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(More customer reviews)The seventh book of the Achieving Kicking Excellence series has a purple cover and focuses on the hook kick. I mention the purple cover because each of the books in this series has a different colored cover along with the photograph of author Shawn Kovacich illustrating the themed kick by smashing the first letter. Some people have criticized the covers because it is a bit harder to read with the first letter smashed all over the place, but on the shelf you can read the spine just fine, so I don't see a problem.
The book follows the rest of the series by containing chapters on basic anatomy, warm ups, stretching, strength, speed, and power training. These chapters are very basic and give just enough to show the reader some basics, but to prompt the reader to further their studies in these areas.
The bulk of volume seven focuses on the hook kick and ten of its main variations. Just like all of the books in this series, Kovacich included hundreds of photographs and illustrations among the text of this 236 page book. (This includes the index and pages to take notes) No other written text has as much detailed instruction on the hook kick, and I doubt any ever will. This is the definitive written guide on the execution of the hook kick and its variations.
It takes Kovacich thirty-one pages, which includes eighteen pages of full page pictures detailing every part of the kick, and one page of review photographs, to fully describe the execution of the turning hook kick. Kovacich also uses an illustration of a martini glass to help get his instruction on the path of trajectory. Like I said, this is the most detailed instruction on this kick you will find.
Kovacich then teaches ten variations. In these descriptions he uses smaller photographs, but they still illustrate the kicks very well. Each variations includes a pictorial overview and is self contained. I like this feature. If you want to review just one variation, you can go to that section of the book, review that kick, and get to practicing. It is because of this that I believe this to be an excellent resource to have in any martial art library. This is not a book to read cover to cover for enjoyment. It is a reference text to be used to improve your kicking.
The variations include: Step-Back Hook Kick; Spinning Hook Kick; Hop/Slide Forward Hook Kick; Hop/Slide Backward Hook Kick; Front Leg Hook Kick; Back Leg Hook Kick; Switch Hook Kick; Off-Setting Hook Kick; Jump Turning Hook Kick; 540 Degree Jump Turning Hook Kick; and the Spinning Hook Kick with the left leg. (all other kicks are shown with the right leg only)
Besides the martini glass, Kovacich also uses diagrams of a watch face and illustrations of a top to get his points across. He also includes a smorgasbord of "notes" that cover many important points regarding kicking. He also provides some basic training and practice methods and a trouble shooting guide to assist you in gaining the most out of your training and to increase your kicking skills. Like the other books in the series, Kovacich finishes with illustrations of some hook kick applications.
This is an excellent study guide for learning the hook kick. It sands alone for the hook kick, but more importantly is part of a series that has to be the most detailed examination of kicking ever in print. This series is a fantastic resource for all martial artists. Even if your kicking style is a bit different from that of Kovacich's, you will still find instruction that will help you improve and assist in your teaching if you instruct.
If you own the entire series, you will find a little redundancy in the volumes. Those are the chapters I mentioned early on in this review. However, the detailed analysis and descriptions of each of Kovacich's ten primary kicks makes this series the excellent resource it is. I have all ten volumes in my library and am looking forward to the companion volumes Kovacich is working on now to be released in 2009.
Reviewed by Alain Burrese, J.D., author of the Lock On Joint Locking Essentials series.
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Hook Kick is the seventh volume in the extremely well written and fully illustrated, Achieving Kicking Excellence series of martial arts related books. Hook Kick, along with the other nine volumes in the Achieving Kicking Excellence series, goes into intricate detail over all aspects of executing the primary kick, which in this case is the Turning Hook Kick, and several of its main variations. Starting with a basic anatomical analysis of this kick, you quickly progress to the basic principles associated with the Hook Kick, and then you dive right into learning the proper execution of the primary kick, Turning Hook Kick. Once you have finished with this section, you are taken to the variations chapter which builds upon the primary kick, Turning Hook Kick, by teaching you 10 of its main variations. From here you are taken to the Training and Practice Methods chapter for a look at some very simple, yet effective methods for adding speed and power to your kicks. Your next chapter takes a question and answer approach to some of the most common problems people have executing the Hook Kick and the solutions to correct them. The next chapter in this book deals with a very brief and basic application section for the Hook Kick and each of the variations previously detailed in this book.NOTE:The combat/self-defense applications of the Hook Kick are discussed and demonstrated in much greater detail in the companion book to this book, Hook Kick: Achieving Kicking Excellence; Volume 7, which is Hook Kick: Applications in Combat: Achieving Kicking Excellence; Volume 17. This book goes into intricate detail over all aspects of applying the primary kick, which in this case is the Hook Kick, and several of its main variations, against twelve of the most common attacks that you are most likely to face in an actual unarmed self-defense/combat situation.At the conclusion of this book you are given a sneak preview of the next volume in the Achieving Kicking Excellence series, which in this case is the Hatchet Kick.
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