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Back Kick (Achieving Kicking Excellence, Vol. 1) | 
 enlarge | Author: Shawn Kovacich
Publisher: Chikara Kan, Inc.
Category: Book
List Price: $19.95
Buy New: $19.55
You Save: $0.40 (2%)
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Avg. Customer Rating:  16 reviews
Sales Rank: 576421
Media: Paperback
Edition: Author Approved Revised
Pages: 224
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.8
Dimensions (in): 8.9 x 6 x 0.4
ISBN: 0975949101
EAN: 9780975949108
ASIN: 0975949101
Publication Date: May 1, 2005
Availability: Usually ships in 24 hours
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Product Description
This book is the first volume in the extremely well written and fully illustrated, Achieving Kicking Excellence series of books.
Like all the other books in the series, this book goes into intricate detail over all aspects of executing the primary kick, which in this case is the Turning Back 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 Back Kick, and then you dive right into learning the proper execution of the primary kick, Turning Back Kick.
Once you have finished with this section, you are taken to the variations chapter which builds upon the primary kick, Turning Back Kick, by teaching you 11 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.
The next chapter takes a question and answer approach to some of the most common problems people have executing these kicks and the solutions to correct them.
After the Troubleshooting chapter, the next chapter in this book deals with a brief application section for each of the kicks previously detailed in this book. Please be advised that a second ten volume series of books is currently being written which deals strictly with the combat applications of each kick, and how to defend against it.
The book finishes up by giving you a sneak preview of the next volume in the series, which in this case is the Wheel Kick.
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| Customer Reviews: Read 11 more reviews...
 Back Kick ( Achieving Kicking Excellence, vol. 1) October 1, 2008
With a little tweaking the back kick can become a formidable kick in anyones arsenal. Fotunately Shawn Kovacich is showing you how to tweak your back kick.
The back kick is broken down into its basic parts so that you can duplicate them. Taking it step by step you can learn or re-learn the correct execution of the back kick.
The back kick is a staple of the martial arts just like the front, roundhouse and side kicks. It was only a matter of time before someone took all of that kicking knowledge and put it into one book. Not just one book but a series of books(10).
You will learn how to stand, which part of the foot to use. How to add strength and power to your kick. Where your target is and when to look for it. You will also learn drills and exercises designed to help you perfect your back kick.
By the time you are finished with this book you will not only have a better back kick but several different ways to execute that same kick. Also, at the end of each book is a preview of the next book so you will know what is in store for you.
Thanks Shawn, for taking the time to put all this knowledge into a series of books that I would recommend to anyone who hopes to excel at kicking. Add this book and the entire series to your personal library and refer to them often.
The "Professor of kicking", has done an admirable job in bringing the knowledge and skills of kicking to whoever wants to learn them.
Fantastic Guide to Kicking September 21, 2008
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
Having studied various martial arts for over 30 years, I've seen quite a few books on kicking. Whereas most books have a page or 2 on the back kick, here is a whole volume devoted to the kick. The detail that the book goes into is amazing. I especially liked the anatomy section & different variations of the kick (some of which I had never seen before!).
The only reason I didn't rate the book a "5" was the practical application section. Every application had a flaw in it that the reader is supposed to find. I would have rather had the applications shown properly & maybe put a quiz at the end of the book.
Do not, however, let this minor detail keep you from buying this great book, You will not be disappointed!!
 Good Kicking Resource September 9, 2008
3 out of 3 found this review helpful
If you are looking to improve your ushiro geri, "Back Kick, Achieving Kicking Excellence", is a great resource for the beginner to the advanced practitioner alike. I wish this book was out when I started practicing martial arts. I have been practicing the martial arts for over ten years and although I have been practicing Karate and Jujutsu for the past six years, I started out in Hapkido. Practitioners of Korean and Japanese/Okinawan martial arts will find the description and photos of the back kick and its variations very informative.
I especially liked the way the author explained the basic principles of the back kick and the anatomy of the back kick, the photos are better than the drawings in my Gray's Anatomy. Although the chapter on the variations of the turning back kick would be of limited value to me, if you are a practitioner that utilizes kicking to a greater degree than I do (such as practitioners of Hapkido or TKD), I believe it would be of great assistance.
Building Excellence is now possible! September 4, 2008
3 out of 3 found this review helpful
I started my training in Martial Arts about two months ago. I am not an athlete and never been into sports. However, as I started the TKD training I became more and more excited about the Art that I really wanted to get into it. I ran into this book by chance. I realized that my kicks needed some help so I did a search on amazon. This was the first one on the list. I contacted the author who answered immediately and gave me some very good advice. My review, therefore, is from this point of view - not that of an expert but of a beginner who is eager to achieve Kicking excellence.
As a beginner I am amazed at what I do not know about Kicking. What concerns me is that what I do not know can seriously hurt me - I have read about the many injuries that beginners, with their sophomoric attitude, may get.
I began to read the book with trepidation (203 pages on one single type of Kick!), but after a while I realized what I had in my hands - a resource that will last not only until I become black belt but beyond.
It is written for the common student and contains no special jargon. The MANY pictures, though in Black and White, are taken from many angles and contains arrows and other reference signs. The text refers to the pictures closely; in the end, not only I can easily see what I am supposed to do and how my kick is supposed to look like but also learning the fundamentals in an intelligent way. There is also enough "background" information (about muscles and bones) to keep me interested but not bored (as though I was reading a medical book), information that, once again, will allow me to practice more safely. There are also diagrams for feet movement and stances, which at first look like those used in a ballroom dance studio.
The book also contains information for training and improve the skill; this section, which is becoming my favorite, includes different kinds of Practice (that one can do at home), training for Strength and Speed and Power. Because of these exercises I am feeling more and more confident when I go to the school and even my instructor noticed my improvements.
The book has two other sections which I enjoyed tremendously - the Trouble shooting guide (done in Q&A format) and the Kicking Applications. In the Application part there are some photographs of the author and another person doing Back Kicks. The Q&A that follows is very informative (the questions I like the most are those like "what's wrong with that picture?" because it allows me to pay attention to the mistake and (try to) avoid it in my own practices).
Mr. Kovacich has done an incredible job researching and explaining the material. The whole series will eventually end up on my bookshelf and stay there permanently. It's like having an encyclopedia on of the most fundamental part of Martial Arts.
Shawn: keep up the good work! And thanks for being such a dedicated teacher.
Incredibly Detailed, But Not Without Flaws September 2, 2008
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
Back Kick (Achieving Kicking Excellence, Vol. 1) is an incredibly scholarly work which details the Back Kick technique common to many martial arts.
I own many books on martial arts, and never have I seen one so detailed on one specific technique. In many books, more than one technique is presented per page. In this excellent manual, over 200 pages are dedicated to the Back Kick and its most common variations.
The pictures throughout the book are clear, and the diagrams of muscle/bone relationships and how they relate to the kick are very informative and helpful.
This title could have benefited from better editing - poor spelling and grammar abound, and are frequent enough to be distracting while reading. Nevertheless, the value of the book is outstanding, given the level of technical detail included. I highly recommend it.
(This review based on a final copy of the book provided by the publisher)
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