Are low kicks underated ?

[hrlmonkey]

sorry, i was refering to the victim trapping the head kick, and taking the kicker down. possibly doing a hellish amount of damage to the kicker at the same time - fight over.

i personally prefer the fight/ self defence option that leg kicks offer. i feel safer using them, as opposed to sacrificing myself by using high kicks.

 

[Xue Sheng]

a) Because a single head kick can END a fight

b) Head kick can knockout them out instead of crippling ("don't maim when to hurt is enough")

c) kicking to the head is FUN and looks boogey-cool

I can see your aversion, though, as trees generally don't have heads

a) Because a single head kick can END a fight – yes and you better not miss. And a single kick to the knee, shin or a stomp on the foot can too.

b) Head kick can knockout them out instead of crippling ("don't maim when to hurt is enough"). - Depends on why I am fighting but if I stomp their foot or a kick to the shin it will not cripple either. Also a head kick can knock them out, cripple then and or kill them depending on who you kick, how hard you kick and what they fall on.

c) kicking to the head is FUN and looks boogey-cool - Well you got me there, I use to train them and they were very fun an very cool

I can see your aversion, though, as trees generally don't have heads… Even if they did they would be 20 or more feet off the ground and I DARE you to kick someone that tall in the head.

I really do not have anything against head kicks, if you like them and use them that is great. I do not use or train them and I do not use or train jump kicks anymore either.

 

[King]

Underrated? Most of the people I spar heavily relies on low kicks. The ratio is almost 3 low:1 high. High kicks are spectacular when they connect, maybe that's why they are so memorable. But you don't see the effect of low kicks until later rounds when the victim's thigh starts looking like bad hamburger meat. All I say is, the more tools you have in your shed -- the more options you have disassembling your opponent's defenses.

 

[zDom]

if somebody catches your single head kick, it can most certainly end a fight. as proven so many times in the past.

Like when Gabriel Gonzaga caught Mirko Cro Cop's kick? Oh wait ... that was a LOW kick he caught...and it didn't end the fight. Nevermind

What ended that fight? Oh yea.. it was the kick Cro-cop caught — in the HEAD

All ribbing aside,

do you trust your kicking speed and power to be better than the blocking and trapping skills of your opponent?

Yes, I do.

But then, your mileage may vary. For me, a "clinch" would be a bad choice; I'm not as comfortable there as a Muay Thai fighter, for example. But I'm very comfortable with high kicking.

But then, this is about LOW kicking — and that is ANOTHER benefit of low kicking.

A couple of low kicks can really set someone up for a high kick to finish them off.

I am a big fan of ALL kicking. It is my personal forte.

Speaking just for me, while I think a head kick may knock them clean out, I think the results of a low kick would be much nastier. Chances are, they will wake up from the head kick with a mild concussion no worse for the wear after a week or so.

But a dislocated, broken or even slightly hyperextended knee may bother them for years. It may NEVER be right again without extensive knee surgery.

 

[hrlmonkey]

my whole point there, was that low kicks give a better chance of survival in a fight, than trying to kick somebody in the head.

 

[zDom]

my whole point there, was that low kicks give a better chance of survival in a fight, than trying to kick somebody in the head.

I understand that, but I think you are making a sweeping generalization that isn't necessarily true all the time.

Not saying low kicks are GREAT, because they ARE. A great tool for your martial art technique toolbox.

But its like you are arguing that a hammer is ALWAYS great and circular saw is ALWAYS too dangerous to use Sure, most people can use a hammer and some people should never TOUCH a circular saw

But it also really depends on who you are fighting, too. Lift up a leg to kick someone with some decent throwing skills, and they may reap (osoto gari) you onto your head no matter WHERE you kick - ankle or head.

If you are kicking high, your upper body will already be lower to the ground which means it won't hit nearly as hard as you would if you are reaped from the upright position for a low kick.

Also watch out for ouchi gari or a number of other throws and sweeps while low kicking.

People hurt their thumbs with hammers all the time

 

[Drag'n]

I'm with z dom on this.
Its never a matter of which one technique is best. Its being able to mix it up and always have your opponent guessing which makes a good fighter.
If you just kick low, hes going to adjust and block you. Getting low kicks blocked often causes more damage to the kicker than the blocker.
Same goes for just kicking middle or high. You'll get caught and swept easily.
By mixing it up, using feints,etc you can create opennings and attack them. Low middle or high. The best target is the one thats open.

 

[kidswarrior]

Cancelled the double post. Sorry.

 

[kidswarrior]

I'm with z dom on this.
Its never a matter of which one technique is best. Its being able to mix it up and always have your opponent guessing which makes a good fighter.

By mixing it up, using feints,etc you can create opennings and attack them. Low middle or high. The best target is the one thats open.

I agree with this in principle (after I edited it to say what I wanted. Sorry, Drag'n--but I don't think I really altered the meaning any).

But for those of us with a deep seated aversion to high kicking, why can't I use my hands to 'mix it up' and go high/mid torso with feint, strike, setup move, or finishing move?

In other words, I agree with the principle that we must mix up the different zones. In fact, the techniqes I've chosen to teach almost always use a high, low, and medium piece (in various order). But we have four striking weapons, not just two. So speaking for myself, I am confident I can occupy him head high/upper torso with all manner of hand techniques while plotting/executing low kicks--and vice versa.

Now, this doesn't mean I prescribe this for everyone (just my students ). Hapkido was my first art, and I've seen guys who were as good as I imagine zDom to be (Drag'n, sorry I don't know your background as well as zDom's; for all I know you may be just as good). They could put a kick to the head on you as fast as many good boxers can throw a left hook. But in hindsight, I think that either they were just very gifted, or exactly the right age and experience level combined to give them superb skills--for a time. But those skills may erode over the decades, while low kicks should not--have not for me, anyway, and I'm 55.

Anyway, that's my story and I'm sticking to it.

 

[zDom]

I agree with this in principle ...

But for those of us with a deep seated aversion to high kicking, why can't I use my hands to 'mix it up' and go high/mid torso with feint, strike, setup move, or finishing move?

In other words, I agree with the principle that we must mix up the different zones. In fact, the techniqes I've chosen to teach almost always use a high, low, and medium piece (in various order). But we have four striking weapons, not just two. So speaking for myself, I am confident I can occupy him head high/upper torso with all manner of hand techniques while plotting/executing low kicks--and vice versa.

Now, this doesn't mean I prescribe this for everyone (just my students ). Hapkido was my first art, and I've seen guys who were as good as I imagine zDom to be (Drag'n, sorry I don't know your background as well as zDom's; for all I know you may be just as good). They could put a kick to the head on you as fast as many good boxers can throw a left hook. But in hindsight, I think that either they were just very gifted, or exactly the right age and experience level combined to give them superb skills--for a time. But those skills may erode over the decades, while low kicks should not--have not for me, anyway, and I'm 55.

That's a good point, Kidswarrior.

While the high kicking allows for more variation on this theme (one great combo that comes to mind is a punch to the low gut to set up a high roundhouse), you are right on the money: you CAN use the hands to attack the high targets and set up low kicks, and vice versa (seen this used to GREAT effect: set them up with a low kick to open up a knockout-hand technique).

And as much as it grieves me, I know a day will come when I will hang up my high kicks — but hopefully those low kicks will always be there for me!

 

[thaistyle]

During sparring sessions or a fight, I always mixed it up using both low and high kicks. I tend to watch for an opening or what the opponent is not defending. In a street fight it would be a different story. I probably would rely on low kicks especially if it were a much larger opponent. Train them, perfect them and use them both. High kicks and low kicks can both be flashy and spectacular.

 

[MetalStorm]

I see everyone at my gym trying to kick higher and higher , and it does
look really impresive .

But after a sparring session last night I found out how damaging the unasuming low kick can be , the other fella was taller than I was so rather than block them I was soaking them up while trying to get in close quickly , well that idea didn't last long , after one round my leg was stiffening up and I'm still feeling it's effects the next day .

I'm now a convert and low kicks are going to be practised every session

Leg kicks can hurt like hell, I dont think they are under rated but I think you do see a lot less of them in Muay Thai fights than you do in other fights due to the amount of training that goes into blocking them.

I have never had a full force leg kicked blocked with no shin guards but even just play sparring and getting a really good kick blocked properly can hurt like hell.

From what I have been told by a few people that is the reason you dont see them as much, when someone realizes their opponent is pretty solid in blocking the leg kicks they dont use them as much or as hard to not risk hurting themselves on the block.

 

[MetalStorm]

Also a good video I watched that shows how great leg kicks can be was that Muay Thai guy fighting butterbean, I imagine just searching for butterbean on youtube will find it.

He barely did anything other than leg kick, eventually butterbean just fell over.