Ushiro Geri (Back Kick) - Part I
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Our style of karate teaches many different basic techniques for punching, kicking, and blocking. However, the most fascinating and awe-inspiring techniques are those that can knock an opponent out in one shot. These techniques are certainly very exciting, but the reality is they are very difficult to develop to this level.
If done properly, a back kick can unleash tremendous power and defeat an opponent in one blow. But getting to this point is much more difficult than movies and video games would have you believe. Often times, when someone begins karate training, they have an image of themselves learning powerful techniques that will defeat any adversary they face. The back kick fits into this type of beginner's fantasy because of the tremendous force it can deliver upon impact. Most kick techniques are powerful. Some use the chusoku (ball of the foot), haisoku (top of the foot), sune (shin), and hiza (knee). The back kick, however, uses the kakato (heel), which is extremely hard and capable of delivering an incredible amount of force.
Many students confuse the back kick with the back spin kick. These are two totally different techniques. Although performing a back kick requires you to turn your body, the trajectory of the kick is straight. When learning the back kick, students face a couple of common problems. First of all, they don't spin their body around quick enough. This makes their movement before the kick very large and easy for their opponent to read. Another common problem is actually hitting the intended target.
On this page, we last covered mae geri (front-snap kick). Now we will focus on explaining some of the fundamentals you need to deliver a quick and powerful back kick.
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1. Don't Rush the Setup
When they start learning, most students want to rush right into doing the kick. However, the first thing you need to learn is the correct body posture from which to kick. You need to know how to setup your kamae (posture) for delivering an effective kick. For more information on this, see KYOTEN TEXTBOOK vol. II (pages 18-19).
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Initially, don't worry about spinning. Turn your back to the target and raise your knee while looking over your shoulder at the target. Use something to support your balance, such as a rail, chair, another student, wall, e.g. Practice just this part over and over for both legs. Here are some key points to focus on while you practice.
• Pick your knee up close to your body in order to reserve your power ( tame ).
• As you raise your knee, turn your head and shoulders to face the target. Try to feel how the movement of your head and upper body lead your knee up.
• Bring the toes of the kicking leg up toward the shin in order to expose the heel sharply.
• Make sure that the jiku ashi (supporting leg) is not tight. Keep the knee bent and relaxed for better balance.
After you practice this way over and over, and begin feeling comfortable with the movements, start extending your heel to the target. After you kick with the heel, return your leg back the same way and try the other side. Again, don't rush this part; make sure to use correct form each time. Continue practicing this point over and over. Even though you may understand the movements in your head, you need to keep practicing so that you can learn them with your body as well.
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