Think I have to disagree. Look at just about any striking art and the attacks you see bear no resemblance to those aggressive "look how tough I am" overhead slams. They're slow, widely telegraphed, and don't remotely utilize the rest of the body for effective generation of force. But again, that's the point. These sorts of attacks are only meant to be used against an uppity tribesman who wants your spot in the pecking order. They're not supposed to be generating tons of force or do any real damage, because such extreme social violence would negatively affect the success of the tribe as a whole.
Essentially, yes. A goat doesn't really "learn" how to headbutt. Their body alignment and bone structure naturally lends itself to such a maneuver. A properly aligned fist is more difficult to maintain through repeated blows, there's not that much muscle strength helping support the wrist, and the wrists and hands themselves are built of several dozen small, loosely arranged bones that are just soooo easy to pulverize if you're off alignment. The design is great for fine motor manipulation and dexterity, but terrible for delivering and absorbing force.
Yes, our legs are built to withstand significant amounts of force, because they have to be. Even in four-legged animals, the hind legs generate most of the power for running, jumping, etc. Thicker, denser bones, and much greater muscle mass do let you deliver more force in a kick than you ever could with a punch. But on that regard I'll echo what someone else said about most kicks being a very unnatural form of attack unless you're on your back. It destroys your stability and throws off your point of balance. There are some animals that will use devastating kicks as a sort of last-ditch defense against predators, I think mostly the large flightless birds like Ostriches and Emus, but 1. They have some really huge, vicious claws as well as muscle strength, and 2. They only do it when running like hell hasn't been working.
Top post- Purely for the greatest possible force generation, you can usually generate more force going downward. Hitting something that force is another matter. Take the axe kick or the hammer fist. They can both generate massive force. How the force can diffuse into the target is different. For the sake of argument, let's say that whatever part of your body you're hitting with is literally made out of a perfect spherical rock. An axe kick or hammer fist, for example, would have monstrous damage capabilities compared even to other strong moves like crosses or side kicks.
Or picture swinging an a weapon. For this example, an axe. You can get more force swing downward than any other direction. Of course, connecting with these sorts of attacks is a different story.
Bottom post - I don't understand this "unnatural" aspect of that point of view. We can certainly kick in various ways at many ranges using well reinforced body parts to devastating effect against any target. I don't see how it's any less natural than punching. I also don't think fact that other animals don't do a lot of kicking is evidence that it couldn't be effective in a given scenario. Not a lot of animals change colors or shoot ink or have thumbs or break their own bones to impale targets with.
But It's pretty effective for the animals that do those things.
I understand the other point though. You totally sacrifice stability for a ranged attack. But...that applies to fighting people too. In fairness, we aren't going to try front kicking a charging wildebeest. It would be applied as needed, in conjunction with whatever other tools we have. Not for every move. Like high kicks. Assuming we're unarmed for some reason.
When I picture it, I can't help but feel like our legs are the best chance we have to do serious damage
unarmed to any other kind of animal. Both heavy and light. I'm going to try kicking a badger before it get's near me. Incoming coyote? I'm probably not going to try punching it first. Rabid cow or horse? I'm almost certainly going to die or get seriously injured, but I see my best bet being breaking a leg or kicking/punching the sensitive face bits. In that situation, my hands are for when my opponent has gotten past my feet. Outside of, you know, picking up a rock or a stick. With a kick, you're almost always going to be able to hit it before it hits you. Hands, to me, would be the rough and tumble range.
I wonder if some of us have different instincts for fighting? Especially in that sort of situation? It could be argued that differentiating instincts could have played a part in making different styles. I'm not vouching for that though. I don't have the data for it.
made me smile. It does show how quick and agile gorillas can be, I know they are strong but they also seem to think about what they are doing. I imagine the big silverback if he were to really attack would be formidable.
