What exactly is a hatchet kick? It is not as well known as your common side kicks and popular roundhouse kicks. Nor is it as self-descriptive as a front kick. So how do you describe it? Guinness World Record holder, black belt, and author Shawn Kovacich describes the hatchet kick like this, "A properly executed hatchet kick performed by a man (or woman), can be compared to a hybrid combination of a turning wheel kick and an in-to-out axe kick." If you are still uncertain just what a hatchet kick is or how to execute it properly, Kovacich's eighth book of his impressive Achieving Kicking Excellence series will ensure you have every component to master this kick.
Hatchet Kick by Shawn Kovacich is similar to the others in the series in that it is a stand alone volume that focuses on all aspects of performing the hatchet kick and ten of its main variations. Like the other volumes, this book contains short chapters on anatomy, warm ups, stretching, strength training, speed training, and power training.
The meat of the book however is the detailed descriptions of how to execute the hatchet kick and the variations. Kovacich breaks each kick down into its parts and illustrates these components with detailed photographs. I have not seen any other text illustrate kicking with such detail. The kick variations that Kovacich includes are: Step-Back, Spinning Hatchet Kick, Hop/Slide Forward, Hop/Slide Backward Hatchet Kick, Front Leg, Back Leg Hatchet Kick, Switch Hatchet Kick, Off-Setting Hatchet Kick, Jump Turning, 540 Degree Jumping Hatchet Kick, and the Spinning (with the left leg).
The book is full of notes and illustrations to assist you with mastering this kick and to be able to use the kick in various situations. Kovacich includes some of the applications for the hatchet kick near the end of the text, right after he addresses some common problems with the kick in his troubleshooting guide.
This volume is another exceptional book on kicking and as I said is the eighth of a ten book series on what Kovacich calls the basic kicks. This book and the rest of the series makes a superb resource for anyone who practices a kicking art. Even if you perform kicks a bit differently than Kovacich's style, you will learn things to make you better. If you teach kicking, Kovacich's books will aid you with imparting kicking knowledge to your students. I highly recommend this book and the entire set to all martial artists.
Alain Burrese, J.D. is a mediator/attorney with Bennett Law Office P.C. and an author/speaker through his own company Burrese Enterprises Inc. He helps people discover the warrior's edge as he writes and speaks about a variety of topics focusing on the business areas of negotiation and success principles as well as self-defense and safety topics. He is the author of Hard-Won Wisdom From the School of Hard Knocks, several instructional dvds, and numerous articles. You can find out more about Alain Burrese at his websites http://www.burrese.com or http://www.bennettlawofficepc.com
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