When Lyoto Machida's knocked out Randy Couture with a step over jumping front kick at UFC 129 a few weeks back, the martial art world went ballistic. The reason is because it is considered common knowledge that kicks above the waist are useless. Well, I, for one, have never been an adherent to that philosophy, and called it once "The High Kick Myth".
A few years back I hosted a "Diversification Seminar" at my dojang in Potchefstroom. Different instructors from different martial arts taught skills from their respective skill sets. I taught Hapkido, a friend taught grappling, another boxing, and my brother taught advanced kicking. One technique he taught was exactly this step over jumping front kick to the face employed by Machida. Some of the attendees didn't seem to convinced about the efficiency of the technique and probably dismissed it. While my brother may not have convinced them of its value, I hope that Machida's performance have.
Further Reading:
- Collin Wee at Traditional Tae Kwon Do Techniques shares 10 Ways to Improve Your Front Kick.
- Dan Djurdjevic at The Way of Least Resistance explains the difference between the front snap kick often practised in traditional martial arts, versus the front push kick often favoured by sport fighters, typified in Muay Thai and MMA.
6 comments:
I think one of the reasons why high kicks are looked down upon is that in a high intensity "adrenaline dump" situation it'd be a little hard to do a high kick.
Also because people tend to go mental when kicking, which during an adrenaline dump, your programed stuff goes straight out the window!
Nonetheless Machida's kick looks nasty. I don't think Couture even saw it coming!
Yes, he had no idea what was coming, it is clear in how he tried to guard the sides of his head; probably expecting a round house kick.
As for the high kicks, I agree that complex kicks are less likely to function during an adrenaline dump. However, a kick like the front kick doesn't require complex motor skills and is, I think, no more difficult than a punch.
Or do you mean that actually lifting up the leg will be too difficult due to the adrenaline dump?
Actually what I meant is that in high intensity situations most people with high kicks tend to want to aim - which fails usually because people tend to have to think in order to aim, therefore in order to execute the high kick.
Hope that made sense, hah.
As for the front snap kick I'll agree that it doesn't require too much thinking or skill to execute. Actually most non-martial artists can execute one with no problem.
Ah, I understand. Makes sense, yes, thanks.
Two perth boys linked to from the same article! Not bad! :-)
Colin
Internet is an interesting thing. A South African writing from Korea being read in Australia. You gotta love it!
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