Body kicks: Effective or not?

[RealWingChunKuen]

Many people say that in the streetfight, you should only kick below the belt but i have seen bodykicks taught in many realistic self-defence arts like JKD, Krav Maga. I think they are effective because if you kick the opponent to the stomach for example, it leaves the opponent winded (most cases) and you can make your escape or to follow up with another technique. And for another example, sharp roundkick with toe of the shoe to the kidneys will drop most opponents. But, there is risks. One risk with bodykicks is that if you dont recoil the leg quickly enough, i can be grabbed. Please, tell me your opinions.

EDIT: Now i mean kicks with the lower leg, not a knee.

As a rule of thumb, I use kicks as a last resort. If I do use them, then I would aim below the belt.

Having said this, I will add that body shots can be very effective, IF you have fast and powerful - PENETRATING- kicks, that are ACCURATE and can be delivered from a relatively close range, making them, as it is known in kung fu terms, invisible or shadowless.

This could mean that you are at hand striking range and may be using your hands when the kick flies out to hit its target. In my Wing Chun training we were told to not use legs unless we were sure we were going to hit the target - that means no random kicks were to be thrown, hoping for the best.

Some relevant targets are: Solar Plexus, Heart, kidneys, the spine, the bladder, side ribs. Again, if one does not have the accuracy nor the power, then it is better for him to stick to using his hands and perhaps some lower kicks.

[Tkd_MMA]

In most fights i've been in i use lower kicks and knee strikes easier to recover harder for someone to block and if by chance you do miss or it gets blocked its easier to recover from.

[Fish]

A low kick can double as a sweep - taking the leg away and putting your opponent on the ground giving you time to run. A body kick is more easily seen coming and puts you off balance - high risk in a real confrontation.

[Ace2021]

I voted "Yes"

If you've ever seen Mirko "Cro Cop" Filipovic roundhouse someone in the stomach, you'd know..

[cross]

I voted "Yes"

If you've ever seen Mirko "Cro Cop" Filipovic roundhouse someone in the stomach, you'd know..

Thats fine, but unless your Mirko "Cro Cop" Filipovic, or fighting under the same conditions they do, then him being able to stomach kick people in a ring doesnt do a great deal to prove the effectiveness of body kicks for self defense purposes.

[bushido_man96]

I voted "Yes"

If you've ever seen Mirko "Cro Cop" Filipovic roundhouse someone in the stomach, you'd know..

Thats fine, but unless your Mirko "Cro Cop" Filipovic, or fighting under the same conditions they do, then him being able to stomach kick people in a ring doesnt do a great deal to prove the effectiveness of body kicks for self defense purposes.

If you are that big and that strong, then you might get away with throwing one on the street. However, professional athletes are more often than not the exception, rather than the rule.

[Ace2021]

I voted "Yes"

If you've ever seen Mirko "Cro Cop" Filipovic roundhouse someone in the stomach, you'd know..

Thats fine, but unless your Mirko "Cro Cop" Filipovic, or fighting under the same conditions they do, then him being able to stomach kick people in a ring doesnt do a great deal to prove the effectiveness of body kicks for self defense purposes.

Well my point was in response to the OP, body kicks CAN BE effective..

now if you're just someone trained like me, a hard sidekick to the solar plexus can make all the difference, all you have to do is land it.

I guess what i'm trying to say is, depending on your skill level and proficiency in the strike, anything can be effective.

[cross]

I guess what i'm trying to say is, depending on your skill level and proficiency in the strike, anything can be effective.

Ofcourse, anything can be effective if you land it. Some tactics have a far better chance of working than others however, and a kick to the stomach is a fair way down the list of tactics in my opinion.

[marie curie]

Along these lines.... yes I think that in competition MA/MMA body kicks are fine, but the last time a fought some Tang Soo Do girl, I know that I almost messed up her knee (dumb other styles not conforming completely to my style's rules if they are fighting me) because if you kick me in the body, it had better be

1. In a place (competition) that wont let me grab that foot/leg

2. So hard that you send me flying acrosss the room before I can grab you

3. So hard that you break a SIGNIFICANT number of bones to stop me

4. So fast that I can't catch it (remember, I saw you start kicking from the ground and arms are faster than legs to begin with)

Soooo, if you are trying to get me DQ'd from a tourny... body kicks are a great plan

[bushido_man96]

I guess what i'm trying to say is, depending on your skill level and proficiency in the strike, anything can be effective.

Ofcourse, anything can be effective if you land it. Some tactics have a far better chance of working than others however, and a kick to the stomach is a fair way down the list of tactics in my opinion.

Yes, at this point, it becomes a matter of percentages. High-percentage usually wins out.