Defensive Kicking

[ThuNder_FoOt]

Aside from the stop-hit type kicks, I was just wondering if anyone uses kicks to block attacks. At my TKD school, we call this "Cut kicking", but of course in Muay Thai cut kicks are a bit different. I believe that most tournament rules prohibit cut kicks. A quick example of this would be: if one were to defend against an oncoming round kick with a frontal push kick to the shin area, or thigh area, then continue on to retaliate. The idea is to block the kick before it can be fully pulled off, but it doesn't always happen that way. Does anyone practice this?

Back when I was a 1st dan just learning this, I thought that it was the greatest thing ever. I used it quite frequently until I got disqualified from a tournament. I also have watched alot of Koren videos, and I notice they use it frequently and with discreet. Anyone have an outlook on this type of technique?

:asian:

 

[Zepp]

We think of this as "jamming." Yup, we end up doing it all the time. We don't specifically train in it though, we just pick it up from sparring.

If you're sparring under rules where takedowns are fair game, you might want to be careful about doing this. Leaving your leg up in the air to block isn't always the best idea.

 

[karatekid1975]

I mostly do shin blocks (Mauy Thai style). I block the oncoming kick before it can be fully extended. In my last school, I kept getting yelled at for it, but I don't compete, so I don't care LOL. In my new school, they feel if it works, use it

 

[Cassiopeia]

In my school part of our curriculum is middle and high punching defenses. A few of them involve using kicks to defend. I would never use them however, because they require high accuracy and speed.

We do some kick defense kicks, and while we use them in our sparring (which is non competitive style) I don't think they'd fly too well in competition. Someone would get seriously hurt. My shins are already deeply bruised and banged up from accidental kick defenses

Good luck in your training and take care.

 

[Touch Of Death]

Originally posted by Cassiopeia
In my school part of our curriculum is middle and high punching defenses. A few of them involve using kicks to defend. I would never use them however, because they require high accuracy and speed.

We do some kick defense kicks, and while we use them in our sparring (which is non competitive style) I don't think they'd fly too well in competition. Someone would get seriously hurt. My shins are already deeply bruised and banged up from accidental kick defenses [/QUOTE
Cassiopeia,
First of all, get yourself some shin pads. A low round kick to your lead leg is generaly best defended by just tucking your foot to your knee aimed at about 10:30 or 1:30 ( depending on which leg your partner kicked with) once contact is made you can work a kick which accelerates his return motion, causing them to loose balance for a moment.
Second picking your lead leg up and stomping the chest of an oncomming opponent is not the end of the world. It's defensive but it gets the job done. It ain't all that slow either.
Anyways welcome to the sight

 

[ThuNder_FoOt]

Shin blocks are definately prohibited at my tkd school... which is why I started to jam the kicks with kicks of my own. A delibarate shin block would get you disqualified. But then again, I got disqualified for the cut kicks. I guess I like to use them as a plant for an attack most of the time.

So has anyone else been DQ'ed for this type of block?

 

[TallAdam85]

I do alot of shin blocks jam sometimes but also try and kick the kick out of the way

 

[fissure]

Blocking with the shins is perfectly legal in WTF/USTU competition. Any instance of contact between opponents legs is never a foul if they are both in the motion of kicking. For instance:if you land a round kick to the inside of your opponents thigh WHILE it is raised for an ax kick, it is legal. Furthermore if they go down from such a blow they will be subject to a count. I'm talking about State and National level competition here -- many small local tournaments will modify or adjust rules as they see fit.

 

[ThuNder_FoOt]

Leg-to-leg contact isn't illegal, but the intent has to be to towards a legal target... to my knowledge. This was the reason I was disqualified. I was "deliberately attacking the leg" in the referee's eyes. Whether or not this is a valid rule, I'm unsure. I could have just been on the receiving end of an underhanded call by the referee. I've seen many other schools use these types of techniques. Maybe I was the "one" out of many that got called on it.

 

[fissure]

ThuNder_FoOt
I just reread your post concerning getting D.Q.ed. I thought you were talking about getting the boot for shin blocking - hence my last post. If you meant you got D.Q.ed for kicking to the leg when it was not raised, then yes that is not allowed. It is illegal to deliberately kick to the leg, and the referee has sole authority to make the distinction between deliberate or unintentional.

This same "deliberation of intent" applies to many of the WTF rules. I once lost a match after getting round kicked in the groin - I couldn't beat the count and the ref. believed the low blow to be unintentional. Often, if the person getting fouled is in motion, kicking, punching, switching or otherwise creating a "hard" target of themselves then it helps the "guilty" party get away with grey area issues!:EG: