Ok As far as
I know the kick itself is trained straight leg up and down. I believe that the reason for bending in some instances in various sequences is because of the technique of which it is used and/or of the following technique applied.
The kick mentioned in Gong Li I thought was straight because a.) that was the way it was taught to me and b.) it is showing the kick solely as the technique then the next technique is the step down into mabu followed by deng san bu (technique 16-long fist book/ gong li) Of course the dvd shows it straight kick followed by bending back when in slow speed, so I am most likely wrong
.In Yi Lu, the technique is the kick and followed by the change in stance(technique 6-pg134 see application or solution of technique), thus the need for bending the knee. Yes I do see the arguement of technique number 5 page 132, being solely a kick technique, and again think the bending of the knee is because of the stepping to the next technique. It is simuliar to the stepping down from Gin GI Du Li to Deng Sang Bu while punching. You have to step down then explode forward to get the power out, not just drop straight into the deng sang bu (sorry bad explanation
) Remember the kick itself is straight leg both ways and is focused on the groin or the kneecap. We only practice it high for stretching and speed. The reason for the straight leg is it hard for your opponent to block.
I will definitely ask Master Yang when I see him in reference to the sequence.
dave