Help with balance

[thehardstyle]

Hello everyone. As I am sure you can tell I am new to the forum and also relativley new to kyokoshin. I love the style and the training. I try to train every day weather it be bag work or kata, in the dojo or out. My big question is my balance. During my kicks especially, I will execute the kick the best I can but usually I am very wobbly and my foot falls hard and I guess eraticly, never lading in the same place or stance. Any hep would be awesome.

OSU!!!!

[daisukey]

Osu! You will eventually be better at shifting weight while kicking so to balance yourself, but if you want to improve quickly you just have to train and practice harder.

Practice kicking on things like this


Or surf/snowboard to improve your balance ability.

[Martin H]

start working the lowkicks and slowly kick just a little higher every day.
It is always tempting to kick high from the beginning, before you are ready.
dont forget to stretch -it is not all-important to ballance in the high kicks, but it helps. stretch lightly (after a short warmup) before training, and seriously after training. Dont stretch "cold".

Also kick training in air, while holding on to the wall, a chair or other things for ballance support will help. Train the kicks both slowly and fast, but dont try for power -save that for the heavybag.

[kakatootoshi]

Dear thehardstyle,
Try your best in the Ido exercises which is essential in training your ability to balance yourself while moving. As you progress, add more kicks or "kaiten" (spinning) in each move. But more kicks does not mean simply flicking your leg out. Make sure you do each kick in good form with proper hip turn.

OSU!

[thehardstyle]

Thank you all so much. Is it possible that I may have my planted leg too straight when I execute the kick? Just a thought

[Bloke]

Yes the supporting leg should be bent slightly when kicking.

[RASor]

Osu,

Center of gravity has a lot to do with balance, also maintain eye contact to the target. Eyes that do not focus tend to cause an imbalance.

Weight affects balance especially with the balancing leg. Make sure you build your legs to handle your weight.

Slow and fast movement helps in control and balance respectively. Slow to control and speed to balance. Control and balance should go hand in hand (rather foot to foot, just kidding).

Stretching counts a lot since a flexible muscle prevents shaking legs. Stretch to your fullest make sure your legs warm up before kicking (shadow or bag or pads).

Just some experiences of mine.

Osu!

[nzproud]

http://www.isami.co.jp/Item/category...00017-1&Lang=1

SS-92 Balance Board might help you improve your balance. Lucky my dojo has one.

[feels]

Several things to remember:

From fighting stance, sink your weight down into your center axis, gripping the floor with your inner big toes.

When you kick, keep your posture and back straight. Do not lean sideways, backward, or forward.

When you kick, keep the weight of your base leg on your inner big toe area, not your heel.

After you snap, your knee should follow the same path backwards from which it was delivered.

[effectz]

u might also remember that u have to pivot off of the standing leg and open your hips. that is the momentum or torque needed for a powerful kick. if you keep that standing/balancing leg straight, not only will you lose power, you will lose your balance.

[Fire!]

Try this also osu

Drills for improving your balance.

by, Naomi Dawe

I remember hearing a lot about balance when I first started training in martial arts... that is... a lot of yelling from instructors, "Balance! Do it with more balance! Watch your balance!" Okay, okay! So we all know that balance is very extremely highly important in martial arts... but have I ever once heard a martial arts instructor tell a student HOW they can improve their balance, OTHER than standing on one foot while brushing your teeth? Have you?

This really annoyed me throughout my beginner years, and when I started teaching martial arts, coming up with actual drills to improve student balance was very high on my agenda, and I created two drills that really do improve balance significantly!

The "beginners" balance drill begins with your feet shoulder-width apart and consists of consecutive kicks done in very slow motion.

1. Bring your knee up in front of you and chamber for a front kick.

2. Extend your leg into a front kick position.

3. Return to the front kick chambering position.

4. Reposition your leg (and body) into a side kick chambering position.

5. Extend your leg into a side kick position.

6. Return to the side kick chambering position.

7. Reposition your leg (and body) into a back kick chambering position.

8. Extend your leg into a back kick.

9. Return to the back kick chambering position.

10. Repeat the whole thing, from #1, 10 times, WITHOUT putting your foot back on the ground.

To the same for the other side (leg).

Once you are able to do this drill without losing your balance, start trying to do the slow motion kick even higher. When you are able to do this well above waist level, consider your balance to be pretty good!

The "advanced" balance training drill also begins from a parallel ready stance (feet shoulder-width apart).

1. Bring your knee up to a front kick chambering position.

2. Very slowly, Extend your foot into a front kick position.

3. Very slowly, without retracting your leg, reposition yourself into a fully extended side kick position.

4. Very slowly, without retracting your leg, reposition yourself into a full extended back kick position.

5. Return to position 1 and repeat the drill 10 times, without letting your foot touch the ground.

Do the same to the other side (leg).

As in the beginner drill, as you get better, try to get your foot higher and higher.

These drills should help you improve your balance significantly, especially if you perform them on a daily basis. The key is, doing them in slow motion! This helps you become more aware of your body's "center" and how to maintain it.

As well as these balance drills, flexibility and ab training must be accomplished. Without flexibility and without strong abs, you won't be able to accomplish the above exercises very effectively at all.

Naomi Dawe is a KATU-ITF Certified Taekwon-Do Instructor who has been teaching traditional Ch'ang Hon Taekwon-Do and coaching National Championship winning Martial Arts Athletes in the AAU-TKD Tournament Circuit for 9 years.
http://www.martial-arts-training.info/balance_training/

EDIT

Kevin KBS,

Please consider starting a new thread in the NUTRITION section, rather than posting something unrelated in this balance thread.

vapor

[sudoraba]

an oldie, but you can also try jump roping

[sas]

I think one of the the most important training for kicks is repeating the correct move in slow motion for each technique and concentrating on taking the leg back in 'armed' position and hold it there for 10 seconds, and most of all the leg should be very relaxed, use the 'hara'

hope you people understand my english
what do you think senior and super members do you agree with my methods?

[sas]

oups, I didn't see your post Fire!

[satanclaws]

I didnt even notce the transition between bieng an unbalanced noob to well balanced noob
I seriously think it was the repitition in kihon that did it and I think thats all it takes

[Grot]

i guess kata in ura might help

[hasbeen]

great advise from fire,this does work!!

[Spirit]

Sometimes our worst enemy to balance is our own mind....
just do it without thinking about doing it

[fighting spirit]

do alot of skip robe, try shifting one leg atime, try 2 use a high mwashi-geri on the sand bag, 1st time u will fall, 2nd time u will develop a balance tail,and last but not least, weights+diest+training..