The Axe Kick... Is it ever useful?

[Danny T]

The Axe Kick... Is it ever useful?



Hi everybody! My name is Bee. I'm new here.

My question is this... Is there ever a point to training the axe kick? It seems so impractical. And I can imagine that by the time you raise your leg at the highest point, your opponent would've moved out of the way. I mean, if the guy is down on the floor..."

Or am I wrong in thinking it to be useless? What are your thoughts on this?

Thank you.

Hi Bee.

"Ever a point to training the axe kick?"
Is a great dynamic stretch for the hips and legs. Is that impractical?
Can be an excellent finisher if and when it is set up & timed correctly.
Or there other options that are are of a higher percentage for working...I believe so. However that doesn't mean the axe kick is useless.

Such are my thoughts.

You are welcome.

 

[JR 137]

yes i think that's a trueism. But id view it differently than a high % techneque, that will most probably work in most situations and will not leave you in a very bad position if it doesn't cone off

I agree with what you're say pretty much 100%. However, every technique leaves you vulnerable in one way or another. Think of something as basic, effective, and safe to throw - left hook to the body. Throwing that easily exposes your head to your opponent's right hand. If you miss and he counters with a right hook to your head, it's lights out. Using the axe kick exposes your groin, puts you on one foot, etc.

Which one's worse, being fatally shot or fatally stabbed? When throwing any technique, we're essentially picking our poison if it's countered. Granted, a left hook to the body is higher percentage than an axe kick, but those percentages change according to the attacker and defender.

 

[Tony Dismukes]

The axe kick is a high-risk, high-reward technique requiring exceptional attributes and skill level to use effectively. If you have that skill and those attributes it can potentially be useful in certain full contact striking competitions where you have a flat surface, room to move, and an opponent who has the skill set to defend well against more conventional attacks. In that case, you can either land the axe kick when your opponent is expecting a more standard attack or (as Andy Hug more typically did) use the threat of the axe kick to cause the opponent to shift his defense and therefore open up for more standard attacks.

I have a hard time imagining a self defense situation where an axe kick would be the most appropriate option.

 

[jobo]

I agree with what you're say pretty much 100%. However, every technique leaves you vulnerable in one way or another. Think of something as basic, effective, and safe to throw - left hook to the body. Throwing that easily exposes your head to your opponent's right hand. If you miss and he counters with a right hook to your head, it's lights out. Using the axe kick exposes your groin, puts you on one foot, etc.

Which one's worse, being fatally shot or fatally stabbed? When throwing any technique, we're essentially picking our poison if it's countered. Granted, a left hook to the body is higher percentage than an axe kick, but those percentages change according to the attacker and defender.

yea see your point, but I am coming at it from rather my own position. We do lots of perfectly good techniques' that I would never attempt real life as my skill set isn't good enough to make them a high % techneque, "naa " i say "Il just elbow them in the face instead," im good at that and its going to mess them up may not be a flash as a jumping knee or as effective as an arm bar, but it will most definitely work

if i had axe kicks in my box of tricks and a proficiency that mad them a 90% move then I would axe kick them, as its currently only a fantasy,vil leave them there with all the other Hollywood moves

 

[Monkey Turned Wolf]

I used one once in a friendly fencing bout to get rid of my opponents epee, so there's that

I assume it could be used similarly in an actual situation against a weapon, but I wouldn't put too much faith in it. If you get it quick enough and train with that purpose, it might actually be useful.

 

[DaveB]

I'd like to point out that the successful axe kick is not necessarily reliant on speed.

It's a deceptive technique that confuses speed and distance. Some of my favourite executions have been in close combat with kungfu players. They were too close to see the kick rising, the foot coming up from behind the shoulder. It's one of those hits that opens the eyes of those style supremacists who've never trained another art but know their style can match all others in content.

 

[Buka]

Any kick you can land can be a good strike. And there's certainly a lot of guys who throw some nasty axe kicks. I do not.

I've spent as much time sparring as any other aspect of Martial training, and have been hit with everything....except an axe kick. Had some thrown at me, but one never even came close.

 

[WaterGal]

I've personally seen an axe kick break someone's nose, resulting in the kickee falling down screaming.

You need to be fast and very flexible to use axe kick effectively. But that doesn't mean it's not useful.

 

[drop bear]

The axe kick is a high-risk, high-reward technique requiring exceptional attributes and skill level to use effectively. If you have that skill and those attributes it can potentially be useful in certain full contact striking competitions where you have a flat surface, room to move, and an opponent who has the skill set to defend well against more conventional attacks. In that case, you can either land the axe kick when your opponent is expecting a more standard attack or (as Andy Hug more typically did) use the threat of the axe kick to cause the opponent to shift his defense and therefore open up for more standard attacks.

I have a hard time imagining a self defense situation where an axe kick would be the most appropriate option.

By the way the street is a flat surface with room to move.

 

[Touch Of Death]

I've personally seen an axe kick break someone's nose, resulting in the kickee falling down screaming.

You need to be fast and very flexible to use axe kick effectively. But that doesn't mean it's not useful.

Technically useful, is at the top of the chart. Please choose from un-useful, or useless.

 

[MI_martialist]

I would not limit myself to saying it is just about technique...

Doesn't pretty much every technique fit that description?

 

[JR 137]

yea see your point, but I am coming at it from rather my own position. We do lots of perfectly good techniques' that I would never attempt real life as my skill set isn't good enough to make them a high % techneque, "naa " i say "Il just elbow them in the face instead," im good at that and its going to mess them up may not be a flash as a jumping knee or as effective as an arm bar, but it will most definitely work

if i had axe kicks in my box of tricks and a proficiency that mad them a 90% move then I would axe kick them, as its currently only a fantasy,vil leave them there with all the other Hollywood moves

The axe kick isn't something that reliably in my skill set either. If I'm going to kick someone in an actual fight, it'll be at mid thigh and lower; most likely their knees. Or a stomach area front kick, either as an actual kick or as a pushing kick to get some room.

IMO the real effectiveness of the axe kick is when it's done right, it looks like a different kick. By the time you realize what's going on, it's too late.

We used to have a woman at our dojo who threw is absurdly effective back kick. She'd set it up with a few punches and naturally flow into it. Once you saw her back kick coming, it was way too late to stop it.

 

[Dinkydoo]

Sent from my SM-G930F using Tapatalk

 

[marques]

The axe kick isn't something that reliably in my skill set either. If I'm going to kick someone in an actual fight, it'll be at mid thigh and lower; most likely their knees. Or a stomach area front kick, either as an actual kick or as a pushing kick to get some room.

Well, to use in an actual fight, I agree 100% with you. I would not kick much above the hips. But it training... kicking heads is really fun! And the balance, timing, setting up acquired can be useful for the "real life" kicks, anyway.

 

[Kung Fu Wang]

Some techniques will require you to take high risk. Some techniques will require you to take low risk.

- kick is always more risky than punch.
- high kick is always more risky than low kick.

The less risk that you take, the safer you are. IMO, the safest kicks are:

- foot sweep.
- low roundhouse kick,
- knee stomp.

Besides fighting, high kick can keep you young. If you can do high kick when you are 80, your health should be fine.

 

[JR 137]

Well, to use in an actual fight, I agree 100% with you. I would not kick much above the hips. But it training... kicking heads is really fun! And the balance, timing, setting up acquired can be useful for the "real life" kicks, anyway.

I do it during sparring for agility and the like.

No idea why, but I struggle to get my roundhouse and side kick to belt height during line drills/kicking the air kind of stuff. In sparring I can get them head height if my opponent's about my height and not standing straight up.

It's kind of like jumping - if I'm trying, I can barely get a basketball net on a great day. Actually playing and going up for a rebound or layup, and I'm up high enough to slap the backboard regularly.

Maybe I try too hard.

Edit: I absolutely would kick someone in the head in an SD situation when appropriate - their head would pretty much have to be on the ground though

 

[MI_martialist]

My point exactly...it is not a question of whether or not a technique is good. It is a question of whether or not the appropriate application is applied to a situation.

Doesn't pretty much every technique fit that description?

 

[MI_martialist]

It seems to me that there is an assumption that both (if there are only 2 engaged) are vertical, and squaring off against each other.

I think you are mostly right, in that its one of those techniques' that can only be used if your very very good at it or your oppoinent is very poor.

if you can pull it off with out having your leg caught and ending up on your backside its pretty devistating

 

[jobo]

It seems to me that there is an assumption that both (if there are only 2 engaged) are vertical, and squaring off against each other.

well yes, its certainly less risky if you do it behind your oppoinent back,

 

[Gerry Seymour]

By the way the street is a flat surface with room to move.

Until it isn't.