No. But the actual range is determined by the individual's anatomy. The majority of kicks will be close in range.
They might be for you - they're not for me... but some of that depends on your definition of close, medium, and long range. I have kicks - as well as hand techniques - that work in all of those ranges. For kicks to the head, yes, they are more likely to be short range kicks... but not necessarily.
Yes, but some parts are more delicate than others.
Some parts of the foot
are more delicate than others - but the same thing can be said for parts of the hand, as well. This is where proper technique comes into play - you will perform as you practice, so if you consistently practice proper technique, using the appropriate tool surface (hand or foot) for the technique you're doing, I don't see why this would be a problem.
No. If the leg is fully extended when it strikes the technique will have no penetration on the other hand if it is not extended enough the technique will be jammed.
Again - this is different from hand techniques, how? If a punch, or knifehand, or any other hand technique is fully extended when it strikes the technique will have no penetration, while if it is not extended enough the technique will be jammed.
Sure. How much do you want to do that on the street or in close proximity to a dangerous foe?
It depends on the situation. I cannot give a definite "I will always do X in Y situation" because SD situations, by their very nature, are fluid.
Sure. What's the point? These are valid strategies for kicks in sparring or in the dojo/dojang not necessarily the best approach for the street with a dangerous attacker.
I don't recall anyone disputing that some things work better in one environment than another - but because a technique does not work for you in the dojang or in the street, does not mean it cannot work for anyone else as well.
No. You can move before kicking or kick while already moving but you can not move while kicking.
Sure you can... when I do it, I call it skip kicking, or jump kicking, or sliding... Again, because it works for me, and the people who trained me and those I train, doesn't mean it works for you.
I suppose this is meant to be an answer for those who have said kicking puts you at risk for the "shot". Why is it you feel that other's are not taking your mobility in consideration, yet it seems you do not consider the mobility of others?
Of course it's meant for himself and those he knows; why would he speak for people he doesn't know? You perfect what you practice; if you are convinced something doesn't work, why would you practice it, and if you don't practice it, then you won't be able to do it.
And you'll find that physics, body dynamics, and simple logic teaches us that; the arms are shorter than the legs and fit into tighter spaces than legs can, the arms are closer to the head and therefore don't have to move as far to reach the head, legs are required to initiate body movements such as walking-jumping-stepping-running, it's possible to cirlcle around your opponent throwing continuous strikes with the arms, you can hit someone in the head with your hands without specialized flexibility or leaning, and your favorite: the legs are significantly more powerful than arms.
Again... you are welcome to your opinion; my training and experiences teach me otherwise. If you train your legs, your feet can become faster than an untrained person's hands - and given that my legs are longer and stronger than my arms, I'd just as soon kick someone before they get into hand range. Does that mean that
all attackers will be untrained? No. Does it mean that kicking is my only response in every situation? No. But it does mean that I will train every technique I can, practice every technique I am taught, explore every possible application I can, so that when I do need to defend myself, I will react quickly, reflexively, from my training, instead of missing an opening because someone not familiar with my training told me that the technique appropriate to the opening "doesn't work". Does that mean that high section kicks are the answer in any situation? Of course not... but neither are knee level kicks, punches to the sternum, or any other technique you could name. The situation dictates the response; to think otherwise is to blind yourself to possibilities.
Gee you're right those are stupid questions.
_Don Flatt
"Stupid is as stupid does" Forrest Gump
And if your kick doesn't knock them out, whether it's because you missed or they just didn't go down so easy... what then? What's your follow-up, because it's been my experience both in the ring and in the streets that people aren't nearly so easy to knock out as TV suggests... And, there's a good chance that they won't be alone... That might affect my choice to do something that could leave me unbalanced, or worse...
And if your
punch doesn't knock them out, whether it's because you missed or they just didn't go down so easy... what then? What's your follow-up? (etc.)
Based on your training and experiences, you may be off-balance after you kick - I'm not. Did I lose my balance while kicking when I was learning how to kick? Of course I did... and I learned how to kick faster, to not lose my balance (the faster you kick, the less time you have to lose your balance, or be unbalanced by an opponent or poor footing), and so on. When I started TKD 20 years ago, I fell down just getting into stance - so does that mean stances are worthless too? No - it means I was badly coordinated and had bad balance. Was I able to punch without losing my balance sooner than kick? I honestly don't remember - but based on my experience with my own students, it was pretty close.
Anytime you attempt to deliver power standing on one foot, whether with a punch (yes, it can be done) or a kick, you place a lot of reliance on that foot and knee. And a lot of stress and torque. Most kicks magnify this... I kind of feel that it's a less than ideal situation to kick someone in the head, only to dislocate or injure my knee, meaning I can't run away. But maybe that's just my silly opinion...
As I've said repeatedly, you react the way you train, and you train based on what you've been taught and what you understand. If you've been taught that head-high kicks are slow, unbalanced, dangerous, and not useful - then you're going to train them in that fashion, and for you, they will be just that - slow, unbalanced, dangerous, and not useful. I was trained with a different theory, and therefore have a different understanding of what high sections kicks are and can do.
Again -- many of us don't seem to be able to understand this amazing kick that manages to go upward in less space than we can figure out. I know what's coming... We obviously aren't privileged to have a great TKD instructor teach us. Again -- if I'm kicking high, my knee must raise up. Let's assume that I actually place my knee flush on my chest; I still don't see how you can extend the lower leg straight up without swinging it outward or around.
Lean your body back for a the minimal time needed to clear the person's body and then forward again to kick the person under the chin. This is, admittedly, difficult to describe, and hard to do without a demonstration - and I'm sure many people will say that this "leaning" will place you off balance - but if done properly and with the correct timing, you are no more off balance than with any other technique that has been properly trained.
I do believe that LawDog was suggesting that it does require a certain amount of courage to throw the head level kick on the street, given that there are inherent concerns.
I don't believe anyone has disputed that. But then, it takes a certain amount of courage to throw
any technique on the street, given that there are inherent concerns... is the person
really attacking me? Am I really in danger? Can I run, or must I fight? How many of them are there? Are they armed? Do they want my stuff, or to rape me? If they only want my stuff - they can have it - rape is a different issue... and so on.
As I've said several times -- there are indeed circumstances where a high level kick is practical for self defense. But, they're few and far between.
See above, and thank you for stating your concerns in a courteous fashion. Please let me know if you have further questions.
