The Return of Surfing

[Archtkd]

I saw lot of prolonged front leg surfing at the just concluded WTF world championships, especially from the Turks, and it appeared like it was infringing on the Lopez rule. What is spurring this return of a technique that was commmon in the 1980s and early 90s, and one I think leaves the front leg open to injury?

 

[StudentCarl]

I haven't heard this term...would you please explain that and the Lopez rule? Does it relate to keeping the front leg raised/chambered?

Thanks,
Carl

 

[BoA36]

From the rule book, prohibited acts which earn a kyongo:

Lifting the knee to avoid a valid attack or impede the progress of an attack

BoA36

 

[puunui]

I saw lot of prolonged front leg surfing at the just concluded WTF world championships, especially from the Turks, and it appeared like it was infringing on the Lopez rule. What is spurring this return of a technique that was commmon in the 1980s and early 90s, and one I think leaves the front leg open to injury?

My student Danny Kim and I came up with that term, "surfing". Steven Lopez' nickname for a while was Surfpez.

 

[Archtkd]

From the rule book, prohibited acts which earn a kyongo:

Lifting the knee to avoid a valid attack or impede the progress of an attack

BoA36

Puunui could explain this better. Surfing is not quite lifting the knee up straigt, often done in the old days to block kicks with your front leg. Surfing is done with the front leg chambered for a side kick (knee is up but sideways). It's a pumping motion carried out while hopping on one leg. I The Lopez rule applies when the motion is used to block, but I think people are now getting around the rule by making it look like they are using the motion only to kick. I watched one Turk woman at the world's use the technique very effectively to keep an opponent at bay.

 

[StudentCarl]

That's what I thought. I see fighters use it mostly with fast kicks. Their story is that it's a chambered kick, but it's a functional knee/lower leg block. I wish refs would call it more but I imagine the boundary between chambering and knee-blocking hasn't been defined in a way that will stop it. Interesting that it seems to be on the rise.

 

[Archtkd]

That's what I thought. I see fighters use it mostly with fast kicks. Their story is that it's a chambered kick, but it's a functional knee/lower leg block. I wish refs would call it more but I imagine the boundary between chambering and knee-blocking hasn't been defined in a way that will stop it. Interesting that it seems to be on the rise.

Here's a good example. Watch the girl in blue: http://www.dartfish.tv/Presenter.as...AAQAHLTYya2dfRgABAQ9wMWMyNTQ2NG00NjE5NjAAAAA=