Reverse Crescent Kick (Achieving Kicking Excellence, Vol. 5) Review

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(More customer reviews)Reverse Crescent Kick is the fifth book of the Achieving Kicking Excellence series by Shawn Kovacich. Just as he did with the other volumes of the series, Kovacich attacked the instruction of the reverse crescent kick with meticulous detail and thoroughness. I have to admit, ever since Billy Jack wopped Posner on the right side of his face with his right foot, I've had a sentimental spot for the reverse crescent kick, and that makes this my favorite book of the series.
This book is the most detailed written description you will find on executing the reverse crescent kick, and should be included in any martial artist's book collection who incorporates kicking into his or her training. This is not a book you just sit down and read cover to cover for enjoyment. It is a resource text to be studied and referred to at various times during your training or teaching. Yes teaching! I think instructors will learn tips on how to teach the reverse crescent kick by reading this manual.
The most valuable sections of this book are the chapters that teach the basics of the reverse crescent kick and then the variations. The variations Kovacich covers include: Turning Reverse Crescent Kick, Spinning Reverse Crescent Kick, Step-Back Turning Reverse Crescent Kick, Switch Turning Reverse Crescent Kick, Hop/Slide Forward Reverse Crescent Kick, Hop/Slide Backward Reverse Crescent Kick, Front Leg Reverse Crescent Kick, Cross-Over Reverse Crescent Kick, Off-Setting Turning Reverse Crescent Kick, Jump Turning Reverse Crescent Kick, and the Switch Turning Reverse Crescent Kick (left leg). The chapters do have some repetition, but this enables the book to be more easily used as a reference tool, since you can pick the book up and review any of the kicks without having to refer back to different chapters. Kovacich uses plentiful photographs and illustrations to demonstrate all aspects of the kick, striking angles, foot placement, and the arc of the kick. As I mentioned, he attacks this with meticulous detail and you will not find a more complete written account of the reverse crescent kick anywhere.
The chapters on strength, speed, and power are the weakest chapters of the book. While it is nice that Kovacich included a bit on these topics, the real strength of this book is with the detailed instruction of the kick itself. There are many other resources out there that cover strength, speed, and power in more detail and depth than Kovaich does here. The good thing is he introduces these concepts and any good martial artist will further his or her study of these to incorporate into their training with different resources.
The trouble shooting guide offers some good tips to better your kicking, and Kovacich also includes a short chapter on reverse crescent kick applications.
If you want in-depth instruction on the reverse crescent kick and ten of its main variations, this book with over 200 pages of text, photographs, and illustrations is a must have addition to your martial art library. It is an excellent resource for any martial artist regardless of style.
Reviewed by Alain Burrese, J.D., author of the DVD set Streetfighting Essentials.

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Reverse Crescent Kick is the fifth volume in the extremely well written and fully illustrated, Achieving Kicking Excellence series of martial arts related books. Reverse Crescent 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 Reverse Crescent 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 Reverse Crescent Kick, and then you dive right into learning the proper execution of the primary kick, Reverse Crescent Kick. Once you have finished with this section, you are taken to the variations chapter which builds upon the primary kick, Reverse Crescent 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 Reverse Crescent Kick and the solutions to correct them. The next chapter in this book deals with a very brief and basic application section for the Reverse Crescent Kick and each of the variations previously detailed in this book.NOTE:The combat/self-defense applications of the Reverse Crescent Kick are discussed and demonstrated in much greater detail in the companion book to this book, Reverse Crescent Kick: Achieving Kicking Excellence; Volume 5, which is Reverse Crescent Kick: Applications in Combat: Achieving Kicking Excellence; Volume 15. This book goes into intricate detail over all aspects of applying the primary kick, which in this case is the Reverse Crescent 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 Front Kick.

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