How practical

[Manny]

How practical are kicks in a real confrontation? In my country we are taught to use our fists since an early age, so even the 3 yesra old boys hit with fists and the girls use something like slaps but kicking is something the Mexicans does not ofthen in a real fight. The street fights I've seen the Mexican use an average of two or three inacurated kicks for every 10 punches trown, so I have to admint that even Taekwondoings maybe have an edge over the regular street person if we use the correct distance and timing.

For me the vulnearble targets to use kicks are gut to below.

El Manny

 

[sfs982000]

The majority of fights that I've seen rarely use kicks as well and when they do get used the person normally doing the kicking gets caught. Normally it's a handful of punches then it goes to the ground. Low kick are definitely more practical, less chance of getting your base leg swept out from under you.

 

[Buka]

It depends. On the situation, the skill of the kicker, what kind of surface you're on etc.
Kicking can be dangerous for both parties in a fight.

 

[Kung Fu Wang]

How practical are kicks in a real confrontation?

Your opponent has to enter your kicking range before he can enter his punching range. Your leg is longer than your opponent's arm. When he punches at you, you kick should be able to reach to his belly before his punch can reach to your face. If you have a powerful front toe push kick (which has a bit longer reach than the front heel kick), your opponent has to eat your belly kick when he attacks.

When you opponent moves in, a "step on his knee" can interrupt his forward intention.

Since a low roundhouse kick to the inside of your opponent's leading leg is very difficult to catch, it can help you to set up a lot of things.

If you consider "foot sweep" as kick, your opponent has to shift weigh onto his leading leg before he can attack you, the opportunity of your "foot sweep" will always be there for you to take advantage on.

I don't quite like the side kick, hook kick, back kick, ... that are too easy to be caught. but the

- front toe push kick,
- knee stepping kick,
- low round house kick,
- foot sweep,

can be your bread and butter.

 

[Jaeimseu]

I think it would largely depend on the starting distance and surrounding physical environment. If it's a "fight" where both people know when the fight starts, why not? If it's a self defense situation in which the "victim" doesn't know he/she is under attack until the attack comes, then likely not.

 

[Earl Weiss]

...............................In my country we are taught to use our fists since an early age, so even the 3 yesra old boys hit with fists and the girls use something like slaps but kicking is something the Mexicans does not ofthen in a real fight. The street fights I've seen the Mexican use an average of two or three inacurated kicks for every 10 punches trown,.................................................

El Manny

And these punches are usualy targeted to what area?

 

[oftheherd1]

Your opponent has to enter your kicking range before he can enter his punching range. Your leg is longer than your opponent's arm. When he punches at you, you kick should be able to reach to his belly before his punch can reach to your face. If you have a powerful front toe push kick (which has a bit longer reach than the front heel kick), your opponent has to eat your belly kick when he attacks.

When you opponent moves in, a "step on his knee" can interrupt his forward intention.

Since a low roundhouse kick to the inside of your opponent's leading leg is very difficult to catch, it can help you to set up a lot of things.

If you consider "foot sweep" as kick, your opponent has to shift weigh onto his leading leg before he can attack you, the opportunity of your "foot sweep" will always be there for you to take advantage on.

I don't quite like the side kick, hook kick, back kick, ... that are too easy to be caught. but the

- front toe push kick,
- knee stepping kick,
- low round house kick,
- foot sweep,

can be your bread and butter.

In this and the where do you keep your eyes thread, I noticed several mentions that it is necessary to shift weight to the leading leg in order to kick. I find this interesting in that when I studied TKD, we were taught a 60/40 stance; 60 percent of weight on the back leg and 40 percent on the front leg. This allowed us to easily kick with our front leg, from the back leg. Is that no longer taught?

 

[Manny]

And these punches are usualy targeted to what area?

The face/head are regulary.

El Manny

 

[Kung Fu Wang]

it is necessary to shift weight to the leading leg in order to kick.

It depends on the distance. Assume both you and your opponent have right side forward. If the distance between your right leading leg and your opponent's right leading leg is

- shorter than your leg length, your leading right leg can reach to your opponent's body. The weight shifting won't be necessary here.
- longer than your leg length, you have to step in your right leg to shorter that distance, or shift weight on your right leading leg and jump off your leading right leg for your jump kick. The weight shifting will be necessary here.

 

[Manny]

My favorite low kicks are, the front kick delivered toi the groin area it's easy and fast enough to do damage and for the other guy to bend over, then the round kick to the knee or thigh (indie or outside) and then the side kick to the knee or groin area.

I thik my low limbs are designed to hurt the low limbs of the bad guy and my uper limbs are used to hurt the midel area and above the bad guy.

El Manny

 

[tshadowchaser]

On ice or in snow they are not that useful for most people.
Depending on the skill of the kicker a head kick might take someone by surprise and make a difference in a fight. Low kicks can keep opponents away heck thats why we do them

 

[Kung Fu Wang]

Your

- hands are closer to your opponent's head.
- legs are closer to your opponent's legs.

If we agree with "the shortest distance will take less time to travel", all high kicks will be slower than low licks.

 

[Gwai Lo Dan]

- front toe push kick,
- knee stepping kick,
- low round house kick,
- foot sweep,

can be your bread and butter.

My first TKD "instructor" was a TKD yellow belt with 15 years of Chinese Martial Arts, including wing chun. We would hang out and he would practice with me / teach me.

He showed me the low stepping kick (which he coupled with a punch to hide the kick), but I've never seen that kick in TKD. Do any schools teach it in TKD?

 

[drop bear]

Your

- hands are closer to your opponent's head.
- legs are closer to your opponent's legs.

If we agree with "the shortest distance will take less time to travel", all high kicks will be slower than low licks.

But hit harder and your own head is further away.

 

[Earl Weiss]

EARL WEISS SAID: ↑
And these punches are usualy targeted to what area?

The face/head are regulary.

El Manny

So, traing to spar with hands down and no punches allowed to this area makes practical sense because?????

 

[Earl Weiss]

My first TKD "instructor" was a TKD yellow belt with 15 years of Chinese Martial Arts, including wing chun. We would hang out and he would practice with me / teach me.

He showed me the low stepping kick (which he coupled with a punch to hide the kick), but I've never seen that kick in TKD. Do any schools teach it in TKD?

Not enough of a description to know for sure, but per General Choi's encyclopedia Side Piercing kicks are accompanied by a high punch unless instructed otherwise. There are also examples of jumping kicks while punching.

 

[Gwai Lo Dan]

Not enough of a description to know for sure...

I'm talking about the "stomping kick" with the inside of the foot. We also practiced the stomping kick with the outside of the foot going down the shin, in self defense when grabbed from behind.

 

[drop bear]

I'm talking about the "stomping kick" with the inside of the foot. We also practiced the stomping kick with the outside of the foot going down the shin, in self defense when grabbed from behind.

Yeah don't it is not very effective.

 

[drop bear]

Yeah don't it is not very effective.

I will expand on that. Generally what you do has to be worse than what they do. So you are trading a sore shin for a suplex.

 

[RTKDCMB]

I'm talking about the "stomping kick" with the inside of the foot. We also practiced the stomping kick with the outside of the foot going down the shin, in self defense when grabbed from behind.

We still practice those as an option in self defense training.