Help with side kick, it just doesn't feel right!?

Question

OK so I play capoeira and 2 of the most basic kicks, chapa and martelo, always give me trouble. Since you probably know them by different names I'll attempt to describe them.

Chapa: A side kick where you kick you foot straight out at your opponent, starts from a sideways stance. It is the one Bruce Lee was always doing in vids.

Martelo: Another sidekick, but this one might be better known as a roundhouse, except you don't complete the spin. You kick and then when the kick passes the front of your body you bring it back.

Anyway, whenever I do these kicks I feel like I 'm not doing them correctly, and like there is no power in them. Also, I tend to feel some pain around my pelvis when I do them too. I doubt its conditioning b/c I've been playing for a year now, but who knows. At any rate, I tried the old practice until you can't lift your leg anymore method, and it didn't work too well. My pelvis pain was agitated and they still 'felt' weak. Any suggestions from big kickers???

Answer 1

The_sparkchaser is right. The reason you are feeling pain in your pelvis is because you aren't rotating you hip enough. This has happened to me before as well, except it was so bad i had to take a break from training. But like i said the_sparkchaser is right about the hip problem.

Answer 2

practice makes perfect my friend.

practice makes perfect.

when we started learning kicks our teacher insisted on practicing against each other using pads to really learn how to feel if you were getting a good kick.

since I was no stranger to martial arts and had done a few basic karate moves before I quickly got the hang of it.

min that you learn a good stance.  Ginga is not taught for no reason.  it is the basic stance in capoeira.  a kick comes from the ground up so if you take care of your stance you have half the work covered. the strength of your kick comes mainly from your hips so make sure that you drive your hip into the kick that's what makes for power in the kick

last I can just advise to practice your balance on one foot.  try standing on one of your feet for a few minutes at a time to try  and feel the balance of your feet.  that way you won't fall over during a kick.

and last but certainly not least.  practice, practice and practice some more.  kick pads, heavy bags and everything else you feel like practicing against.  before you know it you'll be hurtling people to the ground with your feet.

Answer 3

Your basics need tweaking. Yes, you should chamber the kick, and yes, you should point your toes away, or more correctly, point the heel of the supporting leg towards the target. But that in and of itself is not enough. There are other factors. For example, what do you do with your hands when you kick: are they held close to your body, or do you extend the same-side arm into a "punch" with the kick, and pull the other back  "away" from the kick? this plays to the reaction force theory; you pull back with the opposite side with the same force you push forward with the attacking side, thus generating "twice" as much force.

Are you rolling your hips over into the vertical? True, turning the back leg/foot will rotate the hips some, but oftentimes not enough to avoid the pain you are feeling. And, your upper body has to go DOWN as your leg goes UP. Think of the hips as a fulcrum or pivot point: if you try to stay TOO upright, you put extra strain on your hips. If you utilize the upper body as a counterweight to your kick, you should see more powerful results (this also plays to the reaction force theory).

Another little trick I learned (I started HEAVY study of martial arts at the tender age of 36, so I was working from a flexibility disadvantage) is to bend the base knee slightly, and come up onto the ball of your foot slightly. This works to relieve some of the hip pressure as well, which lets you release the kick with more power. It also helps with balance.

Since you mentioned Bruce Lee, watch video of him executing a side kick. Watch what he does with his hands, and watch where his head is in relation to the strike of his kick.

Answer 4

First, I would have to see your kick to really give you good advice, but if you bring the knee up in front of you and "shoot" the foot out to the side, the kick will be stronger and less painful. (natural movement of the hip)

The "roundhouse" style kick, generate the power with your hips, not your feet, and you will increase your power.

Answer 5

You may want to turn your supporting legs toes away from you when making these kicks,.turning your toes of the opposite foot will open your pelvis and your snaps and height will improve.  Your teacher should be able to assist you with this.

*O.k. gotta check these things,.well, with that and the 4 basic  moves of a kick and if stretching is o.k, MeaNinG, you don't feel "pops" or anything else "not normal",...

(in which case I would suggest making sure you are stretching correctly or see a doctor ),..I got nothin.

Sometimes when you feel awkward about a move it is because you almost have it, however I don't like the sound of your hip/pelvis pain,.. Ask the teach.

I wish you well, Good luck!

* Good points, and,...the ball of the foot slightly, really,..sounds fun!