Help My Balance

[Kareyn]

I feel it, I see it, but haven't yet made progress. My kicks are always leaving me unbalanced and iffy. There are a few people in my class that look as if they are being held down, almost pulled down from the center of the earth, by their standing leg as they push their kicks. The only way I have thought to feel this sensation is to kick with an ankle weight on my standing leg. To stay grounded while pushing a kick has yet to happen. I feel lucky each time I stay standing! Suggestions?

[Nix]

I've had the same problem as you, and still struggle with it with ushiro/ushiro mawashi geri. It's a matter of technique. It's important to wind up your leg before kicking, but it is even more important to do it after the kick. By tucking your leg back in, you have better control of it, and you can put it down from where it came from.

[tmd]

Could it be that you are over reaching essentially puling yourself off balance? I feel more off balance when I perform without an adequate warm up.

[JAzze]

Osu, Kareyn. Check your technique in the mirror and watch where your head is going. I try to visualize an imaginary line coming down from the dojo ceiling and passing through my head to the floor. Your basic techniques should rotate around this imaginary line (strikes and blocks, too).

If your head is tilting over to one side during kicks, your body is probably following it. If you can keep your head (and spine) straight, I suspect your balance will improve.

[BigAl]

Sanchin kata can help. It's definitely helped me.

[MilkManX]

I have the same issue and what helps me is to imagine a pole that runs through my center mass from my head to the floor. Dont lean with your back!

[meguro]

Don't look down at your feet. Look forward towards your target, even if you're kicking at air. By looking forward, you keep your head over your center line, which makes balancing a lot easier. As soon as your head tilts, you've made it much much harder to keep your balance.

[tmd]

This is hard without seeing what you're doing Kareyn as I keep thinking of other things you could be doing wrong and are probably not - if you can't post a vid here why not just ask your Sensei or a Sempai to watch you throw some kicks at the end of class to see what the problem is.

[seung]

Two things have helped me greatly in keeping balance for kicking.

1) NOT leaning back when kicking (or for anything), and always having my back straight with knee close to my chest for kicking

2) Building grip strength of my toes of standing leg

In order to do this, while standing with my feet parallel to each other, I try to move forward ONLY using my toes.

Hope these help!

[seienchin]

Kareyn, as others have said, it is hard to guess, but will give you some observations based on what I have seen others struggle with.

Firstly, if you come to karate quite flexible (or rapidly gain flexibility) your flexibility can outstrip your balance. You can end up throwing kicks that are higher than your technique and balance are ready for. Balance will come first at the lower kicks.

Secondly, ALWAYS keep the grounded leg slightly bent. The sensation you want is, as Big Al has mentioned, similar to the sanchin feeling, of something pulling you into the ground. If you can have someone pull down on your belt while you just try to do a hiza geri, you will start to get the feeling.

Another slightly more advanced exercise that helps with this is to get the mechanics of the kicking let going - so maybe do a few just with one leg, and then shift your consciousness into the grounded foot. Keep the kicking let going, but with each kick, focus on pushing the grounded foot into the floor. Almost like you are kicking with both feet at once. Change legs, and get it happening in the other leg. Then see if you can do it (slowly) alternating, then building speed. Kick the ground as you kick your opponent.

Tuck-extend-tuck-ground is the kicking mantra. The kick is not over until all 4 steps are complete. Doing this very slowly, and holding the extend out just for a one second pause will build balance and stamina.

Happy practising!

[Kareyn]

I am so glad I asked this question. These hints have completely changed each cell in my body as I kick. I'm so grateful, really. Seriously, can't thank you enough.

[MilkManX]

Thats what we are all here for!

Glad to hear I helped!

[vapor]

It is great to have the ability to share and learn!

vapor