Hands vs. Feet

[CrazyAZNRocker]

I personally prefer kicking. My legs are alot stronger then my arm will ever be. My arms can probably strike faster, but faster doesn't me better. My legs can kick fast, hit harder, aim better and I'm more comfortable with kicking and yes my balance is better with kicking then with punching.

 

In other words, it matters with fighter. A boxer is a much better puncher than a Tae Kwon Do fighter, and vica versa...

[Shorinryu Sensei]

... and yes my balance is better with kicking then with punching.

 

OK, this is a matter for a physics professor, but standing on one leg does NOT give you good balance. That's pure and simple nonsense. Any reputable karate/kungfu/whatever instructor, gymnast, dance instrutor, etc will dispute that one...and I sure do.

 

Sorry, but it's true. It's a physical fact that the worst balance anything can have is with one stationary support (one leg for example), followed by two. Three (tripod) is the least amount of stationary points needed for good, stand alone stability.

 

If your balance is better standing on one leg with that leg moving, than with 2 legs planted on the ground while punching, you're not punching correctly., and I'd guess you need major work/practice on your stances.

[Guy_Mendiola]

uummm... my punches are good because i went to boxing but i think i am going to be twice as better in Tae Kwon Do because now i'll learn how to kick. Edited November 16, 2003 by Guy_Mendiola

[Hohan-1]

Hands.

 

Reason? "In combat first of all, steal their balance". Legs are needed for a strong base, movement and power generation without decreased stability. It's true that the legs are much stronger than the hands, but being on one leg, even for an instant in a real fight, can lead to lots of bad things.

 

Using your legs to gain positions of advantage (maneuvering), is more sure than hoping that one roundhouse to the head will connect and knock your opponent out. By the way you can tell who has fought on the street and who hasn't, just by the responses.

 

There really is no argument. The safe way is to punch from various angles and to keep going until your opponent is defeated. If you can get a good low kick in at the end after you have things under control (especially if the opponent is on his knees and you are standing), that's when it would be wisest to use kicks and knees.

 

IMO...

[Warp Spider]

... and yes my balance is better with kicking then with punching.

 

OK, this is a matter for a physics professor, but standing on one leg does NOT give you good balance. That's pure and simple nonsense. Any reputable karate/kungfu/whatever instructor, gymnast, dance instrutor, etc will dispute that one...and I sure do.

 

Sorry, but it's true. It's a physical fact that the worst balance anything can have is with one stationary support (one leg for example), followed by two. Three (tripod) is the least amount of stationary points needed for good, stand alone stability.

 

If your balance is better standing on one leg with that leg moving, than with 2 legs planted on the ground while punching, you're not punching correctly., and I'd guess you need major work/practice on your stances.

 

Well, if you want to get technical, the number of supports you need is dependant on the balance of the object, the number of dimensions it resides in, and the position of those supports. A hundred supports all in a row is no better than two.

 

Having said that, it's quite possible that Shorinryu Sensei would have better balance kicking than punching. Certainately he or she would have better balance while standing upright than while kicking, but that doesn't necessarily mean he or she won't have better balance while kicking than while punching. For instance, a shin or ankle kick is likely more stable than throwing a wild haymaker - even though the haymaker has both feet on the ground.

[aznkarateboi]

I'd say 80% hands 20% feet in street situations, feet should be used for low kicks, groin kicks, and sweeps and hands should be doing most of the attacking otherwise

[Drunken Monkey]

roughly translated from chinese:

 

"top half, cover with arms,

 

bottom half cover with legs"

[WC-Strayder]

Both. You need to defend your body with hands and legs and will off coz attack with both too. Like Drunken Monkey says, half of the body covers with arms, the other half with legs and in wing chun we attack/defend with both, but we kick rearlly over the waist coz of balance.

[CsrCrz88]

hands al the way. i think that hands are better because your hands do alot better than your feet. think about it can you lock some one up with your feet/legs faster than your hands/arms?

[CrazyAZNRocker]

Having said that, it's quite possible that Shorinryu Sensei would have better balance kicking than punching. Certainately he or she would have better balance while standing upright than while kicking, but that doesn't necessarily mean he or she won't have better balance while kicking than while punching. For instance, a shin or ankle kick is likely more stable than throwing a wild haymaker - even though the haymaker has both feet on the ground.

 

I could have not said it better myself.

 

 

If your balance is better standing on one leg with that leg moving, than with 2 legs planted on the ground while punching, you're not punching correctly., and I'd guess you need major work/practice on your stances.

 

And I totally agree with you there, yes my punching is not up to par, when I punch I am a tad more off place, someone could just wait for me to punch and then push me over, That is why my kicks have more balance, I have a less chance of being pushed over when kicking then I am with punching. I can punch, with decent results, but not nearly as reliable as my kicking in every aspect. Cause the last thing I want is my fight to fall to the ground, in that case i'll be toast.