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Games let you do a whole mess of things that you probably wouldn't be able to do otherwise: race an F1 car around the track at Le Mans; storm through enemy territory circa 1942; find the perfect place to land a giant -- and fast-falling -- L-shaped block; etc. Sometimes, though, the line between what can only be done in a game and what can be done in real life can get blurred. While I'm resigned to the fact that I'll never be a cute Asian female fighting machine, I can take solace in the fact that I can kick like one. And so can you! Today, I'm going to take one of things you figured you'd only get to do on-screen and teach you how to do it wherever you want.
When I'm not getting clients up and moving their bodies in crazy new ways at my Boston-area Black Belt Fitness Personal Training studio, I'm meting out virtual damage in
Virtua Fighter 5 Online -- and my broadband beatings come in only one flavor: Pai Chan. The only thing more rewarding than kicking the ass of a total stranger is doing it as the diminutive Pai Chan. Conveniently, one of my favorite combos of Pai's is also one the more fun ones you can do in real life.
And here's how you're going to do it...
First off,
here's the combo we're going to be nailing. In Pai Chan's Ensei-Ken style of fighting it's Ensei Senpukyaku, done by hitting the Kick and Guard buttons, followed by a quick shift of the feet, done by hitting the forward directional, and then Kochoukyaku, done by hitting the Kick, Guard, and back directional. I know it as a tornado kick followed by a spinning hook kick. It's a sick combination that will not only help improve your balance, coordination and agility, it'll impress the daylights out of your friends.
Figure 1
Start in a left-leg-forward fighting stance as my buddy, Patrick, is doing in Figure 1.
Figure 2
Start the tornado kick by shifting your heels and butt until they're facing your target and go from looking over your left shoulder to looking over your right shoulder (Figure 2).
Figure 3
Pick up your right leg -- your back leg -- as you continue to spin clockwise. Turn until your right knee is facing your target (Figure 3).