Is there anything cooler than landing a jump kick? Many things, actually. But leaping through the air is still fun to do and great exercise. So, here are a couple tips to keep you flying high!
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Jump Kick Tips for Self-Defense
TRANSCRIPT
Howdy. Ando here from Happy Life Martial Arts.
Do you like jump kicks? When I was younger, I loved them. They were fun to practice and come on—who doesn’t dream of flying over a car or your girlfriend’s head to knock out a bad guy?
Of course, nowadays, I’m more likely to hit a bad guy with my cane than a jump kick, but I’ve still got a tip to help you fly as high as you can.
So, watch this video for a little information, then go watch Ginger Ninja Trickster for a little inspiration… because that guy can really kick!
JUMP KICK TIP #1
Okay. My best tip for jump kicks is this – look up!
I see a lot of students fighting from a defensive crouch with their chin tucked in. That’s totally cool… until you want to blast off into a jump kick. When your chin is down and your shoulders are rounded forward, jumping feels heavy. Like wearing a backpack full of rocks.
Don’t believe me? Try this…
1) Drop down into a frog squat. Now look straight down and jump up as high as you can.
2) Now, look up and jump as high as you can.
3) Add a kick and see what happens. Looking down… and looking up. No, not all the way up. Just up.
Well? Did you feel a difference? You didn’t do it yet, did you. Well, when you do, if your body is like mine, you’re going to feel lighter and be able to jump higher when your spine is straight.
So, when you’re launching that jump front kick or jump sidekick or some fancy jump spin kick, keep your head up and your eyes on the horizon. That will help you take off like a rocket.
Oh, and if you haven’t seen my video on the Dangers of Being a Bobble Head, then you should check that out, too. To sum it up, you never want your head tipping, flopping, or rolling around. That will almost always weaken your balance, power, and control.
JUMP KICK TIP #2
Hey, while we’re on the subject of jump kicks let me give you one more tip—keep your hands up!
Look, if you’re auditioning for a superhero movie or you’re trying to impress your friends by kicking a piñata, then you can let your hands flip and flop. Even Bruce Lee jump kicked with his hands sticking out. But that’s the movies!
If you’re bold enough to think about using a jump kick for self-defense—hey, do your thing, Superstar!—then you should protect yourself at all times. When you jump over that car, or over your best friend’s body, you want to land with your guard up just in case you miss or they see you coming.
So, keep your hands up and hit the ground fighting, not posing for pictures.
There you go. Look up and hands up—two simple tips that will keep you flying instead of dying.
If you liked this video, thanks for subscribing to the channel and sharing with a friend. Until next time, fly high, my friend, and keep fighting for a happy life.
