Tim's Take on the Cheat Setup and Tornado Kick

[TKD Tim]

Warning: There are a ton of .gifs in this tutorial, so back out if you have a slow computer. :P

A little background which no one cares about:

Before I ever got around to actually making this tutorial, it was so many different things...Originally this was just to help a friend out with their Tornados, and then I got to thinking of all the cheat setups and how there should be an article about them. Then I went back to the Tornado idea, and was gonna make two tutorials (one for setups and one for tornados), but eh, I'm just gonna combine them. Letsa go!



There are two "prerequisites" for the tornado kick. I put that in quotes because you can do a tornado without them, but I believe you can't do a good tornado without them.

Flexibility:
http://i70.photobucket.com/albums/i86/gamerchic4/Tornado%20Tutorial/Stretch.gif
"Wax on, wax off"

And a good jump front kick:
http://i70.photobucket.com/albums/i86/gamerchic4/Tornado%20Tutorial/Jump-Front-Kick.gif
"u still have to climb some stairs to rich my toes..."


I always warm up with stretch kicks (just raise your leg up as high as you can without bending your knee), and some inside and outside crescent kicks, like in that first .gif. I try to keep my knee straight because I like making a smooth circle rather than a powerful attack during my tornados.

In the jumping front kick, the important thing to remember is that you lift one knee up as you jump, then you kick with the other leg. I've gotten in the habit of not bending my knee much with the first leg...some prefer to tuck it in tighter, but I don't believe it really makes a difference.





Now for my little article on cheat setups. I was just sitting around thinking of all the cheat setups I see, and I realized there are quite a few. Most are variations of others though.

Notes: I'm not going to attempt to name the different cheat setups. I don't kick in these to avoid distraction from the setup. Also, this tutorial is about height, I don't know squat about getting torque out of the setups, sorry :tongue:

http://i70.photobucket.com/albums/i86/gamerchic4/Tornado%20Tutorial/Cheat1.gif
This is a simple setup where you spin in place. I believe this originated in TKD or Karate. Possible variations include doing an inside kick directly into it, for exampe a crescent > cheat setup. (http://i70.photobucket.com/albums/i86/gamerchic4/Tornado%20Tutorial/Cheat6.gif)


http://i70.photobucket.com/albums/i86/gamerchic4/Tornado%20Tutorial/Cheat2.gif
I like doing a punch into this setup. In this one, you build up a little horizontal momentum by shifting your weight from one side to the other. This is basically the same setup seen in Capoeira all the time, though they have a much different style to it. The important thing to note in this .gif is how my feet move, ignore my upper body. This setup can be entered into by an outside kick, for example Hook > cheat setup. (http://i70.photobucket.com/albums/i86/gamerchic4/Tornado%20Tutorial/Cheat4.gif)



http://i70.photobucket.com/albums/i86/gamerchic4/Tornado%20Tutorial/Tornado5-3.gif
Next we have the stepping-in setup. This is most commonly used in Martial Arts, because it helps you to gain ground. In tricking, we usually want to go more up and less forward. When using this setup, it's usually best to turn your hips over and do a 360 roundhouse instead of a tornado. Variations include: Standing (http://i70.photobucket.com/albums/i86/gamerchic4/Tornado%20Tutorial/Tornado5-2.gif), in which you should imagine that you have just stepped in like the first .gif (You don't get as much power in this version), and entering it with an inside kick, for example roundhouse > cheat setup (http://i70.photobucket.com/albums/i86/gamerchic4/Tornado%20Tutorial/Cheat5.gif) (note how I turn my hips over).



http://i70.photobucket.com/albums/i86/gamerchic4/Tornado%20Tutorial/Cheat3.gif
Finally, we have the running setup as seen in Wushu. I do not see trickers using this setup enough. It is definitely not for beginners, as it is very difficult to master your momentum, but it is very fun and makes 540 gyros a breeze.






All .gifs after this are linked, cause I want people to actually be able to view this tutorial :tongue:





Now for how to turn these into a tornado kick. I am going to label your legs left and right. If you kick with your left leg, just reverse all of the directions.


In the first setup [Example] (http://i70.photobucket.com/albums/i86/gamerchic4/Tornado%20Tutorial/Tornado1.gif), you simply raise your right knee, turn halfway around, put it down near your left foot, continue turning to face the front and....

Do a jump front kick.

Yes! That's all! Don't even worry about doing an inside crescent kick for now, because you're spinning already it should take care of itself. All you have to do is push off with your right leg, lift your left knee, and then drop your left knee and kick with your right leg. Try to reach for the sky with your kicking leg, and reach for the ground with the other. If you end up in a full split, you're doing it right. :tongue:


It's basically the same idea with every setup. Just raise one knee, and kick with the other leg!

The one that is majorly different is the step-in setup if you decide to do a 360 roundhouse from it. [Example] (http://i70.photobucket.com/albums/i86/gamerchic4/Tornado%20Tutorial/Tornado5-1.gif) Instead of kicking straight up like a jump front kick, you must turn your hips over and kick across. Once you get more comfortable with 540s, I recommend practicing this with whichever your favorite setup is, because it makes jackknives a bit easier.


Also, I should note that with the Wushu-style running setup [Example] (http://i70.photobucket.com/albums/i86/gamerchic4/Tornado%20Tutorial/Tornado6.gif), you should make sure to use the principle of blocking to get height. By this I mean when you plant your foot, it should be a little in front of you rather than directly underneath you. This causes you to get more height rather than fly forward and low.




Here are some more examples for your reference:

Crescent > Tornado (http://i70.photobucket.com/albums/i86/gamerchic4/Tornado%20Tutorial/Tornado2.gif)
Tornado from a punch (http://i70.photobucket.com/albums/i86/gamerchic4/Tornado%20Tutorial/Tornado3-2.gif) and just with the step (http://i70.photobucket.com/albums/i86/gamerchic4/Tornado%20Tutorial/Tornado3-1.gif).
540 from the first setup (http://i70.photobucket.com/albums/i86/gamerchic4/Tornado%20Tutorial/540-1.gif).
Inside crescent > 540 (http://i70.photobucket.com/albums/i86/gamerchic4/Tornado%20Tutorial/540-2.gif).
Punch > 540 (http://i70.photobucket.com/albums/i86/gamerchic4/Tornado%20Tutorial/540-3.gif).
Hook > 540 (http://i70.photobucket.com/albums/i86/gamerchic4/Tornado%20Tutorial/540-4.gif).
Roundhouse > 540(hips turned over) (http://i70.photobucket.com/albums/i86/gamerchic4/Tornado%20Tutorial/540-5.gif).
Running 540 (http://i70.photobucket.com/albums/i86/gamerchic4/Tornado%20Tutorial/540-6.gif)





Well, I don't have much more to say, but I'd be more than happy to answer any questions you have! However, I leave tomorrow at noon on a week long cruise, so I may not be able to answer them right away.

Btw, believe it or not I was slightly disappointed by the quality of some of my kicks here, but I don't have time to go refilm them :P





This tutorial is dedicated to my girlfriend, whose Tornado kicks are better than Less than Dan's :tongue:

[tricker_d]

Why do you need a jump front kick? And in the wushu set up, your back has to be completely straight. The wushu version is like you are doing a tornado kick, ripping down the kick leg, and spinning like a drill untill you land.

Edit: I see now why you need the jump front kick.

[*<User Name]

I like this, you've constructed it very well :good: much props for the effort put into making this.

[A_Wilhelm]

Very detailed tutorial :good:

I liked how accurately you explained the different set ups. Most tutorials only touch this point.

You might could have added more tipps to other cheat tricks, but that could have been too many information and it ins't really necessary, because there are many tutorials out there for the tricks.

[simon]

that was reall nice man. <3

[TKD Tim]

Thank you all! Yeah, I don't take Wushu so I do my own version of the running cheat setup. And I was considering going in depth on how to use these takeoffs for other spin kicks, but I'm no good at torque xD I can barely c900, and my c720s are inconsistant at the moment. What I do know about, however, is height and cleanliness.


Did anyone notice the quotes under those first two .gifs? :wink:

[A_Wilhelm]

Did anyone notice the quotes under those first two .gifs? :wink:

of course :wink:

[Kemono]

A note on the wushu setup:
You can do whatever you want, but the proper wushu form is to step out fairly wide after the run up (like past shoulder width) not overstepping as you would in regular cheat setups, meaning no more than 90 degrees to the left (assuming you spin counterclockwise) of your run up. You have to shift all of your weight onto your right leg, and crouch down a lot more than in the regular cheat set up before you jump up. You throw an inside crescent, and you must be vertical (for the standard landing). Wushu crescents, unlike tkd or karate ones, come straight up and then to the side as opposed to going a little more to the left or right before circling (like the gif). When you do this kick you can't open your hips like you would a regular cheat kick with a roundhouse before the kick; you have to keep your hips in line, throw the kick up and then down (the motion isn't as side to side as you'd think), and then wrap. This set up is sort of a combination between cheat and pop, and like you said, you have to block a lot.
Nice tut.

[dpitlock]

way to long.

[tricker_d]

A note on the wushu setup:
You can do whatever you want, but the proper wushu form is to step out fairly wide after the run up (like past shoulder width) not overstepping as you would in regular cheat setups, meaning no more than 90 degrees to the left (assuming you spin counterclockwise) of your run up. You have to shift all of your weight onto your right leg, and crouch down a lot more than in the regular cheat set up before you jump up. You throw an inside crescent, and you must be vertical (for the standard landing). Wushu crescents, unlike tkd or karate ones, come straight up and then to the side as opposed to going a little more to the left or right before circling (like the gif). When you do this kick you can't open your hips like you would a regular cheat kick with a roundhouse before the kick; you have to keep your hips in line, throw the kick up and then down (the motion isn't as side to side as you'd think), and then wrap. This set up is sort of a combination between cheat and pop, and like you said, you have to block a lot.
Nice tut.

The inside kick standards have changed I think. The leg goes diagonally up and to the left, then straight down.

[CodyLee1337]

A tornado kick is supposed to be done with a roundhouse not a crescent other wise its just not right ! But very good tut Thumbs up to you

[TKD Tim]

But...then it's a 360 roundhouse. I guess you learned differently? Every tricker and Tae Kwon Do practicioner I've ever seen or met does them with crescents.

[CodyLee1337]

True I guess its really still just a tornado just either crescent or roundhouse don't make a difference, I take Tukong which is a Korean style so yeah the 540 is not even a tricking 540 its a 720 in our style, but in your opinion which is sexier 540 with roundhouse or crescent just more curious?

[TKD Tim]

I prefer super high floaty tornados with crescents myself, but I can appreciate a powerful hyper 360 round. I think teh crescent version is better for tricking all around, but like I mentioned the round version makes it easier to jacknife.

[CodyLee1337]

http://youtube.com/watch?v=tt3NB_VtBfU

This is the reason I train roundhouse 540's to progress to this, this is what my style considers a 540, but when Im showing my 540 I do it with crescent because its more showy looking :D Haha, so yeah I guess when thinking about it your really don't see many trickers throw 540's with roundhouse due to the fact not only is it hard to make the roundhouse a high 1 its hard to make it slow motion.

[brokenvoice]

get better kikz b4 deciding to write a tutorial

[TKD Tim]

:|

/facepalm

[Skippy]

Very helpful :]

*awards TKD_Tim with most useful member of the day award*

[TKD Tim]

Yay! :D

*Has just arrived home after his cruise*

[Jainer]

this topic gets jainer cuddles x

[Lenny]

Wow thanks! This has really simplified the kick down for me so that i know exactly what foot goes where.:smile:

[TKD Tim]

Oh wow, that was a big bump xD Did I show you this over MSN recently?

[Cicero]

I do think that this thread deserves more recognition than it initially got, seeing as how you put quite a bit of effort into it.