Class: Kick
Description: An outside spin kick with a jump. One rotation.
Variations:
Prerequisites: Any standing spin outside kick.
Equivalent variations: Landing on non-kicking leg/feet together/or kicking leg.
Advanced variations: 360 gyro, feilong kick, 720 kick, double leg, crescent single leg
---------------------------------------------------------
An insanely important prerequisite
The 360 kick. With my fingers on this keyboard motionless for countless seconds, I've turned over in my mind the magnitude of this move's importance as a prerequisite. As far as kicking is concerned, I would assume most people would feel the 540 inside kick is the most essential foundational trick. Unilateral set-up kicks all lead back to the 540, and unilateral set-up kicks dominate. Bilateral set-up kicks all lead back to the 360 kick. However, doubleleg variations (double leg, double leg hook, CSL, double leg twist/gyro, etc) actually lead back to the 360 kick as well. I suppose I can comfortably say that the 360 kick rivals the 540 kick's importance as a foundational trick. You need this move, you need to get it as soon as possible! The 360 kick is an insanely important prerequisite!
What this move is about
There are six moves I refer to as foundational basics. They include the 540 kick, 360 kick, double leg, butterfly twist, aerial, and the backflip. Most foundational tricks (minus possibly the butterfly twist) are more about conditioning than navigating through a maze of confusing technical conditions. Of the six, this move is the simplest technically. Moreover, this trick does not possess any quality that evokes fear. Finally, it would require the least amount of conditioning of the six basics, with the exception of the aerial which requires almost zero physical effort or preparation outside of a little flexibility. So, this trick isn't scary or difficult technically or physically! In fact, some people don't refer to it as a true trick. When asked what my first trick was, I am quick to say the 540 kick! However, if the 360 kick were more accepted as a trick, I would be wrong in that statement; I was able to 360 kick when I was taking Taekwondo classes long before I even knew what tricking was, let alone a 540 kick! Thus, you have little standing in your way here.
How I learned this move
Without wasting too many words: I got some dynamic flexibility, learned to crescent kick, learned to spin crescent kick, then learned to jump spin crescent kick after becoming physically active for the first time in my life around thirteen years of age. A jump spin crescent is just a different way of saying 360 kick btw. 360 crescent, 360 hook, 360 wheel, jump spin crescent, jump spin hook, jump outside kick, etc etc etc.
If you are starting from scratch
First: You will go here and read the entire section of my flexibility tutorial on dynamic flexibility. This will teach you how to condition your dynamic flexibility. Next: You will begin developing your dynamic flexibility with the stretches and kicks prescribed in said write up. Also: You will begin to jump more. If you have never been active in your life and you really are starting from scratch, start jumping around and get stronger! Go outside and crash some tricks for fun. Finally: You're gonna get this trick.
Note: I apologize to all those people who are way beyond the need for this kind of advice, but since this truly is such a novice move there are some appropriate opportunities to spoon feed helpless individuals while writing this tutorial. This saves me from having to read an e-mail or ten that makes me want to slam my head through my monitor.
A little preface before I begin writing slide captions; In the exampler I mentioned that the quarter turn setup is a poor choice and is fairly outdated as a setup for this skill and other spin kicks. I agree with whatever I said outside that afternoon; However, I have decided to use an example execution utilizing that method for this walkthrough. Why? I feel for starting out, it possibly could be easier to control the kick initially entering it this way as it is more target oriented as a setup. Learning to spot targets and aim for something while kicking is important, especially for new tricksters. Later, I would advice entering it directly from the side if one becomes more concerned with style and presentation over martial arts practicality.
So anyway, we will begin this skill by coming forward and creating a slightly curved path. But first, I want you to pick a target. It can be anything visual, it doesn't have to be something you are actually going to strike. Just pick something you want to bring your foot across.
Jump shuffle forward to create some momentum keeping your eye on your target and...
Round over a little bit and get ready to dig.
DIG! DIG! DIG! You really need to watch the exampler if you haven't already. Anyway, just like jumping for any reason, we need to dig down to take advantage of something called a "stretch shortening cycle". When doing this for a 360 kick, we would like a little momentum to play with, which we've already acquired, and block it (turning it into vertical height.) So we create a little velocity, and set our body into a dig. If you are traveling to your left like me, your right arm is gonna be back and your left arm will kinda lag in front. The set is a little different than if we were just going jump straight ahead (which would result in both arms setting directly behind you). So the arm set is altered. BUT DO NOT WORRY! If you are entering this from any angle such as the slight round turn or directly to the side, the arms are gonna take care of themselves and set correctly by default. Also of importance, keeping your eye on the target! Keeps everything in healthy alignment.
Foot contact with ground should be minimal. If you are any observer of high impact, speed sports, you will notice foot-ground contact time is almost minimal in highly trained athletes who leap, bound, or jump. So think of the ground as a burning hot skillet and punch it hard and get off of it fast; If you use the non-punch, set foot style setup, get off the ground as fast as you can when both are finally placed!
Now we jump. Block that horizontal momentum and take it all up! JUMP UP!
As you jump you want to take it all up and look around your shoulder and spot your target. Keep your eyes on it as long as possible pre-jump, then turn and look for it immediately. DO NOT LOOK AROUND THE ROOM! Recap for idiots: Keep your eye on target and turn and re-spot the target as quickly as possible.
Now if all went well, there will be little left but to ride out what you set yourself up for. The most crucial part has passed. With a good, strong set and a quick jump, if you simply spot your target your body will start to turn. Remember, wherever the head turns the body follows (extremely important principle in tricking); So with that, just start lifting up that outside leg! :)
Spot your target and bring your foot to it. Since the spin creates the arch this is really nothing more than a stretch kick pulled across by the forces already at play.
POINT YOUR FUCKING FOOT. I hate 360 kicks with flat footed kicks. It's fucking terrible. I hate it even more when it's my own footage! ARGHH!!
Bring that foot ALL THE WAY ACROSS nice and smooth. Don't short cut the kick and drop it early, it's gotta go all the way through to create the right look.
Might as well discuss what options we had passed. We could have hypered the kick, actually we still could. Just keep the non-kicking leg up as the kicking leg comes to land. We could slow up the pace of the kicking leg and land on the non-kicking leg. Here I am going to land feet together! If I wanted to gyro this I'd bring my arms in immediately, wrap tight up top, and get the kicking leg going across and through to wrap down low to create a nice spin at the end.
But nothing fancy here... I'm just gonna drop like a dope.
And land with time to spare.
Goodnight.
Keep in mind:
Enter from an angle or from the side.
Keep your eye on your target.
Dig and minimize foot-ground contact time.
When you jump look around and spot your target ASAP! Do not look at the room.
Please... Please for the love of tricking, POINT YOUR KICKING FOOT!
Bring the kick all the way through. Don't stop halfway, get it all the way across and back.
Specific Problem Advice:
"Jujimufu, I get lost in mid air! Help me!" - How the fuck do you get lost on a jump kick that only really has a 180 degree spin? Die loser.
"I'm having trouble getting my kick across my target and creating that nice, complete kick aesthetic? What can I do?" - Most of the time the problem is in the setup or a lack of power. If you can't jump worth a crap, you're simply gonna have trouble because you won't have the necessary airtime for completion. That's pretty obvious. If you're entering the trick too much forward (and not from the side as I recommend as the most efficient means biomechanically) you might get caught in the jump. The quarter setup (like in the pictorial walk through) has the disadvantage of not allowing an optimal release of the kicking limb. My advice for the latter is to simply get stronger and faster. My advice for the former, is to play with the setup and do not settle for any single entrance until you have sampled enough set ups to determine their inherited differences and how your body reacts to them.
"I'm getting dizzzzzzy!!!!" - Stop looking around the room jackass. Keep your eyes on your target.
"I'm having trouble keeping my body up in the air. I tend to crouch down at the shoulders when tossing the kick and it looks kind of crunched. How can I fix this?" - This is mostly do to a lack of flexibility. You are trying to get the kick to cover an amplitude you aren't capable of, so your body compensates by rounding at the shoulders and crunching forward. Increase your flexibility, consciously make an effort to keep your posture ace, and keep practicing.
PRACTICE
In conclusion, this skill really just needs practice to evolve. Practice it, get stronger and faster. Get flexible. This will have carryover to your tricking as a whole. Just practice!
My experiences:
I already covered this earlier in this tutorial.
--------------------------------------------------
while riding with any tricks be careful for accessing some help of any one is a must thin.
also be ,carefulaccurate,practisful,speedy etc bla bla bla.
-------------------------------------------------
no video for this stuff.
