Kicking is one of the most misunderstood aspects of the martial arts. You are potentially off balance, fighting at longer range, and yet must adhere to certain basic strategies of combat. This article, however, should enable you to offset the disadvantages and develop an excellent strategy for combat, and even develop some pretty strong and powerful kicks.

Interestingly, kicks were not always a big thing, they didn't even impact on the American martial arts until the sixties. Watch the kicks in movies earlier than that and you don't see much, not even in the old kung fu chop sockies. The reason for this lack of adequate kicking had to do with clothing and basic strategy.

Soldiers in ancient times often wore armor in war. This meant that they were carrying more weight, and if they wanted to deliver some sort of leg attack their balances were often at risk. Ask a modern day solder to kick while wearing a back pack, body armor, a rifle, all while standing in combat boots, and you will easily see my point.

Another reason was that troops carried swords and other cutting implements. Why on earth would you attempt a slower attack over distance to a fellow who was holding something long and sharp? Or, with today's modern warfare, a weapon that could shoot bullets?

Thus, before the advent of such arts as Tae Kwon Do, with that art's spinning kicks and head hunters and ax kicks, martial arts foot techniques were quite a bit different. Instead of lifting the foot high and poking it straight in, which could often be easily defended against, the leg was chambered with the foot cupping the standing knee, and then flicked out. Thus, the kick was actually more of a slap with the outside of the foot.

A lot of power could be delivered with this kick, and one didn't have to risk being off balance, and it wasn't out long enough to be chopped with a sword. Actually, it was designed for close in work, not the long ranges appropriate to today's kicks. And, speaking of long range kicks, we now come face to face with the reasons for today's modern kicks.

Long, spinning, jumping kicks came into their own with the Korean influence of the 60s. Long kicks took more energy, were great for conditioning, and were so different that, at least in the beginning, they worked. Now, however, while they are good for a change up, most people see the long kicks coming, and so they treat them as a part of strategy, and not the end all that defines combat.

It is doubtful that we will ever go back to lower, short range, slapping kicks of ancient times. And, there is good reason for practicing the long, high kicks, for they are pretty darn good for shifting distances in a fight. And, the good news, one can, through a bit of perspiration and a helping of intelligence, develop powerful kicks in any art, be it Karate, Kung Fu, or whatever.