When martial artists train to kick faster, they sometimes only focus on how fast they can stick their foot out.
But that’s only half the kick! The second half.
My advice is to spend some time focusing on the first half of the kick. That’s would be how fast you can get your foot up off the ground. Here’s why—
I don’t care how fast you can stick your foot out… if I see you shifting your weight and pulling your leg up, I’ll be home and halfway through a sandwich by the time your kick gets there.
So, here’s a fast tip for fast kicks. Check it out and get a leg up on the bad guys!
If the video won’t play, you can find a summary below.
How to Kick Faster in Martial Arts
We’ve all had the experience of throwing a bunch of kicks and then feeling a burn in the hip flexors. At that point, you think, “Man, I have to make these muscles stronger.”
Stop! Not so fast!
Pain is usually just your body’s way of saying, “Hey—you suck. You’re not doing this right.”
When it comes to burning hip flexors, your body is trying to tell you to stop dragging your leg around like it’s an anchor. What should you do instead?
Don’t pull your leg off the ground—PUSH IT!
Think of throwing a kick like running a sprint…
When sprinters start a race, they set their foot on a starting block. The gun goes off and they don’t pull their leg forward, they push off. They explode forward.
Same idea for kicking! Think of the world as a giant starting block. When the time comes to kick, explode off the line.
It doesn’t matter if you’re on the ball of your foot or flat-footed—that’s up to you—just make that connection between your foot and the ground.
Let’s break down this kicking methodology into three simple steps…
Step 1: Push the foot
Pretend your foot is a basketball and bounce it. Dribble it.
Try not to use your hip flexors at all, just relax your leg and isolate your calf muscle. After all, that’s what the calf muscle is designed to do—to lift your foot—so let it do its job.
Just don’t go crazy—this is not a big move. You only want to get your leg moving.
Step 2: Push the hip
Once you get the foot is moving, keep it moving.
Push the hip forward and let your leg swing up into a chambered position. Drive it up just like you’re executing a knee strike.
Whether you chamber straight ahead or to the side, the double push from the foot to the hip will give your hip flexors a break.
Step 3: Throw the kick
Remember, the challenge of a fast kick is not how fast your foot moves from the chamber to the target, but from the ground to the target. So, focus on exploding off the line and you will kick faster than ever.
If you want to really develop your ability to explode off the line, hit the stairs. Really!
In case you missed it, I’ve got a video called, Stair Workout for MMA, which will give you a few ideas for putting some more pep in your step.
No matter what, keep pushing, my friend. That’s the secret to kicking faster and fighting for a happy life! 🙂
Ossu, and many thanks! I suspect recent pain in my left hip flexor is due not only to old sneakers (new sneakers provide a good bit of relief) but also to incorrect body dynamics while drilling kicks with the left leg more than I’m used to. Thanks!!!
Sorry for your pain, Jo–but glad you’re listening to it! You’re a smart one! 🙂
It’s always more difficult to RE-learn a movement, but sometimes we have to break it down… make adjustments… and build it up slowly and steadily. Keep up the good work! OSU!
Ossu, and thanks for the encouragement. I’m starting to appreciate time spent outside of class for working on these things. Hmmm, I think I feel a blog post coming on – but feel free to run with the idea if you get to it before I do 🙂
Hey, I’ve already got an article about training in the bathroom, so I’m with you! 🙂
Can you make a video or explain how this technique would apply to a tornado and other spinning kicks?
Hi Paul!
I would simply suggest that any time you move your foot off the ground, it should pop up, not just step up, if that makes sense. It doesn’t matter if you’re spinning or not. Just explode off the line!