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So…this week’s fitness look probably seems a bit uninspired. I mean, black on black. Really, Abbie? Not very original. I thought that this is what you have to wear all the time.  Yes, but two things make this outfit awesome: 1) It’s a Goodwill special, with the top (BCG) and pants (Nike) totaling a whopping $5, and 2) Check out the back of the top. Fun, huh? (At first, my husband balked at taking this picture until I assured him that I was posting a picture of the shirt detail rather than my backside for the all the world to see : )).

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A couple of weeks ago, I showed you the four basic punches that we use constantly in BODYCOMBAT. Well, COMBAT launch is this weekend (and boy, do we have some practice to do!), so to get you up to speed in case you wanna come crash the class (or play along from home), I thought I’d show you the four kicks that accompany our punches to round out our arsenal of hardcore moves.

**Prepare yourself for some rather silly expressions.**

1) Front Kick:

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From Combat stance (one leg forward, legs apart, “guard” up), pull your knee into your chest, lean back slightly, brace your abs…

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…now push your hips and the ball of your foot forward, like you’re shutting a door with your foot. Height does not matter. You can aim for your opponent’s knees, groin (ouch!), abs, chest, or even head.

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Retract your heel to your rear end before returning to Combat stance.

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From the side:

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2) Side Kick

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From Combat stance, set your “back” heel at least 3/4 of the way toward your target (your toe will be facing the opposite direction). Check out of my right foot to see what I mean.

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Pull the knee of your kicking leg in toward your chest to chamber the kick…

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Then, let ‘er loose, driving the “blade” (side) of your foot toward your target and keeping your toe turned down and your heel up. (This will feel incredibly awkward at first, both in your foot and your hip). One arm goes out for balance/aim (I’m actually aiming higher than I’m kicking in this shot, and I’m not even looking, so it’s pretty safe to say that I’d get my rump kicked in a real fight if I tried this), and the other arm squeezes in a fist at your side.

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Just like before, height doesn’t matter. You can aim for the ankle, knee, hip, ribs, or head. What does matter is that you pull your knee back into your body before..

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…coming back to Combat stance

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*Remember, once you’ve got your knee into your chest, it’s 3 moves; out, in, land.

3) Roundhouse Kick

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From Combat stance, set your heel 3/4 of the way toward your target, just like you did with the side kick. The roundhouse is a circular kick, so you’re going to have to get your hip over, bum to your opponent and lean away slightly.

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Put your arm out for balance and aim, opposite arm in a fist beside the body, lean away and bring your knee/hip up until your shin is parallel with the ground.

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Whip out a big kick, aiming your shoelaces for your opponent’s body. Your objective is to knock them forward, not away. Again, you choose how high you kick.

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Make sure you pull your heel back toward your bum before you set your foot down.

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4) Back Kick

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From Combat stance, twist your torso slightly toward the back, pull your knee towards you chest…

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…and drive your foot behind you, heel up, toe down (I’m not thrilled with any of the pics I got of this kick, but we were losing our light, so I just went with what I had).

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Pull your knee back into your body before…

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…you set it down.

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A couple of things to note about this kick.  It’s less of a full-extension kick than that others. Your knee will actually stay bent, even at the point of impact (which doesn’t exist for us since we just kick the air). The move goes: step (front foot), look (behind), kick (out, in, land). It can best be described as a “horse-kick”—powerful and quick.  We always tell our members that if they wouldn’t stand behind a horse, then don’t get in the way of my back-kick! : )Of any of the four kicks, this one will shape your glutes the most/most quickly. 

So…Are you ready for a challenge?

Here it is: practice the individual moves, and then, when you feel comfortable enough to try them together, knock out eight kicks of each type on each side (all the same rules apply regardless of which leg is doing the kicking). You could even try combining it with our punching challenge and end up with a nice little ten minute heart-rate booster. 

Ready to kick it?! Let’s get moving! After all, it’s MONDAY!

5 Comments

  1. So awesome!!! You are a Body Combat instructor too 🙂 I just commented on your Body Pump Launch post. I love this and will definitely be pinning it for future reference when explaining and giving more instruction to my participants 🙂 Great post, thanks for sharing!

  2. Ok, I’m one of the nerdy ones who actually tries these things when you post them. I did pretty well with the punches, so that made me pretty happy. But I have to tell you, the kicks are whippin’ me. I am – shall we say – balance-challenged. So when I assumed the position for the back kick, and then looked behind me, I lost my balance and fell, with a rather impressive crash, on to the hearth of the fireplace. I escaped with just a small slice on my eyebrow (doesn’t show since I have ‘Brooke Shields’ eyebrows). I think, perhaps, I need more practice. 🙂

  3. my 2 year old watched part of “Rocky” with my husband and is obsessed with boxing!~ He would love it is I showed him these moves 🙂

I love hearing from you guys!