Punching vs. Kicking....

[Jiyn]

yes kicks are harder to perform but with alot of practice you will be able to kick as easy as you punch.

[Drunken Monkey]

actually, i would say that a punch can be just as hard, if not harder to 'perform'.

 

there are just more factors involved with executing a punch and because of the speeds involved with punching, there are many more variations.

 

you can step, shift, turn, change punch, collapse into elbow, flow into lock/control, etc etc.

 

a punch is never done by itself with you just standing there.

 

a kick in comparison, is more or less done in isolation (relatively speaking)

[Mart]

My point is that due to this variation and particularly the speed in which you can throw a combination i would go for punching, if it were a clear choice, as well as the obvious balance problem.

[SevenStar]

yes kicks are harder to perform but with alot of practice you will be able to kick as easy as you punch.

 

*. I'd love to see some one throw lead front kick / rear side kick / lead roundhouse faster than I can throw jab/cross/hook...not gonna happen. Kicks done singularly can be faster and harder than punches, but that one kick may or may not produce a KO. If it doesn't, you need more strikes to follow now. Remember the old boxing maxim - "punches in bunches" and I can throw a bunch of punches faster than you can throw a bunch of kicks.

[Mart]

yes, seven star, i agree completely. Also raises the question what happens of the other guy is throwing "bunches of punches". I personally believe it is not possible to keep a determined punchin opponent out of punching range with kicks alone for any length of time due to the inability to throw rapid combinations.

 

What do you think?

[Fat Donkey]

Yo Seven star. I mean't hook instead of haymaker. I just define a haymaker as a powerful hook as opposed to the short hooks u do to an opponent in a clinch. The idea of the jab and muy thai front kick is not actually to hurt your opponent but to keep him ot of range and give you time to formulate your next course of action. Speed is the determining factor here and I think these are the fastest and simplest Also I agree with what u say with the caveat that your style/training will determine your course of action. When I did TKD, I maintained leg distance from my attackers. I even knocked one out with a spinning back kick. With hapkido/Judo and Muy Thai I want to get them in the clinch because now I feel comfortable at that range. I also agree that u don't choose to go to the ground. What I meant was that don't use it as one of your first options and if it happens try to get back up as soon as safely possible. Ps As a new member I got to say I really love these discussions and if I come off as being a know it all jerk its because I'm pretty new at this and don't mean to be obnoxious.

[SevenStar]

we're all obnoxious in our own little ways

[Batosai Imora]

actually a haymaker is a downward punch mostly aimed at the head its finishing punch that has good power but is easy to telegraph, its best ot wear the man down with good relaible techneques with speed power, and effectiveness, then you will be able to do whatever you want

 

range speed and priority are all key factors in determining what you will use ,long range mostly kicks, medium punches, shin kicks, close range elbows, knees, grappling, open hand strikes, and throws

[SevenStar]

I have NEVER heard that... I've always learned that the haymaker was the term coined for the wild, wide hook punch that you commonly see in the street. It IS supposed to be a finisher, but it's so telegraphic that it's rarely that effective.

[cymry]

A different perspective - in a street fight, attacking which area of your attacker's body will be the most effective for finishing the fight? It's the head and neck. You could argue for other targets, but which wins more boxing matches? The head.

 

So logically, your most accesible weapons for attacking the head and neck are your hand in any way, forearms, elbows, and head butts. Again you could argue for striking the head with the knees, or the feet, but the most useable strikes are the ones I pointed out above.

 

You could also argue for grappling, but think about this - a solid strike to the head will be a fraction of a second long, whereas a choke or an armlock may be a second or two longer. But in a streetfight, every millisecond counts.

 

So for speed, accesiblity and stopping power, it has to be hand, arm and head strikes to the opponent's head and neck.