20. Choi-Yong double kick

Steps 13-14/18-19 of Choi-Yong comprise of a "reverse hooking kick" (more commonly known as a spinning hook kick [1]) followed by a side kick without putting the foot down. It's challenging to perform due to the balance it requires. But it is all flash or does it have an application?

In my last post I described how the previous set comprises a single leg pick and leg twist. We use this set if the leg twist fails. Why a double kick? Let's change the turning hook kick to a back leg hook kick and you might see what the technique represents.

Source: ProJudo

The hook kick is just hooking around the opponent's standing leg, and the side kick is reaping it backwards, allowing us to push the opponent to the floor. I believe this is the basic idea behind the hook kick, side kick combo.

But why a spinning hook kick?

In my opinion, the spin is used to (1) pull the opponent off-balance, which makes the reap easier, and (2) switch to an inside leg position if we are not in one already. Spinning while pulling the leg will drag your opponent around 180-degrees. You may also use the pull as an opportunity to move the opponent's ankle outside your body. Hook around their standing leg and reap back.


[1] There are actually two similar kicks in ITF taekwondo that a layman would call a spinning hook: the reverse turning kick and the reverse hooking kick. The difference is that the former is intended purely as a strike with the heel, and the leg remains more-or-less straight. The reverse hooking kick, however, folds at the knee while you kick as if you are hooking around something.