Cresent Kick?

[James Bullock]

Great thread on the Crescent kick...

From a GoJu perspective there is only one high kick in the entire system. There is an inward crescent kick done in the very last kata of the system. It is in petchurin/supurimpei. The rest of the kicks in GoJu are knee joint high or groin high.

From a combat perspective it can be a devastating kick when done correctly as many have already stated.

[bushido_man96]

I agree that the kick can generate some power. I just don't know that I would ever use it on the street. Maybe to the leg, but I think I could get more power with the round kick. However, I do see the crescent used very well in sparring. Espescially by tall guys, with long legs.....

[James Bullock]

Given the choice between the crescent and the round kick I would most definitely choose the round kick. Especially when speaking about the street.

[Ottman]

I agree that the kick can generate some power. I just don't know that I would ever use it on the street. Maybe to the leg, but I think I could get more power with the round kick. However, I do see the crescent used very well in sparring. Espescially by tall guys, with long legs.....

Yeah I hate those long legged guys too. I just stay in and cramp their style though.

However the crescent does tend to favor tall people, unless you like to stay in close and then throw the kick from a different position. I've found that if you can get yourself positioned so that you're perpendicular to your opponent's hips and then throw the kick targeted at the opponent's nose, pushing his head back rather then to the side, it's a lot more effective for us shorter people, especially because even if you can't get high enough to kick to the face, you still end up with a solid shot to the body rather than kicking the shoulder or the arm of the opponent. (Or getting your leg hung up on your opponent's shoulder, which I hate sooo much )

I know I'm gonna hear: 'why not just throw the turn kick?' And I would usually throw a turn kick, but sometimes it's nice to be able to control the opponent's body, and be able to push your opponent around, and while the turn kick generates a nice smacking blow, the crescent gives me more torque after the initial contact of the kick, so I can just keep my foot on the opponents face/chest and continue to push him with my leg. If I pivot enough I can change the position of my leg and end the technique in a front kick position, creating a good chance of being able to use the kick to 'push' the opponent all the way to the ground.

Again, a nice thing to have in your arsenal in my humble opinion, even if the opportunity won't come up very often.