Front kick in MMA

[Dobie1979]

Silvia and now Machida have recently used this technique with great sucess. I wonder if this is going to be used more. Any thoughts?

[Kuma]

The front kick's been used quite a bit in MMA last I saw. Not sure what you mean...?

[Dobie1979]

I mean the kick to the head that Silvia and Machida have done to knock out thier opponents

[Kuma]

Do you mean this kick of Silva's?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xyNzIw4lEwk

If so, it's a pretty standard front kick. It's been in a lot of MMA matches and a lot of fighters have scored a couple KOs with it. If it works, people are going to use it, and the front kick is about as basic and effective as you're going to get.

[Kuma]

I found Machida's, which is the one I think you mean. The one he took out Couture with, am I right?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zBEi9aPJIkM

If so, that's tobi mae geri, a flying front kick. A flashy move, but effective. Here he is demonstrating it from his Machida Karate-Do videos:

Silva's is different though, he doesn't hop like Machida does. His is more just your standard rear leg front kick.

[Dobie1979]

Well, I've been watching UFC for a bit now and up to now haven't seen these attempted. They are new to me. I'm just wondering if they'll be used more.

[Kuma]

Not sure about Machida's, but Silva's is used a lot already. Most of the guys tend to stick with the body rather than the face when doing their push kicks, but a good striker will go for the high kicks.

[sojobo]

Maegeri is is one of my favourites.

Plus it so easily converts to kingeri... which is nice

Sojobo

[wolverine uskf]

I love front kicks, they are powerful, fast, simple to do, and there are alot of ways to use them.

[bushido_man96]

Machida's kick was a nice one. We do a jumping front kick as part of the basics in every one of our classes. Although Machida's wasn't a high jump, and more of a hopping or a skipping kick, his timing and distancing for it were just about pefect.

The thing about a good front kick is that it can be tricky to stop, especially with it coming straight in from a low angle like it does.

Perhaps this kick to the head has been used more at lower MMA levels than it has shown up in the UFC.

I have thrown it in class, but not usually to the head. Our instructor doesn't like for us to side kick to the face, just because of the potential for injury. I would guess he would feel the same about a face front kick.