For kick lovers...

[TSDTexan]

Dorian Tan Tao-Liang

Casanova Wong

John Liu

Yuen Biao

Wang In-Sik

Donnie Yen

These are good candidates.

I prefer older cinema guys from the pre wire-fu green screen era.

 

[TSDTexan]

OK then we are back to movie kickers.

Tony jaa.

Tony Jaa.. Great Candidate.

 

[Zero]

Plenty of examples in South Korea, all of whom none of us have heard of. I have seen them though. I know what Jaeimseu is talking about, I think.

That's probably the case, and they or more likely their coaches may well have trained under or with HJL when he was an instructor in the military. He's very high ranked in TKD and TSD and has been an instructor in both, as you no doubt know very well having been over there.

Personally, I have seen kickers that can pull off some of his moves "better" but for the range of moves (sure some (many!) of them are gimmicky....but then these were in the movie realm!) he could do, then I don't know...and hey, you're not going to use it that often in the Octagon or on the street but I haven't seen many others do that "running/jumping kick to the back of three opponents in mid-air in succession thing".

Tony Ja comes to mind, he is awesome. Man, when I first saw Ong Bak I watched those moves over and over.

 

[Zero]

I love when the "academics" come out. No one has heard of them because that kind of kicking ability is not nearly as special as you seem to think it is. Also, I wasn't offering a runner-up. I've seen quite a few kickers both in person and on video who, in my opinion, kick better than anything I saw in the video you posted. That isn't to say that the kicker in the video isn't great, just that there are people doing more amazing things these days.

It's a big world out there.

I don't think it was solely an "academic" point in this context. I think that plainly, if you are talking about "who is/was the greatest kicker" then if you are going to counter, then at least have an identity of someone.
It's like asking "who was the greatest boxer next to Ali?". Someone can say, "hey, it never was Ali, it was Fraser, etc or Sugar Ray". But it's easy to say, there were some badass muthas down in the ghetto that nobody knows and that coulda whooped all dem guys but they were too tough to get in the ring. But that don't really add anything, does it?

It's like saying, "I'm a great TKD fighter and I could be the champ in UFC if only I could be bothered to train more and focus on that but because I don't and haven't won any titles people don't know about me but I'm still the best, they just don't know about it".

All those unknowns you reference in South Korea are just that, unknowns.

 

[Gnarlie]

That's probably the case, and they or more likely their coaches may well have trained under or with HJL when he was an instructor in the military. He's very high ranked in TKD and TSD and has been an instructor in both, as you no doubt know very well having been over there.

Nope, he is not in the KKW lineage as far as I know...

Personally, I have seen kickers that can pull off some of his moves "better" but for the range of moves (sure some (many!) of them are gimmicky....but then these were in the movie realm!) he could do, then I don't know...and hey, you're not going to use it that often in the Octagon or on the street but I haven't seen many others do that "running/jumping kick to the back of three opponents in mid-air in succession thing".

Hey, I can do that one myself, and a number of variants developed from it, which I would view as basic demo kicks - there are also a number of variants beyond my ability which I view as aspirational in terms of demo. I know some Koreans who make it look as easy as falling off a log. If demo kicks are what we are talking about, then the world has moved on.

Tony Ja comes to mind, he is awesome. Man, when I first saw Ong Bak I watched those moves over and over.

He is good, but again there are kickers equal to and beyond his abilities out there.

 

[Zero]

Nominations for second best?
Well, the guy in your video, for one.
Because Chuck Norris...

Yeah, this was kind of an unfortunate post... Reports are just coming in that Huang has been found dead in his apartment complex. Doctors have put this down as to natural causes, being a super sonic round house kick emanating from the Dallas region.

 

[Zero]

Hey, I can do that one myself, and a number of variants developed from it, which I would view as basic demo kicks - there are also a number of variants beyond my ability which I view as aspirational in terms of demo. I know some Koreans who make it look as easy as falling off a log. If demo kicks are what we are talking about, then the world has moved on..

Ok, from an athletic perspective that is impressive! From my days in TKD we never got to anything like that. But then I was always tournament focused rather than demonstrations.

He is good, but again there are kickers equal to and beyond his abilities out there.

Maybe I am going to have to look up some of these demo kicks, they must be on Youtube. I'd always thought that Tony Ja was a kind of pinnacle. I'm obviously not hanging in the right circles. If you had any vids/links, that would be kinda cool.

 

[Gnarlie]

Ok, from an athletic perspective that is impressive! From my days in TKD we never got to anything like that. But then I was always tournament focused rather than demonstrations.



Maybe I am going to have to look up some of these demo kicks, they must be on Youtube. I'd always thought that Tony Ja was a kind of pinnacle. I'm obviously not hanging in the right circles. If you had any vids/links, that would be kinda cool.

A quick look at Mincheol Shin on Youtube should give you an idea. A bit farther towards gymnastics than I personally like to go, but undeniably a fantastic kicker, and pushing the boundaries of what is physically possible.

 

[TSDTexan]

Nope, he is not in the KKW lineage as far as I know...

Eh... These days he is on the board of directors as the technical advisor for the World Tang Soo Do Moo Duk Kwan General Federation.

I belive I read somewhere He trained a lot of folks in the military under KTA and then ITF in Nam.

I also heard He has sent Dan candidates to the KKW as well. Who knows.

It would be nice if find first hand sources in English.

 

[RTKDCMB]

A runner up should be judged on things like, versatility &/or variety of kicks, graceful flow, balance, range of motion in kicks. Vertical height, and horizontal distance.

In that case I nominate Jackie Chan.

 

[Zero]

In that case I nominate Jackie Chan.

Interesting... He was awesome in the Second Drunken Master Movie (I think it was the second) when he fought in the factory but I have not in many films see him kicking to that intensity or with such a focus on the kicking, I always wished he could have done more fight scenes like thatt one...

 

[drop bear]

OK. Kick lovers thread would not be complete without Andy hug.

The axe kick murderer.

 

[TSDTexan]

OK. Kick lovers thread would not be complete without Andy hug.

The axe kick murderer.

Speaking of Axe kicks... I know first hand they are great for breaking collarbones... As my left colorbone can testify.

And Dear Hug... Was a master at them.
Sayonara Blue Eye Samurai.

 

[PhotonGuy]

Ok...so have you heard of them? Who are you talking about, or is this just a general statement?

Also, what do you mean "outdo", are you saying they are more powerfu kickers, more accurate, more flexible, faster kickers, able to throw more kick combos, better balanced or they just look asthetically better in their execution?

Sure, you can say, Huang was just a "movie kicker" and that he would get beaten by a real, competitive fighter. But I'm not sure that's the point. He is an excellent kicker and with great control.

So let us know who you think tops him?

Bruce Lee would outdo any of them.

 

[TSDTexan]

Bruce Lee would outdo any of them.

oh... a bruce lee worshiper.
Don't worry eventually you will grow out of it. Bruce had amazing power, accuracy and speed but he didn't know as many kicks as Hwang Jang Lee.

 

[PhotonGuy]

oh... a bruce lee worshiper.
Don't worry eventually you will grow out of it. Bruce had amazing power, accuracy and speed but he didn't know as many kicks as Hwang Jang Lee.

I don't worship Bruce Lee. I greatly admire him as a truly phenomenal individual but I don't by any means worship him. And its not how many kicks you know but how well you can use the kicks you know.

 

[TSDTexan]

I don't worship Bruce Lee. I greatly admire him as a truly phenomenal individual but I don't by any means worship him. And its not how many kicks you know but how well you can use the kicks you know.

Seeing as Hwang is kicking, and Bruce is in a hole in the ground, I cannot accept him as a runner up, or even as a replacement for Hwang. More to the point. Useage is irrelevant because of context.

But let's say Bruce was alive for argument sake.

His kicks were few, powerful and accurate. However the lack of variety is a serious issue. This isn't about hands, or weapons... This is about kicks and leg men.

Watch the intro for High Impact kicking... He defeats his multiple attackers with kicks only. Something Bruce never did this in any film sequences.