Chikara Kan, Inc. :: Malcolm Martin WHEEL KICK Review

In a previous issue of TKD we featured the first volume in this series and at the time Shawn promised volume two would follow shortly and here it is.
To recap-Shawn has been a practicing martial artist for 23 years and is currently a 4th degree black belt in Taekwondo and Karate. He is also a two-time world record holder for endurance high kicking, as certified by the Guinness Book of World Records. Volume one, featuring the Back Kick, was praised by TKD for its comprehensive nature, in taking one kick and exploring its delivery and application in exhaustive detail.
If you enjoyed the first volume, then you'll be pleased to note that Shawn follows the same structure with this volume, breaking the book down into ten distinct chapters, featuring 10 variations of the Turning Wheel Kick. Once again, Shawn's determination to fully explore the kick is staggering with a chapter outlining the role of the muscles and bones in the correct execution of the kick, followed by an overview of principles involved in the execution, such as speed, strength, timing, etc.
Chapters four and five are technique based, looking at the step by step execution of the Wheel Kick and then giving 10 variations on the primary kick. Training methods developed to help improve your delivery of the kick are then discussed, followed by a very handy trouble shooting guide, rooting out the most common errors when delivering the kick. The book is rounded out by a section that details the practical applications of the technique learned, to create an impressive overall understanding of the kick involved.
Shawn's volumes reflect a total dedication to his art and a meticulous research and development process in what is an obvious labour of love. Labour is the right term, as he envisages a thirty volume series in total, with the first ten volumes encompassing what he sees as the ten primary kicks, volume 3 being the very popular Axe Kick. For those of you looking to delve deeper into the mechanics of kicking within your art, these volumes are an ideal starting point and Shawn is an organized, lucid and experienced guide, well worth checking out.
For those curious as to how Shawn won a place in the Guinness Book of Records, he first performed 10,502 kicks in 5 hours and 30 minutes in 1986 and then, in 1989, he repeated the feat, achieving 11,000 kicks in 5 hours 18 minutes and 43 seconds. Not to shabby!

Malcolm Martin, Editor/martial artist
Tae Kwon Do & Korean Arts April 2006