Wushu Butterfly Kick

Wushu Butterfly Kick

The butterfly or butterfly -kick is the easiest out of all wushu jump kicks. It's easier than the other jumps because you don't have to turn all the way around or land on the same leg you jumped from. You can try the b-kick as soon as you know how to to the basic wushu kicks and sweeps. Butterfly kicks can be performed in combinations or as single techniques. In wushu competitions, butterfly kicks have a low score, but a lot of advanced athletes still do them. Find more wushu jumps at wushu main.

Execution

  • How to run into a wushu butterfly kick
    Stand on your right foot while the left toe touches the floor about one ft in front of the right toe. The left arm and the left palm point straight up. Finger tips of the left hand point to your right. The right arm points to your right side (horizontally) and the right hands makes a fist (thumb up). Look to your right side (chin over your right shoulder). You look to your right side at the beginning, but you are going to run to the left side.
  • Let your left hand sink down in front of your eyes, (right side) while your left leg
    strikes out for a big step.
  • Walk two steps to the left in circular steps (left leg first). Your arms remain wide opened and your albows are extended.
  • Make a small hop on your right foot, while your arms go to your right and your left leg makes one last big circular step. This step is to build up some tension in your torso, which you will use when you jump off.
  • When you land on both legs after this hop, your upper body and the left arm point to where you came from, and your right arm points to your right. Your feet should be about 3 ft apart and your stance should look a little like a wushu bow stance.
  • This is where the runup ends and the actual wushu butterfly kick starts.
  • Now swing both arms and your upper body down and forward, while your right bow stance changes turns a horse stance, and the horse stance changes into a left bow stance. You have to swing your upper body really low. Your head has to be about one foot over ground for a moment. All this has to happen very fast.
  • As your head comes up again and all your weight shifts onto your left leg, kick your right leg up. It doesn't matter if you are going to do butterfly kick or a butterfly twist, the right leg has to be fully extended.
  • Swing your right leg up over horizontal level, open your arms as far as possible, and look straight forward. Don't look down or close your arms. If you look down you will not swing your legs properly and if you close your arms you will twist.
  • Swing your right leg over hip level and jump from your left leg. Keep looking straight forward all the time and exhale as you jump off. Both legs should go over hip height for a moment, so that your hip is the lowes point.
  • Land on your right leg first and then on your left leg. Land in a soft wushu bow stance -> The perfect position for another butterfly kick.

Advice

  • Watch the wushu butterfly kick videos (below).
  • Make sure you strike out low enough with your head and your arms.
  • Exercise: Start from the wushu bow stance before the jump and strike out like of you were going to to a butterfly kick. Kick up your right leg and make sure both knees are fully extended. Open your arms and look straight forward. But now, DON'T jump from your left leg, Just keep your right leg up over hip height and spin 360° like of you were ice dancing. With this exercises you will learn how to balance your wushu b-kick with your arms and your head.
  • Try butterfly combos: Do more than 2 wushu butterfly kicks in a row. Note: Every kick should go a bit further to the left.
  • Try to add a butterfly twist at the end of your b-kick combo.
  • Try to combine a butterfly kick with a wushu front sweep or other wushu jumps/kicks/difficulties.
  • Build jumping strength for the butterfly kick with Frog Jumps