"It is often said that Taekwondo is mostly kicking. The truth of the matter is that the eight (8) primary surfaces used in kicking develops into 170 kicking and leg techniques that are available in the Taekwondo system and when we add the three other surfaces utilized in Hwarangdo and Hapkido, the number of kicking and trapping elements grow to well over 2oo techniques. The jumping and flying kicks were developed to strike riders mounted on horseback and camels. The jump spinning techniques were also used to strike the horses and camels in the neck and throat, as well as dismount their riders. To be able to destroy at long range with the various kicking techniques gave the Korean Hwarangdo Warriors a distinct advantage over their opponent.

Taekwondo kicking requires excellent flexibility, balance and accuracy in order to deliver the proper technique that makes the kicks so deadly. Hapkido & Hwarangdo also uses low kicking skills and angling skills as well as flexibility to achieve their goals. Kicking with power takes a lot of practice, and it is not enough to just kick hard, we must learn to kick with accuracy and to make the kick seem to explode the target upon impact."

Kicking Accuracy. There are many aspects to good kicks. Accuracy is one that is often overlooked. A kick that is otherwise perfect can have its effectiveness greatly reduced by being just slightly off target. During a confrontation, with both you and your opponent moving around, your targets (head, solar plexus, groin, etc.) can be very hard to hit accurately.

This exercise will help improve the kicking accuracy of circular style kicks such as roundhouse, crescent, or hook type kicks. Working with a partner, one person holds out his hand with the arm fully extended. The palm of the hand is the target and it is held at whatever height is required to simulate the chosen target or to represent the kicking ability of the kicker.

The kicks can be done with full power to the partner's palm without risk of injury or they can be thrown to just touch the palm for point fighting practice. Concentration on the target is essential for accurate kicks and this should be emphasized. The accuracy of the kick is easily seen as well as heard due to the slapping sound of the foot hitting the palm.

Kicking Balance. A common problem many students have is poor balance when throwing kicks. Poor balance results in the student not being able to recover from the kick quickly, not being able to deliver full power, or not being able to respond to a simultaneous attack by his opponent. Poor balance also results in a lack of control and accuracy.

This simple exercise promotes better balance as well as improving the body mechanics of the kicks. Students work alone on this exercise with the whole class performing in unison. Kicks are performed slowly and are broken down into their component movements. Proper balance must be maintained throughout the kick.

For example, for the basic front kick the instructor might say "knee up" (pause 3 seconds), "kick out" (pause 3 seconds), "foot back in" (pause 3 seconds), "foot down". By pausing at each step of the kick it allows each student to feel his balance and make the necessary adjustments. It also permits an easier way to analyze the form of the kick. Emphasis should be put on proper balance, good form, and full extension of the kicks. For the advanced student, the same thing can be done blindfolded. This will force the student to feel his balance even more.

This exercise can be used for all kicks except spinning or jumping types.