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Chikara Kan, Inc.
Chikara Kan, Inc.
Showing reviews 11 to 20
| Customer Reviews |
| Roundhouse Kick |
Posted by: Jessica |
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| Before I found my current school and instructor, I had been looking around my area for an instructor to teach me martial arts. At one of the places I tried, the instructor offered me a free class so that I could decide if I wanted to join his school or not. Since it was free I decided to try it out. I should have known better as nothing is ever really free. About half way through the class, the instructor was telling me that I would have to perform a Roundhouse Kick. I had heard of them, but never performed them. I told him that I had never had any classes before and I didn't know how to do it. He didn't really show me at all how to do the kick, he just told me to turn to the side and throw the kick from my hip. As you might well imagine I didn't do very good. After the class was over my hip started hurting badly and when I tried to get out of the car when I got home I started crying. A couple of days later I learned that I had thrown my hip out of place. Needless to say I never went back there again.
A few weeks after that a friend of mine told me about my current school so I took a chance and checked it out. And I am very happy that I did. My current instructor is so nice and always has that little extra time to work with each one of us students. However, when it came time to learn the roundhouse kick, I was a bit apprehensive as you might imagine. After a few weeks I started to get the hang of it and actually felt pretty comfortable executing it, at least in practice. It was about this time that I first heard of Shawn Kovacich and his Achieving Kicking Excellence series of books.
After doing some research, I went ahead and purchased Back Kick and Wheel Kick from Mr. Kovacich and then was lucky enough to get a copy of Axe Kick in PDF format before the official release of that book. Needless to say, I was literally stunned with the amount of detail that was in every book. Because of the quality of these books, I preordered the remaining books in the series. Out of all of the books in the series, Roundhouse Kick was the one that I was really anticipating. So when I finally got my copy of Roundhouse Kick, I started to devour the information. I literally learned oodles and oodles of information on what I was doing wrong and how to correct it. This book, like all the others in the Achieving Kicking Excellence series, breaks down the primary kick, which in this case is the Roundhouse Kick, to its finest details. One of the many things that I learned, was that I was not pivoting properly and that my upper body was doing all kinds of things that it shouldn't have been doing when I was executing each kick.
This is a great book for anyone, from the person that is just starting to learn how to kick, to the person that has been practicing kicks for years. The details that are included in each book are truly something to behold. I have never seen any book on the martial arts that has this kind of detail. You are to be commended for writing and producing such a fantastic series of books. I look forward to reading the rest of your books in the series and I have no doubt that I will be equally impressed with each one if not more so. |
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| Reverse Crescent Kick |
Posted by: Jessica |
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| When I first started taking Tae Kwon Do classes, the first three kicks that I learned were the front kick, crescent kick, and the reverse crescent kick. The reason why I, and all new beginners, learned these kicks first is because they are generally speaking the easiest to learn and the simplest kicks to use, or so I thought. Once again I thought that I had this kick down pat along with its sister kick crescent kick, and front kick. Well thanks to Mr. Kovacich and his Achieving Kicking Excellence series of books I was in for a big surprise.
The whole time that I have been practicing the reverse crescent kick every one of my classmates kept telling me what a good looking kick I had, just like they kept telling me about my crescent kick. Well, they were right it was a good "looking" kick, but I soon found out that it, just like my crescent kick, only "looked" good and that there was really nothing at all to my kick. Once I started reading Reverse Crescent Kick, the 5th volume in Shawn Kovacich's Achieving Kicking excellence series, I became aware of so many small little things that I was either doing wrong, or wasn't doing at all, that was having a dramatic impact on the actual effectiveness of my crescent kick.
Mr. Kovacich covers everything about the kick from the pivoting on the ball of your base leg foot to the correct area of your kicking foot to strike with ( and its not the entire outside edge of your foot) and absolutely everything in between. This is truly a remarkable series of books and I am still dumbfounded at just how much information is packed into each book on a single solitary kick. You would think that some kicks are so simple that there is no way you could write a 200+ page book on the subject. Well you would be wrong. I have read this book several times already and I have picked up something new that I had missed each and every time I have read it. Mr. Kovacich is truly an amazing martial artist and he surely has the technical skills down when it comes to kicking.
I highly recommend that you purchase all ten volumes in the Achieving Kicking Excellence series and you (and your instructor) will see your kicks literally improve by leaps and bounds. I'm so glad that I found these books as I know I would not have improved so well in my kicking skills without the additional insight. Thank You! |
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| Hook Kick |
Posted by: Jessica |
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| Here is another kick that I and my instructor thought was very similar to wheel kick with the exception of some hooking action of the lower leg. Please note; that my instructor was also taught incorrectly from his instructor, and therefore, thought that this was the correct way to execute this kick. Hence, the reason why I and my fellow students also learned it wrong. However, that error has been corrected because of the information contained in Hook Kick, the 7th book in the Achieving Kicking Excellence series by Shawn Kovacich.
This book was the one that finally convinced my instructor to purchase the complete series for our dojang. Now he'll finally quit borrowing my books.
The hook kick is more similar to the side kick than it is the wheel kick. Point of fact is that you actually do execute pretty much a side kick through the beginning phases of the kick before the hooking motion of the lower leg is utilized. I know this may seem like an over simplification, but in essence it is correct. A lot of people are taught that a hook kick is executed exactly like a wheel kick except that you execute a hooking motion with your lower leg just before striking your opponent. Now some would call this a lazy mans variation, I would call it simply an uninformed variation of the technically correct wheel kick, not the hook kick.
My instructor and I worked on both of our hook kicks outside of normal class times in order to get it down correctly before he began teaching it to the rest of the students. It took us both about three weeks of practice before he felt comfortable enough with it to start teaching my fellow classmates.
The absolutely outstanding quality of the information in this and all the books in this series is truly remarkable. It is plainly evident the great care and thought that went into each and every one of these books by Mr. Kovacich. He is truly one of the best authorities there is on the subject of kicking and how to get the most out of your kicks. He leaves no stone unturned in his quest to provide the readers of his books with all the information available on how to execute each kick correctly. I am anxiously awaiting the release of his "Applications in Combat" series which is due to come out at the end of 2007 or the beginning of 2008.
By purchasing, reading, and then implementing the information contained in Mr. Kovacich's books, I have improved my kicking skills by leaps and bounds. All I can say is thank you for finally making a series of books that goes into complete detail on how to correctly execute the kicks and there variations. |
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| Hatchet Kick |
Posted by: Jessica |
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| One thing that I learned early on in my classes is that the hatchet kick is not only the hardest kick there is to master, but that it is also the most dangerous kick you, the kicker, can attempt. According to my instructor, the hatchet kick has caused more injuries to the kicker than it ever has to the persons being kicked. The reason for this is due to the extreme amount of flexibility and control a person must have in order to execute the kick itself properly, let alone use it correctly against an actual opponent. However, if you are one of the few people that can actually execute this kick well, it is an extremely devastating kick to be able to use on an opponent
I have been slowly working on my hatchet kick, but admittedly I have been having one heck of a time trying to get it down. After reading Hatchet Kick, the 8th volume in Shawn Kovacich's Achieving Kicking Excellence series, I found a whole bunch of areas that I was having problems with. From the position of my upper body during the kick, the proper rotation of my hips and legs, to the correct downward angle you leg should follow, just to name a few. I used this information (along with the guidance of a couple of higher belts), and have really improved on my kick. Although I still can only get it about halfway as high as it should be to actually be effective. I am sure that with lots of practice and a few years I will get it down.
Shawn follows the same format in Hatchet Kick that he does in all of his books and the way he presents his information is not only extremely detailed, but also very insightful. I can not praise enough this series of books and their author. I have learned so much from his books and can only imagine how wonderful it must be to be able to learn from him in person.
This is not a kick that can be taken lightly. And I would like to stress that it I not something that reading a book alone will help you master. Even though this book, along with all of Shawn's books, will improve your kicking skills, you really need a competent instructor to help you fine tune your kicks, especially the hatchet kick. This is one kick that even if you think you know the basics behind it, the truth is that unless you really understand the entire kick and what is suppose to happen throughout the entire kick, you will struggle and more than likely hurt yourself, especially if you try to use it against an opponent.
I highly recommend that you purchase all ten volumes in the Achieving Kicking Excellence series and you (and your instructor) will see your kicks literally improve by leaps and bounds. |
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| Front Kick |
Posted by: Jessica |
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| During my past 14 months of regularly attending karate classes, I thought that I was really good at executing the front kick. When I was deciding what other books in the series to order (I had previously ordered Back Kick, Wheel Kick and Axe Kick) I had initially not even considered ordering Front Kick as that was the first kick my instructor had taught me and even he said that it was a really simple kick to learn. After awhile, even he thought I was really good at it. However, I decided that I would go ahead and preorder the remaining eight books (including Front Kick) in Shawn's Achieving Kicking Excellence series. Boy, am I ever glad that I did.
I sure had a pleasant surprise on Valentine's Day when I received an e-mail from Shawn telling me that the rest of the books were back from the printer and that he would be mailing them out to me the following day. Four days later my books arrived via USPS Priority Mail. Although Front Kick was in there, I didn't really take much of a look at it. I just thought that I already knew how to execute it and I didn't really think that there was really anything else I could learn about it. Well, although it stings my pride to say it, I was very, very wrong. Not that I'm not ever wrong, it's just that I should have known better after reading Shawn's first three books.
One weekend I decided to sit down and flip through Front Kick. I didn't get too far into the books when low and behold, I realized that there were at least three things I didn't know for every one thing that I did know, or thought I knew. Several hours and about a dozen cookies later, I finished reading Front Kick for the first time. One of the first things I learned was that even though my front kicks looked good, there was very little substance to them. Because I was one of the people in class that executed the front kick so well, I thought that I was doing fine. After reading the book, I realized that although my front kicks looked good, they were very weak.
I practiced off and on the rest of the weekend and when I went back to class on Monday some of my classmates noticed that I was doing my front kicks different. Even my instructor took notice and he even remarked that I must have received the other books that I had ordered.
Once again, I can't begin to explain to you exactly how much detail Shawn puts into each and every one of his books. My instructor has taught entire lesson plans on the material in this series of books. Most of the times he ends up using my copies and I don't see them for weeks at a time. At least I know what to get him for Christmas, a complete set of books of his own.
Now when we spar, it's harder for my opponents to determine if I am going to use the front kick or another kick. Now I am even finding it easier to go into another combination of punches and kicks or just another kick. Thanks again Shawn for fine tuning my front kick. These books should be a cornerstone for anyone who teaches kicks and for anyone who wants to learn how to kick correctly. |
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| Crescent Kick |
Posted by: Jessica |
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| When I first started taking Tae Kwon Do classes, the first three kicks that I learned were the front kick, crescent kick, and the reverse crescent kick. The reason why I, and all new beginners, learned these kicks first is because they are generally speaking the easiest to learn and the simplest kicks to use, or so I thought. Once again I thought that I had this kick down pat along with its sister kick reverse crescent kick, and front kick. Well thanks to Mr. Kovacich and his Achieving Kicking Excellence series of books I was in for a big surprise.
The whole time that I have been practicing the crescent kick every one of my classmates kept telling me what a good looking kick I had. Well, they were right it was a good "looking" kick, but I soon found out that it only "looked" good and that there was really nothing at all to my kick. Once I started reading Crescent Kick, the 4th volume in Shawn Kovacich's Achieving Kicking excellence series, I became aware of so many small little things that I was either doing wrong, or wasn't doing at all, that was having a dramatic impact on the actual effectiveness of my crescent kick.
Mr. Kovacich covers everything about the kick from the pivoting on the ball of your base leg foot to the correct area of your kicking foot to strike with and absolutely everything in between. This is truly a remarkable series of books and I am still dumbfounded at just how much information is packed into each book on a single solitary kick. You would think that some kicks are so simple that there is no way you could write a 200+ page book on the subject. Well you would be wrong. I have read this book several times already and I have picked up something new that I had missed each and every time I have read it. Mr. Kovacich is truly an amazing martial artist and he surely has the technical skills down when it comes to kicking.
I highly recommend that you purchase all ten volumes in the Achieving Kicking Excellence series and you (and your instructor) will see your kicks literally improve by leaps and bounds. I'm so glad that I found these books as I know I would not have improved so well in my kicking skills without the additional insight. Thank You! |
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| Back Kick |
Posted by: Lawrence A. |
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| One who is learning self-defense, or knows self-defense this is a must book to read. Master Shawn Kovacich takes the BACK KICK far and beyond the norm. The depth of his teaching, and the photos with numeric explanations displayed in this book are also beyond the norm.
When you think of defending yourself most individuals, including myself, are always thinking of their upper part of the body as being their weapons, the fist, a punch, an elbow, etc. I like a back knuckle to the temple myself. Very seldom do I think of the back kick, it's usually a snap, stomp or a knife edge. Master Kovacich has really opened my eyes to the back kick as being a major weapon and a more powerful weapon. From here on out in my martial arts training I am going to work on my back kick and to improve it to being a powerful weapon, if needed.
In my closing thoughts of this book in this, when throwing a kick or any strike you never ever take your eyes off of your opponent, all through the strike you must have visual contact at all times, always recoil and be prepared to strike again and to always cover out into a fighting stance.
There is a powerful force behind this book every reader will feel this force, this force is also a record holder for kicking in the Guinness Book of World Records.
This book deserves 5 stars. |
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| Back Kick |
Posted by: Alan D. Cranford |
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| This is Volume One of ten books devoted to mastering kicks. Shawn Kovacich devotes this book to the back kick: simple, deceptive, but effective. This review examines Shawn's book from a practical stand point--how well does this book enable me to learn the back kick?
I'm 50, 6'3" tall and 220 pounds, but I'm not an athlete--just healthy. I cannot perform the back kick higher than my own waist right now--I'll need to improve my flexibility. It isn't too much of a handicap for self defense--or active military service--but for those of you involved in karate matches, you need the high kicks for the match-winning points. The back kick is deceptive because most people are no threat when approached from behind. Employing the back kick can get you inside your enemy's OODA loop (John Boyd's Observe, Orient, Decide, Act cycle) and deliver the fight-winning initiative. Of course, if I fall to the ground or can hold onto something, my kick gains stability, height, and power--at the cost of being fixed in position for an instant. I'll need to work on my back kick more. Shawn's book has persuaded me that the back kick is worth mastering.
I have training prejudices: I like to employ mirrors, a video camera or two, a minimum of one sparring partner, and at least one referee when I train. Multiple sparring partners are to keep me from getting stuck kicking at the same height each time, and because in the real world, my problems usually come in bunches. Often, I must train alone or not train at all, so I have to limit my training intensity for safety. A second set of eyes can help spot flaws--and prevent injuries. It is very hard to dial 911 when one's back is thrown out. These kicking techniques can injure the practitioner if done incorrectly. I like both mirrors and video because when I initially practice, I can watch myself in the mirror. For realistic practice, I need to concentrate on technique and the target instead of watching my own reflection--instant vi |
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| Back Kick |
Posted by: Joanna Daneman |
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| If you are a novice martial artist, a kick-box exercise video nut, or someone who wants to advance their knowledge of martial art kicks, this book looks as if it would be very helpful.
The series of books is organized by type of kick: back, wheel, axe, crescent, reverse crescent, front, hook, hatchet, roundhouse, side kick. Ten books in all.
The volumes are absolutely loaded with pictures of not only kick technique but also of helpful strength-with-weight exercises, especially gym exercises with machines like the hack squat and leg press sled and of course the all-important lunge. So you get not only a discussion of how-to, but of what exercises can improve overall performance by gaining muscle strength. There are pictures with overlays of angles and axes, giving you an idea of proper form, though there is no substitute for a sensei giving you real-time feedback, of course. So these books are a good adjunct to martial arts class in the dojo; something to read and then take to practice and work on with real-time help.
There is a section on sparring--right and wrong. There is a suggested reading list in the back. A very complete series.
The only thing these volumes suffer from is slightly dark and low contrast black and white photograph reproduction due to pictures being on paper stock and not glazed plate stock, in order to keep costs reasonable for publishing. And the cover photo is wonderful but the graphic design (showing the title being shattered by the someone doing the title kick) was a GREAT concept but you can't read the title on the front cover (because it's being kicked to bits!) This is annoying; you have to read the spine to see which kick the book is about. If this bugs you, it's easily fixed: get some stickers or a Sharpie and mark the front cover with something like SIDE KICK VOL 10 or whatever works for you.
Author Kovacich is a black belt in both Karate and Tae Kwon Do (which of course is one of the martial arts for which the kick is the premier technique.) |
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| Back Kick |
Posted by: Jeffrey Peter A. Hauck |
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| Author Shawn Kovacich has exploited an important niche in his "Achieving Kicking Excellence" series of martial arts instructional texts.
Shawn is quoted as saying "In an unarmed self-defense encounter, your kicking skills or lack thereof, can be the deciding factor between victory and defeat. In today's society, kicking is not only used more frequently, but it also ranks as perhaps the most versatile and underrated weapon that you have in your arsenal." I agree with him.
I found "Back Kick" (volume 1 of 10 in the series) to be so highly detail oriented that it overcame any presupposition of dryness and boredom to which I initially attributed to it. In short, I was "hooked." Laid out in terms that the novice can easily follow and the practicing martial artist can incorporate into his or her regimen, Shawn starts out with the historical background of the Back Kick and then introduces the reader to the physical and physiological body movements and mechanics associated with the kick.
Providing tips on conditioning and training, Shawn demonstrates foot movement by foot movement the Back Kick's basic principles and then introduces the primary Turning Back Kick to his audience and follows with eleven variations; some of which I have never even heard of.
Shawn demonstrates the principles of each kick with clear photographs that leave nothing to the imagination. Fortifying the text with chapters on "Warm Up and Stretching," "Training and Practice Methods," and "Kicking Applications," to name a few, Shawn provides the reader with more than a full understanding of what could and mistakenly be known as a "simple kick."
Totally complete at 220 pages, and chocked with all sorts of valuable information from the "nuts and bolts" of technique description and demonstration to body dynamics, this is without a doubt the "gold standard" by which any examplar of martial arts kicking should be judged by.
This book can stand alone or be incorporated within the series. I rate it at five stars without hesitation or reservation. Well done! |
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