Matthew Sylvester has been training in the Martial Arts since 1991. He currently studies Ao Denkou Jutsu, Kempo Ryu Karate, Tae Kwon Do and Shunryu Kempo.

This issue we will be concentrating on excercises that build up leg strength and kicking ability. The beauty of these excercises is that they can be done at home and on your own if need be. Training on your own may mean that you don't push yourself as hard as a mate would. When Dan and I train we often disallow kicks that didn't travel the full distance aka Flappers.

Exercise One

Both students face each other with their right leg forward and their right hands clasped.

Using their own balance and their partner's hand to steady themselves, partner A brings their leg up into the cocked position.

Partner B then counts to ten slowly. At 1, A kicks once. Don't slam it out and back, just extend the leg and get good form and then bring it right back. At 2, A kicks twice etc., until B reaches 10. After A has got the 10 kicks out B calls out 9 and continues to count down until 1. By this time A will be feeling more than a little pain if this is the first time that they have done it. Irregardless of this, they should try to fire of another 10 quick kicks.

NOTE: They are not to flap their foot, each kick must start fully curled and be fully extended. At the end of this excersise, both students will have performed 110 round houses. Some pain might be experienced, rather like cramp.

Exercise Two

Depending on the leg strength of the students, this next excercise might be a bit too easy for some. Just up the number of reps that they do.

This excercise is the same as the previous except this time they will be performing side kicks and only going up to 5 before coming down again.

NOTE: This excercise is excellent for ensuring good form.

As you can see A comes up for the kick, his chest is pointing at 90 degrees away from B and his thigh is horizontal to the floor

A then cocks his hips so that it looks as if he is presenting his bottom to B.

A then extends the leg, making sure that he;

• Hits the target with the ball of the foot if performing a piercing side kick
• Hits the target with the heel of the foot if performing a Karate side kick
• Hits the target with the blade of the foot if performing an ITF TKD kick.

Either way, extension should be a full as possible and the leg as high as possible. It does not matter if the student cannot kick higher than B's knee, just so long as they perform the kick as well as possible. Height and power will all come in due time.

Exercise Three

No, not more of the same. This time both students get to suffer together!

Both get into the squat position with their hands touching their heads in a double salute.

From the squat they stand up and perform a front kick again making sure that the correct weapon for the kick is well formed. Again they do it up to 5, but this time they do it on BOTH legs at the same time. This may not sound like a lot but for those just starting or for arts that don't place an emphasis on legs it is a killer.

Exercise Four

This is the same for all the previous excersises. Once 1, 2, or 3 have been performed twice per student, they should get the pads out and perform 50 kicks each leg full power on the pads.

Full power does NOT mean that they just blast the kicks out. Each one should be performed as well as possible.

TRAINING NOTE

If a kick is not performed to the best of the ability of the student, then it should be discounted. This may sound harsh, but it ensures that they do not take shortcuts when under pressure/ suffering from pain and cramps. It also ensures that the best form is kept whilst training.