fostel@ncsu.UUCP (06/16/83)
Historically, the "flowery" high kicks were developed when the relatively short easterners were confronted by the relatively tall North and Western invaders (remember why they built the wall). What would YOU do if you were confronted by a strong opponent who was a good 9-12 inches taller? With longer arms to match. Legs are longer then arms, and if you want to get a variety of vital points at neck level and up, you are going to need to go airborn to use those legs. As to the effectiveness of such things, the answer is -- maybe. I've always tended to regard them as surprise or distraction techniques. Also, amusing enough, as defensive maneuvers. While easy to block of dodge because of the telescoping effects, they are very powerful blows if not blocked and do require attention -- making it more difficult to strike an out of position opponent. After they spin around, they will have the oportunity to rectify the defects of their posture -- often using the momentum of the missed kick to reposistion themselves rather quickly. Certainly NOT for begginners, which are sadly the ones who tend to be most anxious to learn such stuff. Dangerous since its harder to aim and can be a very hard blow. Dangerous for sparring I mean. ----GaryFostel----