Mae-Geri - Gyaku-Tsuki - Is It Really So Difficult ? Why ?

[JimmyTheHoover]

Had a beast of a Kihon Session last night  -  however as part of it we did some drills and Kihon Combos - Including Mae-Geri - Gyaku-Tsuki (stepping forward with the Mae-Geri).

I found this combo extremely difficult to do at any real speed with any real effect.....  I could do the Combo slowly with form but just couldn't make it work at Kumite speed 

Any thoughts about this combo or my problem ?

[Moley]

Probably the hip position after the mae geri being shomeni when you then want it to be hamni prior to guaku tsuki.
As you snap back the maegeri , slightly snap back the hip also to a 1/2 hamni position before the guaku

Also , if you are kicking, then punching...your opponent will not be in range following the kick. So don't do a yoko type mae geri but rather a shorter snappier keagi type mae geri, so that the opponent doesn't get kicked too far away from your punch.

[JimmyTheHoover]

Good suggestion about the Shomen/Hanmi Moley - I'll have to find an empty meeting room.......

.....If you're right this could also explain why I find one of our "training drills" so difficult - even slowly - where we stand on one leg with the other retracted into the Hike-Ashi position as if having just kicked Mae-Geri (in full Shomen) and then from there try to punch Oi-Tsuki....

I'll let you know how I get on with my tests....

Thanks. 

[JimmyTheHoover]

WEll Moley - your suggestion has definitely improved things - the gyaku-tsuki at least now seem a more natural continuation to the mae-geri 

...how ever it's still like a "Slow Thing That Took a Degree In Slowness From The University of Slowness" - whereas before it was like a "Very Slow Thing....." 

...so I'll keep working on this along your suggested lines Moley -  think the problem at the moment is "unlearning" the Kike-Ashi enough to automatically leave the hips Hanmi.....