is a jumping kick in martial arts such as modern wushu and taekwondo and capoeira.Although the specific nature of the kick varies, it is generally composed of a twist of the body while both legs are lifted from the ground and swung around, while the torso remains as...
- Jump inside kickJump inside kickThe jump inside kick is a popular aerial move in Wushu kung fu and in martial arts tricking. It is also known as the tornado kick, whirlwind kick, Nei Xuan Feng Tui, and Xuanfengjiao in Chinese. In this kick, the performer launches from one leg into a 360° rotation that incorporates an inward...
- TrickingTrickingTricking is the informal name of a type of physical activity derived from the martial arts that includes techniques found in gymnastics, B-boying, and similar disciplines. Examples of incorporated techniques include the 540 kick from Taekwondo, the butterfly twist from Wushu, and the double leg...
- Corkscrew (trick)Corkscrew (trick)A Corkscrew is a martial arts or dance move that is believed to have originated from Wushu and Capoeira. Because of the difficulty and appearance of the move it has been incorporated into various other athletic activities, namely Tricking and Break Dancing...
- List of tricking moves#Kicks