Should Kicks ever go higher than your own waist level?

[G95champ]

High kicks are fun and look good but for SD they are not a good call.

 

However you need to practice them in class because it helps with your flexability, balance, and cordination.

 

It don't hurt to have high kicks in your bag of tricks just in case but they should be deep in the bag and only pulled out if everything else fails. When I say everything I mean using the bag itself first. LOL

[Wado Guy]

There is a young lad in class at my school , 17 years old, 6'7". He's still growing too.Tall drink of water.

 

You think a high kick would work on him?

 

Nope I try to wear his legs out as best as i can

 

It's a good thing he doesn't have a temper or else we'd all be dead

 

High kicks are good *to be ABLE* to do. But in a defense type situation...nahh...stick to lower ones.

[Malkosha]

Well, I guess that I may stand-alone on this one, but IMHO, it depends on how good you are.

 

I’ve trained with some people, Korean style mostly, that are really very good with their kicks … high kicks included. They could easily fake a low kick and before you know what happened have a sidekick pounding your jaw. We are talking spped, power and accuracy ... the whole package.

 

I think it’s about knowing your limitations and being honest about what you can do. Many can’t and shouldn’t do head kicks, or any other kick above belt level. Some however are plenty good enough to get away with it. Since real fights are never “if they do this I’ll do this affairs”, it’s a tough call that only you can make. What I’ve noticed in real fighting is that they don’t always end up on the ground and in many cases the first good lick wins against a NORMAL person. If your good enough, and I mean really good enough, that first lick could be a high placed kick.

 

Look at yourself, rid yourself of all ego and find out what you can honestly do. Then ask yourself again. For me, the only way I would kick someone in the head, is if I brought their head down to me first.

[Sasori_Te]

Malkosha made a point that I like to make continually myself. It all depends on the person. I personally would never do a high kick or a "trick" kick in a real fight, but I know that I'm too slow with those particular kicks to get away with them. I too had a friend that taught Hapkido that most likely could get away with a well placed high kick in a real fight. He was VERY good at a multitude of the strangest kicks that I've ever seen.

[Goju1]

Malkosha made a point that I like to make continually myself. It all depends on the person. I personally would never do a high kick or a "trick" kick in a real fight, but I know that I'm too slow with those particular kicks to get away with them. I too had a friend that taught Hapkido that most likely could get away with a well placed high kick in a real fight. He was VERY good at a multitude of the strangest kicks that I've ever seen.

 

Good points, I think we generally agree that high kicks are risky in a real fight, but I too have trained with and fought some people that could maybe get away with it, but not against a trained karate-ka, only a barroom brawler IMO

[GrrrArg]

I would say im probably fast enough to get a head kick in on alot of people, but I would go for the solar plexus (sternum) anyway, just in case.

[Hohan-1]

But not in a real fight. You would be increasing your chances of losin balance. "First off, steal their balance"- Matsumura.

 

Oh I'm wrong there is one instance. When your opponent is on his knees and you are standing. Yeah kick his head then or that general area.

[Guest]

As a 13-year TKD practicioner (prior to my training in JKD), I find that high kicks only find practical use by a very effective martial artist. I, partially because of my size (6', 180lbs), that I have enough power to deliver a kick to the head that can easily disable an opponent. However, I deliver primarily low kicks and strikes, and I only kick high in the event that I manage draw the opponents defense low to allow for an attack to the head.

 

Basically, I recommend use of high kicks be practiced, but used very rarily, and only in near-ideal situations.

[Goju1]

As a 13-year TKD practicioner (prior to my training in JKD), I find that high kicks only find practical use by a very effective martial artist. I, partially because of my size (6', 180lbs), that I have enough power to deliver a kick to the head that can easily disable an opponent. However, I deliver primarily low kicks and strikes, and I only kick high in the event that I manage draw the opponents defense low to allow for an attack to the head.

 

Basically, I recommend use of high kicks be practiced, but used very rarily, and only in near-ideal situations.

 

Good advice, Keisotsu - I am 6'2", 180, and find that the taller one is, the more off balance one can become by attempting a high kick. Of course everyone is different, but at our dojo (Old dojo, lots of students) high kicks are rarely attempted and usually with poor results.

[Karateka_latino]

My former Instructor a TKD black Belt DID used high kicks in REAL life confrontations without any problems.

 

I think we should be able to put our feet wherever we want; low, middle, high, etc... we have to be able to kick Anywhere if we Want to.