Video exampler: here Singles and slow-mo: here Recommended prerequisites: outside kicking (crescent kicks, hook kicks) Description: The 360 crescent kick is a jump outside crescent kick. It also is sometimes called a 360 hook or a 360 wheel, which is just getting more specific on the type of kick thrown. For my money, you [...]
Video exampler: here
Singles and slow-mo: here
Recommended prerequisites: outside kicking (crescent kicks, hook kicks)
Description: The 360 crescent kick is a jump outside crescent kick. It also is sometimes called a 360 hook or a 360 wheel, which is just getting more specific on the type of kick thrown. For my money, you should go with the crescent kick.
The 360 crescent kick is one of the prettier tricks, in my eyes. Nothing beats a powerful jump followed by a graceful yet violent crescent that follows. And as with any kick trick, you better have some basic kick training under your belt for not only injury protection, but also cleanliness. If your basics are sloppy, your tricks will be sloppy.
Slide by slide breakdown
There are a bunch of ways to go into the 360 crescent. I like using the same takeoff that I use for the double leg, but it all depends on what surface you're on and what kind of a jumper you are. I'm a strength dominant jumper, so I prefer more ground contact time.
I cost into this trick as I do most tricks, but it follows the same blocking rule: get momentum out on front of your body. That's what I'm doing here. I'm going horizontal so that I can better go vertical.
My takeoff is punctuated by a giant step out with the left leg to get my momentum out in front of my body just enough. With that, hands come wide. For any spin, wide hands at the start are good, as it gives you more oomph behind the spin when you coil them in close.
With the lead leg planted, my trailing leg is following. I'll be jumping off both feet, similar to a vertical jump. Also note that I'm harnessing my rotational chi. I'm saving up for when the time is right.
Once the trailing leg meets up and plants, I dip down to get juice for the jump. At this point I'm already thinking about the up and rotating myself to a target in front of me to kick.
Arms wide, coming up from the dig.
Coming up from the jump, lead with an elbow strike to help turn your torso around. Remember, think target as this happens. You need to get your torso centered for your kick, and the only way that's happening is if you focus your head forward to stop the spin.
Head forward, target acquired. Kick has begun.
This is very 540 kick like, in that my arms are high and wide when my kick is coming up and across my body.
Unlike the 540, however, there's not as much rotation after the kick. Once the kick finishes, it's just a matter of getting it back to the ground.
As a matter of preference (and for combos and such), I generally hyper the 360 crescent, which means that I land on my kicking leg. And I do that by bending the non-kicking leg after the kick comes through. To be honest though, I can't 360 crescent any other way on my dominant side. That's just what I've programmed into place over time.
And the hyper is finished. But hypering is considered an “advanced” variation, so let's swing it back and look at a non-hypered 360 crescent.
Here we have my opposite side 360 crescent. Unlike my dominant side, I can't hyper this kick, and I almost always land on two legs. Here though? Pretty similar to the dominant side 360 crescent.
Not that there's anything magical here, but you can see that after the kick my non-kicking leg stays straight down. That's really the big difference. And, well, I look like Ryu in this slide, which is cool. Shinku Tatsumaki Senpukyaku.
And that's how it all comes together.
Recap cues:
- Get your momentum in front of you on the takeoff.
- Dig deep and jump straight in the air.
- Lead turn with elbow strike.
- Find target, destroy target.
Troubleshooting:
Low kick? You probably need more flexibility. Work on your crescent kicks in your free time, preferably slower. Doing slow kicks develops the slow frictional control you need to throw good kicks at higher speeds.
No jump height? You need to takeoff right. If you aren't blocking, start there. If you are, check where your torso is faced when you take off. If you're rotated too much towards your kick, that's usually a tell of bad things.
Your next conquest:
- 540 Crescent