Lets face it, when done correctly a jump kick looks amazing !
and that's why we often see them being performed in movies, but is a jump kick no more than an amazing feet of the performers athletic ability ?
In this image we see a jumping roundhouse kick being performed at an opponent of at least 6ft in height.
In defensive terms a jump kick puts the performer in a very vulnerable position, for its clearly risky enough in terms of your balance to lift one foot off the floor to perform a kick let alone two !
Also, if the jump kick is performed at height, like the one in this picture, then it puts the performers groin at the perfect height for a counter strike not to mention the potential for being thrown if the leg is caught.
So the question remains, do jump kicks work ?
the answer is, it depends on the situation and the performers ability.
Originally jump kicks were designed to be performed whilst using the opponents body to help launch the performer into the air, almost like running up the attackers body, most originated from knee kicks to the head (Tobi Hiza Keri) and were later altered to include straighter and more extended legs so as to include an extended kick as the attacker retreated whilst in mid flight.
In Japan, Karate is more than just a fighting art, it is a way of life or a way of developing through ones life, the inclusion of jump kicks in any art helps develop strength, flexibility & agility.
The effort that clearly goes into developing the skills to perform such a kick can only benefit the practitioner in the long run in much the same way as many of the skills learned in Karate,
its more about the journey than the destination.
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