Arm Position During Spinning Hook Kick Technique - Belfort KO

[Gwai Lo Dan]

What do you guys think of the arm positioning for the spinning hook kick? I've seen hands tucked into the chest during the spin and kick, and I have seen a variation of dropping the rear hand to counterbalance the kicking leg (similar to dropping the front hand in a roundhouse).

I personally found dropping the arm to be more powerful, but I am no expert. So I was interested to see on UFC on FX8 that Belfort used the spinning hook kick with the dropping arm, as shown in this photo.

Do you guys favour one way over the other? Do you use both ways depending on the situation?

 

[Earl Weiss]

In the photo the rear hand is not in a ready position for offense or defense. Dropping the rear hand does not aid in torso rotation needed for the kick.

 

[TKDTony2179]

I perfer controlling both hands while spinning and having both hands by my head as I finish the kick. But I don't think that dropping your hands make it is powerful when spinning. (front hand as you spin which becomes your rear) Maybe for counter balance or to touch the ground so you can have increase height in your kick like caporeia artist do.

 

[Gnarlie]

Arm motion and positioning relative to the upper body before, during and after the technique play a massive part in generating rotational force around a stable axis. This rotation is transferred through the hip to the kicking leg. If that arm is dangling, the rotation stops too early and the kick does not sweep through the target unless you muscle it through. It also leave you vulnerable during and after the kick to an underkick. So, arms follow to cover the chest and belly areas.

Gnarlie

 

[ETinCYQX]

The striking in MMA quite honestly isn't advanced enough for people to know how to deal with a spinning hook kick like taekwondo guys do, so where Vitor's hands go won't matter too much in that ruleset. So, IMO, for an MMA athlete the answer to "where do his hands go" is "where he likes them."

That said, for a taekwondo athlete it requires more thought. For WTF matches I would have them around the hogu because I consider that the most likely counter.

 

[IcemanSK]

The striking in MMA quite honestly isn't advanced enough for people to know how to deal with a spinning hook kick like taekwondo guys do, so where Vitor's hands go won't matter too much in that ruleset. So, IMO, for an MMA athlete the answer to "where do his hands go" is "where he likes them."

That said, for a taekwondo athlete it requires more thought. For WTF matches I would have them around the hogu because I consider that the most likely counter.

At this point in MMA, I think you're correct. Spinning hook kick defense isn't there simply because few are really throwing it. Uriah Hall's KO with it on TUF demonstrated this as well. It may be time when defense against these will become more popular if the kick becomes more popular.

 

[RTKDCMB]

It may be time when defense against these will become more popular if the kick becomes more popular.

Especially if people continue to get knocked out by them.

 

[Rumy73]

Sang Kim has an interesting point about how spinning hook kicks were a fool's errand 20 years ago, but lighter gear has changed that reality. http://www.turtlepress.com/articles/taekwondo_spinning_kicks.aspx

 

[Thousand Kicks]

I haven't looked at the video, but what I see from the pic is something I see I lot of people do that reduces power at the point of impact.

During the extension of the wheel kick, people tend to rotate their upper body the opposite way of the spin to get more extension. If you look at Vitor's arms, his rear arm looks to be going toward his back while his front arm is going towards his chest. Or, his hips and legs are spinning couter-clockwise and his upper body is spinning clockwise during the extension of the kick. When this is done, the kick tends to stop before full rotation is completed. Remember, the ending position of a wheel kick is in the same position you started.

One thing I did to get rid of this habit was to put my corresponding hand behind my back and grab my belt. i.e. if I am kicking with my right leg I put my right hand behind my back and grab my belt. I also bring the other hand to my chin for protection. This helped me get my whole body rotating the same direction. After a while my upper body lead the kick creating the whipping motion mention in the article Rumy73 linked to above.

 

[ETinCYQX]

I haven't looked at the video, but what I see from the pic is something I see I lot of people do that reduces power at the point of impact.

During the extension of the wheel kick, people tend to rotate their upper body the opposite way of the spin to get more extension. If you look at Vitor's arms, his rear arm looks to be going toward his back while his front arm is going towards his chest. Or, his hips and legs are spinning couter-clockwise and his upper body is spinning clockwise during the extension of the kick. When this is done, the kick tends to stop before full rotation is completed. Remember, the ending position of a wheel kick is in the same position you started.

One thing I did to get rid of this habit was to put my corresponding hand behind my back and grab my belt. i.e. if I am kicking with my right leg I put my right hand behind my back and grab my belt. I also bring the other hand to my chin for protection. This helped me get my whole body rotating the same direction. After a while my upper body lead the kick creating the whipping motion mention in the article Rumy73 linked to above.

There was very little whip in Vitor's kick. Nice observation, especially just from the picture. After he connected, he spun back the way he started. So instead of a 360 degree turn, 180 one way and 180 back. Like a back kick.

At this point in MMA, I think you're correct. Spinning hook kick defense isn't there simply because few are really throwing it. Uriah Hall's KO with it on TUF demonstrated this as well. It may be time when defense against these will become more popular if the kick becomes more popular.

Absolutely...20 years ago, no one could stop a single leg. More recently than that, no one could stop a head kick. As the sport evolves, so do the techniques. Now, if Vitor had been trying to kick Aaron Cook, he would probably have paid for his hand position.