Punch vs Kick

[muayThaiPerson]

Honostly, I believe that punching is the primary weapon in fighting. It is more important the kicking. The legs, although strong, cant be used without balance. Punches will knock u off balance. Punching is eassier too because you have a base which is you legs and weapons which are your fist. With kicking, your only relying on one leg: your vulnerable to knock downs. I still think kicking is importnant.

 

[yilisifu]

I'd have to say that most fighters rely first and foremost on their hands are their main weapons. Most (untrained) people are not very comfortable kicking, and tend to get rather sloppy about it.

Although the legs are 3-5 times stronger than the arms, they're also about 3 times slower and hand-eye coordination is much finer than foot-eye coordination.

Having said that, a fast, strong kick is usually unexpected. As you pointed out, one is unstable whenever one delivers a kick, so it'd better be good.......

 

[Yari]

Originally posted by muayThaiPerson
Honostly, I believe that punching is the primary weapon in fighting. It is more important the kicking. The legs, although strong, cant be used without balance. Punches will knock u off balance. Punching is eassier too because you have a base which is you legs and weapons which are your fist. With kicking, your only relying on one leg: your vulnerable to knock downs. I still think kicking is importnant.

I think this is true, in the sense that it's the way you've learned it.
Then how can you react differently?

If you worked on using your legs as a natural part of your defence, I think things would be different.

But I would argue that the arms are more vertisal(sp?).


/Yari

 

[Elfan]

I think the base of any realistic self defense art should be staying on your feet and striking with your hands.

 

[Rich Parsons]

When both my hands are busy, I use and have used my feet.

I use them to step on people to kick peeple and to move people.
Yet I trust my hands more, because I use them for other skills just as well, yet I have trained and train to include the feet, and for that matter my body into the mix of the conflict.

:asian:

 

[Cruentus]

Although not as accurate, I can kick a full power kick about as fast as most people can punch, in all seriousness.

However, I think that the hands are safer, more accurate, and better designed weapon then the feet. The feet are better for manuevering and balancing and aiding the hands, and the hands are safer because you can keep both feet on the ground when you use them.

Regardless, in actual combat I try to think of my entire body as the weapon, and I usually don't have "kicking" and "punching" seperated very cleanly; however, I just tend to use my hands more then my legs, that's all.

 

[theletch1]

I gotta say that my hands are indeed my first line of defense. I can do much more than just strike with them. Trap, grab, control and strike. However, my legs come in real handy (pun intended) for a good set up with a kick to the lower part of the body as far as putting my opponent off balance, putting them down when they are already off balance and surprising the heck out of them if they aren't expecting anything in the way of a martial defense. My legs also give me the most reach for a first strike in a self defense situation.

respectfully,
theletch1:asian:

 

[ace]

.

 

[MartialArtist]

Punch is the #1 KO move on the street. It's simpler, faster, quicker, and has more control than a kick.

However, I do use a lot of kicks and don't underestimate a good kick.

 

[Withered Soul]

I believe that kicks are far better. In all fairness how easy is it to block a side kick to the knee? As said before, kicks are way more powerful than punches. And with trainers on, a kick could knock you out (especially with a toe pop to the temple).

 

[Deathtrap101]

i dont think i would ever try to block any kick to my knee. Just move it. If you plan on kicks as your primary weapon you gota be damn good at it, because if he gets a hold of a foot or gets too close your toast without your hands.

 

[YouAgain]

Stick a boxer up against a TKD student and the Boxer would most likely win........

 

[MartialArtist]

Originally posted by YouAgain
Stick a boxer up against a TKD student and the Boxer would most likely win........

True, because most TKD practitioners don't practice for combat and many think they are but they really aren't. Of those that do practice for combat, and practice boxing for combat, it's pretty much an even show like all arts... It rests on the person and the environment... A sole sport boxer will have a much harder time in a confined area than a sole wing chun person will. Again, I'm speaking in very general terms of intermediate (not advanced) practitioners. Advanced practitioners can adapt, and use their head to know what to do and take full advantage of everything.

 

[lost_tortoise]

Before I had developed my kicking ability, I liked to keep my feet on the ground in the street. It is just to hairy in the real world to be compromising balance if your kicking isn't instictive. Now, however, I do use kicks in a confrontation. Mind you, I NEVER kick above the thigh in a real fight and rarely above the knee at any time. Also, keep in mind that I haven't been involved in a real fight in over 11 years and I hope that streak continues. I definitely place my vote for hands as primary defensive tool.

geoffrey

 

[Zepp]

I have to agree with ace and PAUL there. I train to use whatever technique will make it to the target in the shortest amount of time and with enough power to do what I want it to. Punch, kick, nearby barstool, whatever will end the confrontation the fastest. True, if your opponent is close to you, kicking to his head is probably a bad idea. But it's not too likely that you're going to damage someone's knee with a punch.

 

[Zepp]

Originally posted by YouAgain
Stick a boxer up against a TKD student and the Boxer would most likely win........

That's because most TKD students practice a watered down style that wouldn't help them fight their way out of wet paper bag. Not a fair example.

 

[Withered Soul]

But let's not forget it's not the art you train in. It's your own physical fitness. Yes if you stick a TKD against a Boxer the boxer'll probably win but if the TKD was a 7th Dan muscle bound giant and the boxer just started going a week ago and looked like Woody Alan, it could be a differant story.

 

[KennethKu]

The prime TKD fighters are mostly in 3-4th dan. Higher dans are not in direct relationship with performance. They are mostly awarded in recognition of their contibution to the knowledge pool, of their promotion of the art to the public, of their services to the organization, etc. Their techinical proficiency is not the determining factor for their promotion to higher dan. Just like, you don't get promoted to a general in the army based on your markmanship.

 

[KennethKu]

If the TKD practitioner trains as hard as the boxer, the TKD fighter would win over the boxer, if the participants are in the same division interms of size and experience etc. Boxing as learned under boxing rule, is not a complete combat art. It does not teach kicking nor grapping. TKD would at least offer its practitioners more tools/weapons. The bottomline is, it isn't which one is better than the other. They are different and they train differently.

 

[ThuNder_FoOt]

I believe both are equally as important.

While one may be quicker and short range, the other is longer and long range. Its like Yin and Yang for me.

In the beginning, I felt that punches were more important. But after more experience I came to the realization that both have their equal, respective place. Even kicking to the head has its place in "real combat", atleast for me. I try to be equally proficient in both, but I can honestly say that I prefer kicking.

Its just easier for people to be proficient at punching, there go the reason most feel comfortable to punch. It requires little flexibility and little knowledge to be proficient.

just my $0.02


:asian: