The best kick for self defense

[Shui Tora]

Exactly. That is the arguement I have been making for this particular kick, and that is why I prefer it.

What? The Roundhouse or sidekick?

If faced with an attacker that will probably kill you, i'd low-roundhouse to the knee. I'd rather get sued than die.

That is kinda going into a different area completly... I would try and talk to the person (through diplomacy) to persuade him not to do so. It is good to learn Karate (or TDK etc) but there are limits to it.

[bushido_man96]

quote Shui Tora: What? The Roundhouse or sidekick?

The round kick.

[KamasandSais]

a hook kick to the side of the head is in my opinion the best kick becuase your opponent will usually fall if you hit it right.

[Tef]

I agree with you all for the most part, but i think that the more advanced a kick is, the greater the risk is of it failing. I would love to your a double crescent kick or a flying wheel kick to disable an opponent, but the best kicks i've heard work are your beginning kicks like low-RH, side kick, rear kick or front kick. Even wheel kick.

luckily, i haven't been mugged, but i think the knees would not be my primary target. In the moment, i might forget the correct foot position and break my foot, then would get stomped out and maybe killed. I like to assume that this fool is going crazy and i have one strike before he kills me. My first target, if it was a man, would be the groin. There are a) no bones to break your foot on and b) very very very few men who can take a strong kick straight to the groin and keep going. If its a woman, I'd get close and use a hard strike to a pressure point.

[baronbvp]

You know what's funny for me, is I have about three kicks I can do with any success. I am left handed so I normally fight lead right. I can straight kick well with my right (front) leg, either a teep push kick or front snap kick. I can reach about to someone's midriff. I can also do a round kick with that front leg, from about the hip on down. With my left (back) leg, though, I can only do a sort of side-back kick. I can't kick high because I can't get my hips wider than having my legs 90 degrees apart.

I work on my flexibility all the time, and I practice kicking with both sides of my body. But, I can't do a decent side kick with my right leg at all. And my left leg isn't nearly as strong with a front or round kick.

The fact is I know the kicks I can do, so I do them. Even when I switch to lead left, my kicks stay with their respective legs. Weird. I guess I'm built or have become sort of asymmetrical.

Is anybody else like this?

[cross]

Kicks are a fairly limited tool in terms of self defence, i like to use the legs to maintain a strong base to deliver other offensive measures, occasionally throwing low line knees to either side of the thigh/groin area.

Kicking required a few things that are rarely available to you in a self defensive situation where actions and positions are based on human behaviour, not technique. You need distance, balance, grounding, etc to execute a kick effectively. If you are lucky enough to have these things for a moment in time then you must make it count.

If i had to choose a favourite kick it would be a toss up between a low front pushing kick and a low round kick. Both obviously have different uses and there is an appropriate time for each. I realise this topic is for discussion but keep in mind that to play favourites limits your ability to react with a spontaneous and correct response.

[marie curie]

I'd say that generally, low kicks are better for self-defense, because high kicks can be more easily blocked and caught. Also, anything much higher than a typical step sacrifices balance.

My best is a low side kick to the side of the opponent's knee.

Thai kicks are also awesome, but I have really pansy shins and if someone looks to hard at them I have 5-inch bruises for a couple of weeks.

[learning kempo-karate]

Hello, For each person, we all have a flavoriate kick that works very well for most situtions. (All kicks to be effective need to be set up to work).

At the same time....the kick you may use it because the opponent give you an opening..where ever that might be...and the kick could be anyone of the choices to use.

The tarket that becomes available will mostly cause you to use those kicks of choices.

If you watch alot of MMA, the kicks most guys like to use is a form of round house to legs or head. Front kicks seem to be use to push the other person away. (for me that is what I see..I need glasses too).

The side kick seems to be a powerful kick...yet it does not seem to cause a lot of damages in a real fight...maybe because the other person reacts like a shock asborber or is moving back.

Bottom line....what ever kick you use? ...if it works....than that is the best kick. (on another day...it could be a different kick).

NO fights will be the same...Choice of weapons (hands/foot/elbows/knees/others).....needs to be set-up or somehow an opening is there!

PS: Best to fight with the hands up and the legs down.....Aloha

[TigerDude]

I think a side kick against an untrained opponent. Against a trained opponent, I would probably try for a round kick to the upper leg, using it as a stunner to set up a strong hand technique.

[cross]

I think a side kick against an untrained opponent. Against a trained opponent, I would probably try for a round kick to the upper leg, using it as a stunner to set up a strong hand technique.

In a self defence situation, how are you going to know if the attacker is trained or untrained?