# Jon Jone's TKD on Display at the UFC



## Makalakumu (Apr 27, 2014)

Jon Jones recently fought Glover Texiera in the Octagon and he was throwing some very suspicious kicks. Spinning back kicks, ax kicks, spinning ax kicks...etc, we're seeing some TKD in the UFC now...not just some of the techniques that TKD shares with other arts, but techniques that are uniquely TKD. It's interesting to see more and more fighters slip this into their bag of tricks. Will we see more? What else could appear? Who can pull it off?


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## Transk53 (Apr 27, 2014)

Makalakumu said:


> Jon Jones recently fought Glover Texiera in the Octagon and he was throwing some very suspicious kicks. Spinning back kicks, ax kicks, spinning ax kicks...etc, we're seeing some TKD in the UFC now...not just some of the techniques that TKD shares with other arts, but techniques that are uniquely TKD. It's interesting to see more and more fighters slip this into their bag of tricks. Will we see more? What else could appear? Who can pull it off?



Any vids you could upload?. Can't find one to view in the UK.


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## Buka (Apr 27, 2014)

There are some sites that have the fight. One I use all the time and it's good, clear video. But I need some advice from a senior member of the forum - is it ethical for us to post that link?

Also - I do not know the integrity of these sites. I never get any viruses or anything, but I use the linux operating system. I don't know how it would be with others.

As for Jones - nice kicks! Better elbows, though. BUT - I strongly disagree that the kicks he threw were uniquely TKD.


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## Brian R. VanCise (Apr 27, 2014)

Actually Benson Henderson has a TKD background and is a blackbelt.


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## Tony Dismukes (Apr 27, 2014)

Brian R. VanCise said:


> Actually Benson Henderson has a TKD background and is a blackbelt.



Anthony Pettis as well. He's got some pretty flashy kicks.


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## Brian R. VanCise (Apr 27, 2014)

Tony Dismukes said:


> Anthony Pettis as well. He's got some pretty flashy kicks.



Very flashy his fights are always fun to watch!


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## twins-mt (Apr 29, 2014)

Brian R. VanCise said:


> Very flashy his fights are always fun to watch!



All of his fights are always the same - funny to watch like you said


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## drop bear (Apr 29, 2014)

Hand trapping gets done. I have seen the vertical punch used a bit. I have been taught gunting. A mate of mine crescent kicks a bit.

They are using everything. Pretty much.


Cartwheels.

http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=d3QPaQgTr1o


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## twins-mt (May 1, 2014)

nice ! so sometimes capoeira is useful ?


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## Tony Dismukes (May 1, 2014)

twins-mt said:


> nice ! so sometimes capoeira is useful ?



I've seen someone win by knockout in an MMA fight using capoeira techniques. I won't say that it's the highest percentage approach out there, but it can be done.


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## drop bear (May 1, 2014)

twins-mt said:


> nice ! so sometimes capoeira is useful ?



Yeah sometimes.
http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=l6oiADjOdFg


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## twins-mt (May 6, 2014)

it was ironic  i have seen that clip - also i think that some technique from any single ma will be useful in mma


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## donnaTKD (May 6, 2014)

i think that it helps you're an all rounder ie; you can do a fair bit of every style and then somehow mesh them all together --- it's no more brutal than a boxing match though..........

donna


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## skribs (May 8, 2014)

I don't think any technique is specific to any art.  Most of the kicks used in TKD *are* taught in at least some form in other places (think about it: TKD basically evolved from TSD which evolved from Karate).  There are a lot of similarities between some of the kicks in TKD, Capoeira, and Wushu.

If you're expecting everyone to go for boxing (or boxing + elbows + knees) or ground fighting, and only kick to the thigh, then a kick can really catch you off guard.  A kick to the head and you're pretty much done.  A good kick carries more than double the force of a punch.

With that said, it can be harder to hit with head kicks for a variety of reasons, some dependent on you, some on your opponent, and some on just blind luck.


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## twins-mt (May 9, 2014)

That's good point !


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## donnaTKD (May 9, 2014)

maybe so but getting to the point of time and distance to allow for a head kick against any muay thai fighter will be hard won.  and if you do get a head kick away then chances are you'll be on the receiving end of a straight right into AB's.

most fighters are trained to fight with left leg forward so a kick would be coming from the right leg of the opponent straight into your left guard which will automatically leave their ab region way open for exploiting by you

donna


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## skribs (May 9, 2014)

A good TKDer can do a good kick off either leg. Plus spin kicks on the rear leg tend to come from the opposite side as a roundhouse kick.


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## donnaTKD (May 9, 2014)

a good one maybe but the way that moves get taught i guess varies cos from what i've seen and learnt so far both are favouring a left leg forward approach.

plus how many kicks do you see in most mma fights ?????  i've only seen a few most of it is boxing with knees and locks and groundwork --- don't know too many fighters that bother with a high kick cos it's just not effective enough to be used a consistent basis.

donna


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## skribs (May 9, 2014)

Most MMA fighters don't know how to high kick.  They train for leg kicks and maybe a front push kick.  I was watching a show called Fight Quest, where a couple of MMA fighters (one pro, one amateur) went to various countries and learned a martial art from that country.  The pro couldn't kick above the waist level with any power, because his leg flexibility was so horrid.  Look up on youtube "Top 10 MMA Kick KOs" or something similar and you'll see some pretty good ones.  There's even one where the kicker jumps off the fence post for added momentum.  From what I've seen on various MA-related shows on Discovery, you can get about 140% MORE power into a kick than you can into a punch (a boxer's cross rated at 1000 pounds of force, vs. a roundhouse kick at 2400 pounds).  When people connect with a punch, sometimes they knock the other guy senseless, and others the other guy just takes it.  Very rarely do you see a head kick connect and the other fighter doesn't go down.

Left leg forward doesn't mean you only kick with the right leg.  You can do skipping kicks or sliding kicks, plus a good TKDer should be able to operate from left leg forward or left leg back (as after you do a kick with the right leg, you're quite often right leg forward).

I'm not saying "go kicks or go home".  I'm saying that if you can land head kicks, it's a very powerful tool to have in your toolbox, that if you have the opportunity to use it then it could be what wins you the fight.


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## nordin (May 22, 2014)

I have been reading some interesting info about early UFC, Pancrase, Vale Tudo old NHB etc. Not to sound as some kind of crazy revisionist, but we have today still very distorted picture of modern martial art development. I will probably write longer post some time not hijack this thread  What I can say from these personal researches is that because of certain circumstances TKD, Karate, Catch wrestling, Fadda Jiujitsu, Savate and to some extent Judo has been treated extremely bad in some MMA communities. These arts has been base or prominent supplement to many great fighters, yet they received no or only afterthough credits from MMA media.  
In this case TKD is so much more then certain kicks. If you watch TKD blackbelts as Silva, Pettis, Bendo, you can see what this art has given them in regards to foot work and overall agility. That is reason why Dutch kickboxing schools are so strong; they used different Karate and TKD style footwork and kicking base, it is not just Muay Thai with more boxing, less clinch and few fancy kicks. It is a style based on totally different level of movement and agility(not to say that agility in MT is less, just different approach and tradition).


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