What I realized when someone asked, 'Doesn't swimming 'kicking' hurt?'

'Doesn't kicking hurt?'

While teaching lessons, I sometimes hear this question.

'Teacher, doesn't swimming kicking hurt?'

At first, I wondered, 'What do you mean?'

But after listening to them, I understood.

For those of us who swim, 'kick' is a common term.

We call the leg movements in flutter kicks and breaststroke 'kicking'.

However, for those who don't swim, when they hear 'kick,' the first thing that comes to mind is the image of 'kicking' in martial arts or soccer.

In other words, they have the impression that it is 'painful' or 'something used to attack'.

Come to think of it, I often say things like this during lessons:

'Kick harder!'
'Let's try kicking faster!'

If you replace this with a martial arts kick and listen...

'Kick harder!'
'Kick faster!'

It sounds a bit like practicing an attack, doesn't it?

Of course, swimming kicks are completely different.

They are for moving forward in the water.

They are for stabilizing the body.

We just call moving your legs for those purposes a 'kick'.

That is why at Raku-Ei Swimming, we try to use terms like 'flutter kick' or 'breaststroke legs' as much as possible.

There is nothing wrong with using technical terms.

But for those new to swimming, those words can sometimes lead to peace of mind, or sometimes to anxiety.

Choosing words that the other person understands.

I believe that is also an important teaching skill.

If you have ever thought, 'Is a swimming kick about kicking someone?', please rest assured.

A swimming kick is not for kicking anyone.

It refers to the movement of the legs to move your body forward or to maintain balance in the water.

I would be happy if you could think of it that way.

Come with a smile, leave with a smile
Raku-Ei Swimming