would you use any of this tehcniques in real scenarios

[Drew]

Whether or not it is wise for an individual to kick someone in the head depends largely on practice. I have met plenty of people who are complete rubish at punching but have knocked innumerable people out in tournaments with spinning hook kicks. Some of these same people have knocked out would be thugs with the same technique.

It all comes down to what you practice. Do you do five hundred head-level side kicks per foot per day? But you never practice your right cross you say? Well why don't you just take your chances with your side kick then?

Bad footing comes into play outside the ring. Gravel is a bit iffy even when you practice kicking in gravel. Ice is worse, and snow, sand and tall grass all present their own unique challenges. I'm not saying it can't be done, just look at all the knock-down karate spinning hook kick knock outs. Most of those fighters end up falling down but that doesn't make their opponent any less knocked out.

As an aside, when throwing kicks at someones head, be aware of the fact that even untrained opponents, maybe especially untrained opponents, will sometimes mirror your tactics. Meaning if the first high kick doesn't take them out, you can expect the next high kick you throw to be mirrored by them, and it will probably hit you in the groin.

[darksoul]

Whether or not it is wise for an individual to kick someone in the head depends largely on practice. I have met plenty of people who are complete rubish at punching but have knocked innumerable people out in tournaments with spinning hook kicks. Some of these same people have knocked out would be thugs with the same technique.

It all comes down to what you practice. Do you do five hundred head-level side kicks per foot per day? But you never practice your right cross you say? Well why don't you just take your chances with your side kick then?

Bad footing comes into play outside the ring. Gravel is a bit iffy even when you practice kicking in gravel. Ice is worse, and snow, sand and tall grass all present their own unique challenges. I'm not saying it can't be done, just look at all the knock-down karate spinning hook kick knock outs. Most of those fighters end up falling down but that doesn't make their opponent any less knocked out.

As an aside, when throwing kicks at someones head, be aware of the fact that even untrained opponents, maybe especially untrained opponents, will sometimes mirror your tactics. Meaning if the first high kick doesn't take them out, you can expect the next high kick you throw to be mirrored by them, and it will probably hit you in the groin.

Excellent post! Play to your strengths is absolutely paramount.

[chiliphil1]

Great points in here, as far as my 2 cents I say that kicks CAN be useful in a fight scenario, the low kicks ABSOLUTELY hit to the knees, this can be devastating on its own. If an opening comes up, a strong side kick to the ribs could be a fight ender, but as far as high kicks, it really depends on the situation. I would say 90% of the time the fight will be too close to yet those in, however if a gap opens and you can throw it extremely quick then some sort or spinning kick, most likely a hook, if it connects then it's game over but again there would have to be a special set of circumstances for you to even be able to throw it, much less connect with it.

[judobrah]

i get it,i just wonder

if a guy like mirko cro crop wanted to head kick some random thug in the streets,he could easly do it,it just makes wonder that this thecnique should only be used in real scnearios by people who are really good at it,not an average martial artists

[bushido_man96]

Every technique is a tool. Lots of people are quick to discount head kicks in self-defense. However, given the proper circumstance, one could prove useful. It just depends on the circumstances, and how much preparation has been done in order to make them useful.

You used the word "flashy" to describe back kicks and side kicks. I don't view these as "flashy" kicks, but more as basic kicks, along with the round kick.

Low kicks are very useful, especially those below the waist, as many people don't have experience defending low kicks. There are also good targets offered below the waist.

[bushido_man96]

"instinct" has nothing to do with it. Instinct will get you killed. Instinct is probably why you're in a fight in the first place. Use your best and most practiced techniques, the ones you are the most comfortable with. Otherwise there is no point in even taking the classes to begin with, since if you go in thinking "that's great but in a REAL fight, i'd.." you're just going to throw the whole curriculum out the window and start flailing instinctively as soon as there is trouble.

i understand what you are saying

i was tryng to say that if someone comes at you by complete suprise,you will problably wont use head kicks,know what i mean?its like if you are atacked by complete suprise,heads kicks would problably be something you wouldnt use,since you dont even have time to think it trough

I think when you start thinking of kicks in terms of "head kicks" and "leg kicks" and the like, you start to complicate things too much. Instead, just train the kick, and work on finding the different levels and targets of opportunity when they become available. Like punching. No one thinks too hard about whether to punch the body or the head; at least, its not discussed nearly as much as head kicking/body kicking.

Another point I'd like to add is in regards to the "instinctive response" you keep alluding to. Instead of asking "would you do" this or that, begin training in response drills, where stimuli comes out of no where, and therefore you react to it with what you know. If you want to train to respond with head kicks, use this kind of drill to do so. If you want to respond with hands, use this drill to do so. Because if you never do drills like this, then your response to stimuli will be most likely crappy, no matter what your train in.

[shinka]

I think I would go for the quickest way to save myself....

Easier the better in these situations...

Low kicks are amazing and very painful (shins hurts bad)and not many people are expecting it.

head kick...not sure. All depends on the situation and the attacker's position.

Let's say I hit him with low kick and he bends down...A drop kick would end the fight for sure lol.... but still, all depends.

[JusticeZero]

Yeah. This whole question strikes me as being silly.

Imagine that you have dropped $200 on taking a class on advanced techniques for surviving a plane crash from an airline. You get to do things like jump down air slides and stuff, but most of it has to do with huddling, being calm, and the like.

The guy next to you, who also paid $200 to be here, turns to you and says, "Yeah, all this stuff is fun and all, but this stuff doesn't really work. In a real plane crash, what you really need to do is scream, stand up and start pushing your way to an emergency exit."

[judobrah]

Yeah. This whole question strikes me as being silly.

Imagine that you have dropped $200 on taking a class on advanced techniques for surviving a plane crash from an airline. You get to do things like jump down air slides and stuff, but most of it has to do with huddling, being calm, and the like.

The guy next to you, who also paid $200 to be here, turns to you and says, "Yeah, all this stuff is fun and all, but this stuff doesn't really work. In a real plane crash, what you really need to do is scream, stand up and start pushing your way to an emergency exit."

dude what?

i dont get what you are saying,try explaining yourself better if you dont mind

[MasterPain]

He's saying that it's silly to put effort into learning a new response to something, then say that it is not a good response. Why bother training something if you think it's junk?