Post: bamboo:

A hard low kick in my humble opinion can easily sweep the unsuspecting in a "street" confrontation. I personaly think its the only way to go as far as kicking goes. Aim for the knees and let it connect where it does.

-bamboo>

Post: Haas:

"the only way to go as far as kicking goes"
Say it ant so Bamboo... :cry:>

Post: samurai6string:

Word. I subsribe to the "no kick higher than the waist" school of thought. The lower the better. High kicks leave you exposed and off balance IMHO. Plus a good, quick low kick is usually very unexpected, and can be usued as sort of a feint to set up a strong hand attack, throw, etc.>

Post: opariser1001:

actually i believe that a good front kick or high roundhouse would work wonders on an untrained street attacker. i think that a good, quick high kick is just as unexpected as a low kick. just knowing when to do it is the key. however, i doubt i would throw one in a street fight because of the bad position it would put me in if a high kick got screwed up.>

Post: Haas:

its all in good training... but its good to have in mind that all techniques have there place in any fight.>

Post: bamboo:

Quote:

Say it ant so Bamboo

What I write is my own personal truth.

I'm only 5' 9", and rather stocky so in a lava, glass, 3eyed monster street situation I need to close in fast and use the hands and knees for effective striking. If we met you'd know I have the reach of a tall man but short legs.

Heres the thing, my round kicks to the knees do me just fine, if a man my height attacks and the situation arises that I can throw a nice head kick then I will, but normally I find it too big a risk to take. Add to the fact that I am much better at throwing than anything else ( a good throw can end a "d3adly str33t fight" pretty fast) and you have the reasons for my never kicking above the waist. My kicks set up my throws, heck everything I do standing is to set up a throw.

You fight like you train, I train to maximise what I have.

Opa is a world champion calibur kyokushin man, if he didn't kick to the head then your comment of "say it ain't so" would be warranted.

-bamboo>

Post: Haas:

I understand that completely. your a littel bit taller then me but i have fast and powerful legs and a weak upper body (although I am striving to improve it) so i like my High kicks ^_^.

but I respect your style (aikido right ?) its all in how your brought up.>

Post: nbotary:

Personally, I think low kicks are best utilized in a sweep situation. They're quick, effective and practical. If you think about it from a defensive standpoint, any low kick (below the knee) is best because you don't leave yourself as vulnerable to a counter. If you kick above the waist, your opponent can catch your leg, they can counter with a crouching sweep, etc. High kicks are more flash than practicality whereas a low kick can get you in and out quicker.

Years ago when I first started working out with Bloodybirds, he got mad at me one night for using one of his own techniques on him!!! He would constantly check my stance by front sweeping my lead leg. If I was heavy, he would knock me off balance. He was standing in a typical 60/40 stance, but had shifted his weight forward slightly. As he did, I swept my right foot in behind his ankle and drew it outward, causing him to be off balance and overextended. Fortunately for me, he didn't stay mad at me long as he is one to admit that he can't get mad at one of his students when they listened to what it is he taught them!!!>

Post: Triple T:

Low, high, whatever, the issue is less how high you extend your leg and more what are you hitting with your kick.

Anyone who ever pissed off a girl in grade school should know how bad a kick to the shin can hurt, and anyone who's ever gotten deadlegged can tell you how awesomely effective rounds to the thigh can be. The question is how much faith you have in kicking a low target to end a fight.

When we talk street fighting, we're not talking KOs, points or setting-up other techniques. We're talking about stunning, disorienting and breaking so that we can get the fuck out of Dodge as soon as possible. I would rather risk the headshot planning to cut and run than spend a couple minutes trying to deadleg a guy, probably getting shanked in the process.

This is also why I adore body shots. Knock the wind out of a guy, you know you're safe, physically and legally.>

Post: SAINT:

I go low. people instinctively protect their head, so if the attack looks like it is going that way they tend to fall for it, and not expect th elow knee/leg kicks. I use the direct stamp to the knee/shin area over the muay thai classic, and as long as the attack isnt an isolated one, but the beginning of a multi-move attack then even if you dont score a direct hit you have momentum and incoming action to help overwhelm the other guy.

I prefer low kicks because they require less finesse and when the brain is overloaded with stimuli it can still perform them to spec.

I wouldnt (and havent) use high kicks on unknown assailants, purely because I would not risk wasting the initial attack on something that is easier to avoid. the distance from the ground to the head is further than the ground to the knee. someone with street sense can avoid teh head kick easier than the leg kick, and I wouldnt want to gamble that they cant fight. so I gamble that they can.

you win some, you lose some. but at the end of the day, it lands with what ever works at the time based on the events and actions presented. cant justify black listing anything, even though we have preference.>