Best kicks for average folks

quasar44

Brown Belt
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Sorry I cannot do the spinning heel kicks or other highlight stuff

1) MT low shin kick to leg - golden move but what happens if the shins clash with no pads
2) MT body kick - devastating

3) push kick - creates huge distance and good move against knife or weapon

4) side kick - to knee or body or leg - I learned this on my own and it’s not bad . Key is the hop step . Saw many videos . I can do front or turning
5) krav groin kick - my go too move . Snap kick
6) snap kick to face - very popular in ufc from rear leg
7) Oblique kick - to front , rear or side knee for self defense

About it
 
What're we talking about here. For Mma/ kickboxing or for self defence.

Because Mma/ kickboxing groin kicks aren't allowed and in self defence you do not want to be throwing kicks to the face no matter how good you are
 
What're we talking about here. For Mma/ kickboxing or for self defence.

Because Mma/ kickboxing groin kicks aren't allowed and in self defence you do not want to be throwing kicks to the face no matter how good you are

Just a mixture of things that an avg hobbyist can learn in 6-9 months
 
Tornado kick aboslutely. :p

the 4 basics you get are sufficent for most things though. that being front, back, side and round. and spinning varietions of them. Also the shin clashing is usually a toughness test or who ever breaks their shin first. thats why you see them literally destroy the nerves in the shins so it doesnt hurt as much and you have to literally break the bone. (dont do that, thats not a recomendation but a explination as to why they do some of the conditioning they do)

Anyway, what you strike with in them is prefrence/target pending. eg if you use your shin or instep for a round kick. I also belive you can go into some semi advanced kicks from those 4 anyway. Or at least there are some variations of them that still use the same fundemental movements.
 
@Quaser44, might be a good idea to focus on the kicks you already feel comfortable with from your previous training, then just add to your repertoire with some of the kicks you pick up as you go.

I've always found that the simpler you make kicking, the easier it is to implement it into your skill set.
AND - the easier it is to learn advanced kicking when that time comes.
 
in self defence you do not want to be throwing kicks to the face no matter how good you are

Lol. These statements.

Here is one example.

And it is one more example than I have ever found of an oblique kick being used in a street fight.
 
in self defence you do not want to be throwing kicks to the face no matter how good you are

Bollucks. This has been disproven countless times. High section kicks may not be your first choice, but they absolutely are viable options.
 
Bollucks. This has been disproven countless times. High section kicks may not be your first choice, but they absolutely are viable options.

If you have good wrestling then why not launch it lol
 
I am not certain what your question is. If you are asking which is best, I would you say you answered some of your own questions.

Here are my thoughts:

1) MT low shin kick to leg - golden move but what happens if the shins clash with no pads
****What part of the leg is the target contact area? Inner/outer quad are great targets. Shin to shin may cause problems (requires a Lot of conditioning), but shin to calf has been a finish move for me.
Lead leg low kicks are a valid sweep technique.

2) MT body kick - devastating
****If you said 'potentially' devastating I would agree. It is probably the easiest, most natural kick for a MT guy to throw. Because it is a mid section kick it is also one of the easiest to kick. CAN it be devastating? Sure; along with many other kicks.

3) push kick - creates huge distance and good move against knife or weapon
*****Agree that it creates distance. It would be a very conditional kick against a weapon since it is not a conventional disarming kick.

4) side kick - to knee or body or leg - I learned this on my own and it’s not bad . Key is the hop step . Saw many videos . I can do front or turning
*****True side kicks have an unusual geometry. To have full power without sacrificing too much of the kickers balance they are better used low or high. The standing leg rotation can leave a person in an awkward spot if they are not polished at the return part of the kick(rotate out/rotate back). Hop step (slide, shift, etc...)is one of many 'flavors' or the side kick.
They are good as a check (kind of like the push kick you mentioned) but this usually does not cause any real damage.

5) krav groin kick - my go too move . Snap kick
*****I Don't know much about a krav specific groin kick. From a SD perspective, it has a Lot to do with the shoes you have on, as well as the other usual variables like angle, opportunity, practice, etc...

6) snap kick to face - very popular in ufc from rear leg
*****The key word part your statement is UFC. Highly practiced people who have thrown thousands of high front kicks at power, with a strategy in mind. I am a TKD guy and will tell high kicks can get you in as more trouble than they can get you out of if you are not very, very practiced at them.
That said, if I have/create distance in would use a front kick.

7) Oblique kick - to front , rear or side knee for self defense
*****Jon Jones said himself, it is a very controversial move (in competition). In self defense it is a Great kick. It can be really hard on someone knee, can keep them off of you, and you should never be off balance with the body position and height of the kick. Like any kick, there is a good bit of practice needed to really make it work.

Good post.
 
I am not certain what your question is. If you are asking which is best, I would you say you answered some of your own questions.

Here are my thoughts:

1) MT low shin kick to leg - golden move but what happens if the shins clash with no pads
****What part of the leg is the target contact area? Inner/outer quad are great targets. Shin to shin may cause problems (requires a Lot of conditioning), but shin to calf has been a finish move for me.
Lead leg low kicks are a valid sweep technique.

2) MT body kick - devastating
****If you said 'potentially' devastating I would agree. It is probably the easiest, most natural kick for a MT guy to throw. Because it is a mid section kick it is also one of the easiest to kick. CAN it be devastating? Sure; along with many other kicks.

3) push kick - creates huge distance and good move against knife or weapon
*****Agree that it creates distance. It would be a very conditional kick against a weapon since it is not a conventional disarming kick.

4) side kick - to knee or body or leg - I learned this on my own and it’s not bad . Key is the hop step . Saw many videos . I can do front or turning
*****True side kicks have an unusual geometry. To have full power without sacrificing too much of the kickers balance they are better used low or high. The standing leg rotation can leave a person in an awkward spot if they are not polished at the return part of the kick(rotate out/rotate back). Hop step (slide, shift, etc...)is one of many 'flavors' or the side kick.
They are good as a check (kind of like the push kick you mentioned) but this usually does not cause any real damage.

5) krav groin kick - my go too move . Snap kick
*****I Don't know much about a krav specific groin kick. From a SD perspective, it has a Lot to do with the shoes you have on, as well as the other usual variables like angle, opportunity, practice, etc...

6) snap kick to face - very popular in ufc from rear leg
*****The key word part your statement is UFC. Highly practiced people who have thrown thousands of high front kicks at power, with a strategy in mind. I am a TKD guy and will tell high kicks can get you in as more trouble than they can get you out of if you are not very, very practiced at them.
That said, if I have/create distance in would use a front kick.

7) Oblique kick - to front , rear or side knee for self defense
*****Jon Jones said himself, it is a very controversial move (in competition). In self defense it is a Great kick. It can be really hard on someone knee, can keep them off of you, and you should never be off balance with the body position and height of the kick. Like any kick, there is a good bit of practice needed to really make it work.

Good post.

The spinning , jumping kicks require too much coordination and flexibility for an avg guy like me .
They’re great if you the skills but not realistic for an avg man !!

a gymnast could learn these high level kicks fast !!! I can’t

Krav kick just uses the shin bone to the groin lol
 
I posted these kicks only because I feel an avg guy can learn them and I did

The spinning back kick to the belly is very good but I am too slow and never get to practice it
 
quasar44, what is your background? It sounds like you are very early in your training or are trying to go it alone. If the former, no worries. You will get better with time and practice. Lots of practice. If the latter, it is near impossible to learn well on your own. Just not enough feedback to figure thing out.
 
quasar44, what is your background? It sounds like you are very early in your training or are trying to go it alone. If the former, no worries. You will get better with time and practice. Lots of practice. If the latter, it is near impossible to learn well on your own. Just not enough feedback to figure thing out.

Did krav for 4 yrs
Did MT for 4 yrs

Now I am doing a beg MMA class
A beg boxing class
A beg wrestling class
And advanced BJJ class that I don’t belong in

All this for a skinny 44 yr old
 
MMA is so fun
Boxing is fun
Wrestling is only a private for 1 hr

BJJ is a living hell and I may switch BJJ schools in March . Class is 45-55 min of rolling and with my back and age it’s becoming bad
 
I am 44 and 6-1 and 155 and I only started martial arts in 2011

I did krav and MT from 2011-2015
Quit

Then in 18 I realized I have zero clue about grappling and my striking is avg at best
 
I can go well into my 60s as long as the classes are more technique than full fighting
 
I can go well into my 60s as long as the classes are more technique than full fighting
as someone who is in his 60s i can tell you you can go into your 60s doing more fighting than technique, as long as your not fighting 25 yo or if you are you need to train harder than them( which in itself is somewhat difficult if they train hard)
 
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