# Ain't that a kick in the head.



## Buka (Oct 25, 2016)

Says it's every head kick K.O. from the UFC history. Whether it's complete or not, it's still a fun watch. Except, you know, head kicks never work.

Ain't that a kick in the head: Watch every head-kick finish in UFC history

And for you old guys - A little dean Martin "Ain't that a kick in the head" is always kind of fun to play in the background...


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## Tony Dismukes (Oct 25, 2016)

I had seen most of those, but there were a few new ones. A lot of really good shots, along with a few which look like they shouldn't have done much of anything, but somehow managed to get the KO anyway.


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## Flatfish (Oct 25, 2016)

That was fun!


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## Kickboxer101 (Oct 25, 2016)

I don't think anyone's ever said head kicks don't work in the ring it's more of a case of them saying head kicks don't work on the street in a real fight


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## Tony Dismukes (Oct 25, 2016)

Kickboxer101 said:


> I don't think anyone's ever said head kicks don't work in the ring it's more of a case of them saying head kicks don't work on the street in a real fight


They certainly _can_ work on the street in a real fight. It's just that the risk/reward equation changes in that context.


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## Kickboxer101 (Oct 25, 2016)

Tony Dismukes said:


> They certainly _can_ work on the street in a real fight. It's just that the risk/reward equation changes in that context.


Yeah I know I'm not saying I say that but that's what most say when it comes to kicks in general


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## Touch Of Death (Oct 25, 2016)

Nobody ever said, head kicks don't work...


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## Buka (Oct 25, 2016)

Wait.....you mean head kicks _do_ work? Who knew?


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## drop bear (Oct 25, 2016)

Tony Dismukes said:


> They certainly _can_ work on the street in a real fight. It's just that the risk/reward equation changes in that context.



The risk reward is a lot different to what people think. You should not be able to head kick if there is a risk of falling over or being taken down and finished on the deck.

But that risk is there in MMA and the head kicks are pretty standard.

It is one of those times where you look at the evidence and not the preconceived ideas.

I thought the same for street fights. But people have pretty effectively kicked dudes heads off there as well.


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## Buka (Oct 25, 2016)

I think what people tend to envision, when discussing the legitimacy of head kicks as a tactic in a street fight, is two people squared off, or the monkey dance scenario, or multiple opponents. In my opinion this gives a false sense, or lower perceived successful percentage rate, of a head kick.

Remember how Rousy was knocked out by Holm? Rousey got turned around, when she tried to regain balance and turn back to her opponent - Holm was pushing on Ronda's back, keeping her turned and off balance, taking two little stutter steps while she did so - then the kick. That's how head kicks tend to work in street fights, as reactions to opportunity, not really as a conscious plan.

If you've ever been in, or seen fights outside, they're fast, ugly affairs, nothing like much seen in the dojo. And if you're a skilled kicker, they just come out when the circumstances give an opening - not a lot of thought process involved, just trained reaction - if you can kick, of course.


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## drop bear (Oct 25, 2016)

Buka said:


> I think what people tend to envision, when discussing the legitimacy of head kicks as a tactic in a street fight, is two people squared off, or the monkey dance scenario, or multiple opponents. In my opinion this gives a false sense, or lower perceived successful percentage rate, of a head kick.
> 
> Remember how Rousy was knocked out by Holm? Rousey got turned around, when she tried to regain balance and turn back to her opponent - Holm was pushing on Ronda's back, keeping her turned and off balance, taking two little stutter steps while she did so - then the kick. That's how head kicks tend to work in street fights, as reactions to opportunity, not really as a conscious plan.
> 
> If you've ever been in, or seen fights outside, they're fast, ugly affairs, nothing like much seen in the dojo. And if you're a skilled kicker, they just come out when the circumstances give an opening - not a lot of thought process involved, just trained reaction - if you can kick, of course.



Sort of.  If you could brush off a head kick.  You could enter and counter pretty easily. So that nice tap that you fend off with one arm in the gym is less if a threat and more of an opportunity.

If the head kick has steam coming off it.  Then you are almost never entering and countering you are dedicating pretty much all of your resources to not getting your skull broken  and suddenly the percentages change.

This changes the dynamic of ideas of things like leaving your groin open. 

And fine nail me in the groin.  But you will be unconscious at the point that i am most upset.


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## JR 137 (Oct 25, 2016)

I haven't heard head kicks don't work since after Mark Coleman got KOed by one from Pete Williams in UFC 17


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## Buka (Oct 26, 2016)

JR 137 said:


> I haven't heard head kicks don't work since after Mark Coleman got KOed by one from Pete Williams in UFC 17



One of my favorite knockouts. And with shoes.


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## Buka (Oct 26, 2016)

I deleted this. I think the person died.


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## Gerry Seymour (Oct 26, 2016)

Touch Of Death said:


> Nobody ever said, head kicks don't work...


Unfortunately, there are those who actually say that. I'm not a head-kicker - probably couldn't be, except on short people - but I certainly don't want to be a head-kickee, either.


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## Gerry Seymour (Oct 26, 2016)

drop bear said:


> The risk reward is a lot different to what people think. You should not be able to head kick if there is a risk of falling over or being taken down and finished on the deck.
> 
> But that risk is there in MMA and the head kicks are pretty standard.
> 
> ...


I think what Tony's referring to is the difference in the outcome of a bad choice. While I'm not a head-kicker, I'll kick high when there's an opportunity and a payoff, whether in sparring or on the street. For those in sport, there can be a calculated acceptance of (the possibility of) being knocked down that probably shouldn't be accepted on the street, if only because of the worse (and less predictable) environment. Of course, the payoff can sometimes be more important in this situation, as well. MMA more closely matches this than other competitions.


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## Touch Of Death (Oct 26, 2016)

gpseymour said:


> Unfortunately, there are those who actually say that. I'm not a head-kicker - probably couldn't be, except on short people - but I certainly don't want to be a head-kickee, either.


Let's just say there are timing issues, head hunters must face.


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## Gerry Seymour (Oct 26, 2016)

Touch Of Death said:


> Let's just say there are timing issues, head hunters must face.


Kicking to the head certainly creates more exposure. I have a better chance of getting inside a kick to the head than a kick to anything lower - it's a fairly simple bit of math involving the distance. That "better chance" doesn't necessarily mean I'll succeed though, just that the percentages slip a bit more in my favor on those longer distances. I've seen some kickers I'd feel safe entering against their kicks at almost any level. And I've seen some kickers I'd expect to be able to kick me in the head while I'm still thinking I'm stepping in. I hate those people. They make me fall down.


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## Headhunter (Oct 26, 2016)

A head kick is the same as anything else it can work and it may not work. Just depends on the fighter and how good their timing and how good their kicks are


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## Kickboxer101 (Oct 26, 2016)

Headhunter said:


> A head kick is the same as anything else it can work and it may not work. Just depends on the fighter and how good their timing and how good their kicks are


Agree it all depends. There's always a huge risk. I saw a belator fight the other day. Can't remember the names but one guy had amazing kicks and was lighting up the other guy. He was landing side kicks, leg kicks and body kicks easily. Then he threw a kick to the head and it was a great kick which landed but as it landed the other fighter dropped and caught the leg as it was going back and he got the takedown and ended up choking the guy out. If he'd kept his kicks to the legs and body he'd probably have won but because of the head kick he lost


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## Gerry Seymour (Oct 26, 2016)

Kickboxer101 said:


> Agree it all depends. There's always a huge risk. I saw a belator fight the other day. Can't remember the names but one guy had amazing kicks and was lighting up the other guy. He was landing side kicks, leg kicks and body kicks easily. Then he threw a kick to the head and it was a great kick which landed but as it landed the other fighter dropped and caught the leg as it was going back and he got the takedown and ended up choking the guy out. If he'd kept his kicks to the legs and body he'd probably have won but because of the head kick he lost


Yep, it happens. Of course, a split-second different, and that would end with, "because of the head kick he won."


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## Kickboxer101 (Oct 26, 2016)

gpseymour said:


> Yep, it happens. Of course, a split-second different, and that would end with, "because of the head kick he won."


At the end of the day in fighting you can have all the skill in the world but I do believe it does come down to luck sometimes. I never say a guy won due to a /lucky/ punch because that's what your trying to do hit a guy and knock them out but I do believe there's an element of luck to it that's the reason the most skilled doesn't always win simply because the right circumstances happened and the slightest thing changed to allow it to happen


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## Gerry Seymour (Oct 26, 2016)

Kickboxer101 said:


> At the end of the day in fighting you can have all the skill in the world but I do believe it does come down to luck sometimes. I never say a guy won due to a /lucky/ punch because that's what your trying to do hit a guy and knock them out but I do believe there's an element of luck to it that's the reason the most skilled doesn't always win simply because the right circumstances happened and the slightest thing changed to allow it to happen


Agreed. In most cases (in MA and elsewhere in life), what most people call "luck" requires someone who is well-prepared to take advantage of a situation. A poorly-thrown punch is unlikely to get a KO, even if you are "lucky" enough to have the opponent lean into it because they chose that moment to enter. A well-thrown punch, however, becomes that "lucky punch".


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