The best kick for self defense

[Kuma]

A kick to the shin would also be a good defensive/offensive kick. Why? Most attackers are laymen, and by laymen I mean someone who hasn't trained/conditioned their shins, therefore, a well placed kick to the shin might be enough to get away.

"You've got alot of nerves!" some might say, and my response would be "Thank you...and so does the shin area." The shin is a great attention getter, but if you don't capitalize at that very moment, the attacker might beat the heck out of you for general purposes because he's mad already and in pain (you hope) and mad because of the pain you caused.

The shin kick is a great move actually, especially when you're wearing hard shoes. The version I was taught that I've found some use for is similar to the second version of the kick shown in this video where he attacks the shin:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zC8AWVB5GEY

It's easy to practice with a pad, just make sure your partner has his knee well bent and is leaning forward slightly so you don't hyperextend his knee.

[bushido_man96]

Speaking of Shin-Kicking...http://www.daeschner.com/skab/index.html

I saw a blurb on this on SportsCenter the other night. Thought it looked fun!

[isshinryu5toforever]

I think the best kick for self defense will vary from person to person. Personally, I am very confident in my ability to stop someone with a sharp round kick to the inside of the leg, or a side kick to the waist followed by a locking technique.

However, different people will be confident in different kicks. So, the best kick for self defense is going to depend on your comfort with kicks, and how much stopping power your kicks have.

[tallgeese]

Granted. I think there are still certain "high percentage" movements that will connect more often under more conditions that make them more valuable.

[isshinryu5toforever]

There are definitely kicks that we consider to be more valuable, but not everyone does. It really is a personal thing. I'd say a good foot stomp would probably get most people's attention long enough for you to apply a number of other, very effective techniques, but it's not one everyone practices, despite its effectiveness in short range, at which most encounters happen.

[CanFightIt]

I have used kicks on the "street". I have only ever used low kicks, sweeps and knee strikes.

[tallgeese]

Yes, there is a component of personal comfort. But if you do a breakdown of stuff that's proven effective in the street, you're going to find a smaller pattern of similar movements that will lead you towards the tightest product you can put forth.

I'll have to look and find it, but it's along the lines of the stat analysis someone did on what movements win UFC bouts the most. It's usually the "go to" or high percentage stuff. Yes, we've seen all kinds of things work, even flying armbars and the like, but if you play to the odds you'll start seeing the same things pop up over and over again. This can help you set up your training time accordingly.

The same can apply to street level confrontations. Again, I'll have to find it, but a police study done for one of the country's larger metropolitan depts found certain control tactics more used or more effective against resistive baddies. As I recall, knees were high on the list.

This kind of thing can help one structure training for realism. I'm not saying people shouldn't be well versed, or that personal comfort doesn't or shouldn't play a role. But a handful of proven movements are often better worked on that several less applicable movements given the track record to their performance.

That's all.

.

[sensei8]

Some time ago, I was teaching a seminar at the Shindokan Hombu during our annual testing cycle. The required attire WASN'T our Gi's; street clothes was the only attire allowed.

Well, during one of the drills that I was leading, I was demonstrating how to press-close up to an attacker to limit his movements. I was teaching the class the finer points of Tuite in close quarters while pressing an attacker into a corner, thus how to use the building to aide in the Tuite.

I instructed my training partner...MY Sensei, to do something different this time. What was different...do WHATEVER he wants to to get me off of him while I'm pressing him into the corner. Wrong thing to do! Things were going just fine and dandy until I said..."Get out!" I had him too! Key word here...'had'! I wasn't paying alot of attention to him, dumb...I know!

I pressed him and just as I pressed close...WHAM...WHAM...WHAM directly into my right shin bone as fast as he could. HE WAS WEARING STEEL TOE BOOTS!!!!!!!! OUCH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

This was 13 years ago and I've still got the INDENTATION to prove it! Did I let me out? Yyyyyyyyeeeeeeeeeeeesssssssssssssss! Did I continue to press him? Nnnnnnnnnnnnnnooooooooooooooooooooooo!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Class was rolling in laughter with my Sensei leading the ha-ha. My Sensei says to me, "You said I do whatever...I do!"

He had planned it from the night before when he and I went over the materials for that seminar. He knew I'd do something to drive a point home to the students at sometime during the seminar, so he decided to wear steel toe boots in case I did, well, I did. Dirty rat! He still laughs whenever he sees my dent or I talk about it.

Shin kicks WORK!

[tonydee]

Some good points in here about familiarity / comfort levels etc.. I also appreciate this point...

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.

In my thankfully few street brawls, of kicks I've found gliding side kicks very useful as they allowed me to close the gap unexpectedly and stop a closing opponent. It's probably my best kick, and often used in sparring, so I'm familiar with the potential outcomes. At close quarters I've used my hands. But, I've never felt even vaguely threatened during a street fight: endorphines are wonderful - even the threat of a knife seems so ho-hum - and compared to sparring a senior it's been so terribly easy, seemingly slow motion. I've not felt the need to do anything particularly vicious, just countering the immediate threat (at most by knocking them down for a minute or two with a dull thudding impact over a large surface area like the chest, not breaking anything or causing any bleeding), waiting around to see if the opponent really wants to keep going (not recommended, but retreating from an unprovoked attack isn't really in my nature any more than viciousness is), and after a while they've invariably decided it's not in their best interests to pursue the matter.

Generally though, in the spirit of the thread, I'd feel most comfortable with front thrusting kick with the ball of the foot, striking the shin or knee from further away, or the floating rib or solar plexus when closer. It requires very little space to deliver, and can be used from a front-facing or side-on stance. It should not be delivered while the opponent is still too far away and an over-commitment would be required: patience and distancing is important when kicking.

Compared to a roundhouse, front kick can be delivered more directly with less telegraphing or hip wind up, as the kicking leg gains power by moving away from the existing centre of mass: always faster than beginning a rotation. From a casual frontal stance with feet parallel, it is the least telegraphed kick, requiring no leaning of the torso to deliver at that height. With a back leg turning/roundhouse, you're also more vulnerable to counter attack during the crucial mid-kick moment when you've put energy into squaring your body.

Linear movements are harder to block or catch than rotational movements: it takes timing in moving something across the line of the attack, and the right distance and direction to deflect, rather than just lifting something into the line at any point in time prior to impact. A roundhouse can be neutered by very minimal movements - moving weight off the target leg, raising it, twisting it to ensure contact with a less sensitive part than the common peroneal or side of knee.

Note that a linear thrusting action is different from an upward kick to the groin, which is a rotational movement and more liable to being caught... even if you "score" to some extent, the person may squeeze their legs around yours and you're more likely to end up on the ground or otherwise compromised. Rather, the linear movement raises the knee higher and moves the ball of the foot out in a near-straight line.

A low to mid-height front kick is also excellent in that it is easy to keep both hands ready for follow up. If you don't overcommit, you can quickly shift enough weight over the kicking leg to counter any grabbing attempt, while feeding in hand techniques.

Cheers,

Tony

[bushido_man96]

Good arguements for the front thrusting kick, Tony. Very valid. I do feel that I would have more power with my round kick, although it would telegraph a bit more. But the front kick is worth the look, too.