Past Kicking Drills

It is from the past that we can learn a great deal.

When I discovered John Sell’s Unante, he made reference to an Itosu 8 point kicking drill. I reconstructed it, I discovered many fascinating kicking concepts

The drill with a partner is essentially 8 different kicks (either delivered one after an other or with both partners alternating). As I see it they are (delivered from natural stance) :



a. Right squat kick to the opponents left floating ribs

b. Left squat kick to the opponents right floating ribs

c. Right front kick to the solar plexus

d. Left cross front kick to the opponents left hip ball joint

e. Right cross front kick to the opponents right hip ball joint

f. Left front kick to the groin

g. Right cross front kick to the opponents inner thigh

h. Left cross front kick to the opponents inner thigh

performed by Devin Van Curren and Mike Cassidy

Before this exercise I was to focused on kicking straight on and hadn’t seen the full advantage on kicking across the body. Likewise targeting the hip ball joint hadn’t occurred to me either.

I have made this a regular part of our advanced practice .

Here's another kicking drill to try along with the Itosu 8 point drill. It is from Mabuni Kenwa's 1938 "Kobo Kenpo Karatedo Nyumon (Quanfa for Attack and Defense: Introduction to Karatedo)." 

I refer to it as the Mabuni 7 point kicking drill. 

Among other benefits this is great for balance.



1. Knee smash to groin

2. Kick with instep to groin

3. Kick with ball of foot into pelvic girdle

4. Kick with heel into solar plexus

5. Stomp with heel onto opponent who grabs you from behind

6. Kick up with heel into groin of opponent who grabs from behind

7. Kick with edge of foot to knee joint of attacker to the 45 degree and in front of you.

This should all be performed without setting the foot down betweenkicks.

This drill was translated by Charles Joseph Swift.

performed by Mark Radunz