Home Forums Krav Maga Worldwide Forums KM Techniques & Krav Maga Books Crazy Kicks and Kick Combos?

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  • #33212
    mdeaneuscg
    Member

    I’m sure this question has come up at least once before, but…

    I’ve been doing Krav for about a year and a half now, and every once in a while in intermediate classes, we delve into the higher level kicks. It seems like a lot of these kicks are not something that I would ever possibly use. The excuse I get for why we do them is that someone else might use them, so we should know how to defend against it. While this has merit, I feel as though current defenses against more basic attacks work against these funky kicks. However, I guess this may be a valid point.

    My more interesting question arises when we must then also learn combinations of these weird kicks. This goes beyond just being able to recognize and defend against some (most likely drunk) idiot that took some Tae Kwon Do lessons and thinks this makes him master of the universe. This seems like it just adds drag to a streamlined system that prides itself on it’s utilitarian approach to martial arts.

    Some of the combos I am specifically referencing are the double front kick with a switch (Karate Kid), the double back kick with a switch (reverse Karate Kid?), and the outside slap kick to front kick (is this for the one time kicking the gun out of the hand could work?).

    I’m really just curious to understand why these haven’t been weeded out of the system that keeps the useful, and throws out the useless. I don’t claim to know all or anything, but I hear a lot of people mention that they’d never use these techniques, but they have to learn them. If you’ll never use it, why learn it? Wouldn’t that time be better spent honing the skills you will use?

    I train to win the fight, not to look like a badass during it. I figure I look more badass as I walk away and they carry the assailant out on a stretcher. I don’t need flashy or glamorous, just effective.

    #83605

    Re: Crazy Kicks and Kick Combos?

    Because by practicing those kicks, not only does it allow you to learn to defend them (it’s difficult to learn to defend a high round kick if nobody in the class can throw one), but it also increases your balance and athleticism. It also helps to increase the power in your basic kicks.

    You can just ask me in class, I’ll gladly answer your questions. As an aside, the slap kick will only be useless up to the point where I put you on your ass with one on your Green Belt test. That’s coming up soon, right?Just sayin’…

    #83606
    mdeaneuscg
    Member

    Re: Crazy Kicks and Kick Combos?

    Thanks Jeremy, I wasn’t trying to not ask you personally, it was just one of those questions that jumped into my head around midnight. I can completely understand the athleticism aspect of it. That was actually what kind of came to mind for a purpose of learning the kicks at higher levels, as it makes the senior level students build up to a higher level of body control and athleticism than is required at the lower levels, which would also improve other techniques.

    Obviously, you’ve been doing this much longer than I have, and I greatly respect anything that comes out of your mouth on the subject. I’m also fearing my green belt test just a little bit more now… 😉

    #83607
    bradm
    Member

    Re: Crazy Kicks and Kick Combos?

    These high kicks you talk about, are they required curriculum to pass to the next level? If so, what about the person that just can’t kick high. Will they be able to advnace, or not, to the next level. No pun intended. I ask because some practicners are in the high 60’s, soon to be 70 – and can not kick that high.

    #83608

    Re: Crazy Kicks and Kick Combos?

    The kicks are on the tests, but they are not weighted seriously. I also have several older students, and I would never fail anyone on a test because of the “fancy kicks”. They are a luxury, a tool for the more athletically inclined student, they are not something that is taken seriously, at least at my school.

    #83609
    cjs-dad
    Keymaster

    Re: Crazy Kicks and Kick Combos?

    Sparring on the green belt test? That sounds like fun, text me I’ll stop by I need to practice some fancy kicks 🙂

    #83619
    bradm
    Member

    Re: Crazy Kicks and Kick Combos?

    Thanks Jeremy.

    #83668
    inky
    Member

    Re: Crazy Kicks and Kick Combos?

    Yeah just found out I have to Spar with our resident black belt to pass green here lol. Good thing he likes me :Unsure:

    quote CJs Dad:

    Sparring on the green belt test? That sounds like fun, text me I’ll stop by I need to practice some fancy kicks 🙂
    #83673
    lions2011
    Member

    Re: Crazy Kicks and Kick Combos?

    High and fancy kicks only seem to work for the very few. People who tend to be super athletic and coordinated. They are used in the UFC so they do work but most people cannot do them.

    I cannot kick past the ribs. No flexibility.

    Some of those crazy TKD kicks have KO people in the UFC and MMA. They take many years to learn and develop with power and speed.
    Fun to watch.

    #83717
    mdeaneuscg
    Member

    Re: Crazy Kicks and Kick Combos?

    quote lions2011:

    High and fancy kicks only seem to work for the very few. People who tend to be super athletic and coordinated. They are used in the UFC so they do work but most people cannot do them.

    I cannot kick past the ribs. No flexibility.

    Some of those crazy TKD kicks have KO people in the UFC and MMA. They take many years to learn and develop with power and speed.
    Fun to watch.

    You have to remember that what works in a UFC match isn’t necessarily what works for a self defense situation.
    MMA fighters have the luxory of good lighting, good footing, one opponent, and a mutual knowledge that there’s a fight going on. This also applies to a sparring situation. What really helps those kicks (in my opinion) is that the fighters are in a stand off, so the kicker can think of what he wants to do. In a self defense situation, it’s going to be a blitz, and you won’t have that time to set up the kick. You have to have something you can deploy instantly and efficiently, hence front kick to groin and knees.

    I believe that most, including Jeremy, could agree with me that almost any kick above the waist/ribs is pretty well near the bottom of the tool bag in a self defense situation.

    #83722
    stuartf
    Member

    Re: Crazy Kicks and Kick Combos?

    I agree that you’re unlikely to use most of the high kicks in a self defense situation. But imagine you are attacked by someone who has TKD training, if he goes to throw the outside slap kick and you’ve never seen it before it starts out looking like a front kick or a groin kick, now you’re defending low and getting kicked in the head.

    #87203
    frode-falch
    Member

    Re: Crazy Kicks and Kick Combos?

    Could it also be that many people doing krav maga, comes from another striking martial art. And they got their kicking base from the former style?

    High kicks works. And i disagree that you got to be “super athletic” to pull them off.

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