Flashy Kicks?

Question

Over the years, I've spent lots of time training the proper technique of kicks like the crescent (spinning and reverse), tornado, axe, and others along with variations and combinations of those. The thing is, I've never been able to use these kicks to any effectiveness in a fight or sparring session. Can these kicks really be used effectively in place of knee, round, front, or groin (in the street) kicks? Or are they just used to train coordination, footwork, speed, flexibility, etc...

Answer 1

They can be used on self defense as well. Would you say it took you a long time to learn those kicks? Well it might take longer to learn how to use them effectively. The key is timing. Good luck!

Answer 2

Some of the flashy kicks are fun in demonstrations for impressing and breaking boards, but not very practical. The exception may be a spinning (sometimes jumping) crescent kick which seems to be highly effective if done very quickly and at the right height.

I think they are mostly to train as you mentioned...

Answer 3

Basically, anything flashier than a spinning back kick or axe kick does not work.  The only thing you'll hit with a jump spinning whip kick is air.

Answer 4

They're low percentage moves, so you probably wouldn't want to use them in a real fight.

However, in the safety of a sparring match, practicing them isn't a bad idea. See if you can set them up as part of a combination. As vague as that sounds, that's the best I can say, since I don't have experience with the moves that you're talking about. However, if woven into a good combination, a lot of unorthodox moves can be made to land.

Although, I'd imagine that the main purpose behind the techniques are as you've said -- to hone your attributes.

Answer 5

not completely useless, while in a defense situation these can be dangerous to yourself as well as to your opponent. in training however such as sparring or bag striking these really improve your other kicks such as the round-house kick, side kick, ax kick, front kick etc.

Answer 6

they take too long and they put you off balance. soms kicks of course work but if a move is flashy usually its impractical, this does not mean there useless if they hit they are usally very powerful but still not practical. anyway kicks are never a good idea to train a lot of as i said they put you off balance. knees will never repalce kicks as kicks are long range, but the smaller kcisk are way better.

Answer 7

The worst thing would be to throw a high flashy kick in a real fight then slip and fall, especially in a bar where there tends to be moisture on the ground.  It looks greaet on movies and good training for flexibility, but not a substitute for more effective techniques such as knees, mawashi geri on the knees IMHO

Answer 8

If you train understanding the kick as only what is shown, you will never find it's use. If you set aside the whole, you'll find the principle behind it.

The form carries many principles. These are what you must learn to see. If you can't yet see them, train harder. If you still can't see them, quit.

Answer 9

i do Wing chun

your kicks may be flashy and that but you can very easily be taken to the floor

you want to learn something that actually works, like thai boxing on ninjitsu :)

Answer 10

I don't understand how you can practice these and not be able to use them.

I'll agree that they are not the most practical to use in a real street fight situation.  Personally I wouldnt use them in that situation, but in sparring, I use them all the time with effectiveness.

How can you not land the front leg crescent kick or spinning hook kick if you've been training for years?

The tornado kick is quite deceptive, especially against an inexperienced person who just backs up instead of circling.  (Look up UCLA, Stanford, Tae Kwon Do, Tornado kick on youtube)

Against average joe on the street, you should be able to land these kicks, although a round kick or front kick might be more effective.  

Also try watching the WCL on Versus channel, you can see guys getting knocked out by these kicks.  

I don't recommend them if you are sparring a grappler with mixed rules, because you will be off balance, but other than that, they can be used.  

James

Answer 11

A flashy kick generally would not be as practical or efficient as a pre-emptive headbutt or front kick/knee to the groin, however used in the right situation they may be used to demoralize a single mugger with no fighting experience. That situation isn't likely however and i'd suggest in a real street fight(assuming a street fight/mugging/jumping is the situation) using your training to do a cheap shot to get whoever is around you away and run.

Answer 12

My assumption would be that they are useless in real defense situations. A high Mawashi/roundhouse kick is pushing it, all because of the time it takes to put it out there and the distance you need to be from your opponent. I can generally get a mawashi to the head with only a blink as the reaction, and then a whole bunch of ooooos afterwards while we laughed at the reaction. But I think I'd rather stick to the ones less exposing and keeping my feet closer to the ground.

I've used a roundhouse kick once in a fight and I fell over because I was wearing slick shoes. Granted I knocked the guy out and ended the fight, but I fell over.  Not something I would recommend, as I am extremely proficient in kicking in bare feet and tennis shoes.  Thing is the shoes that would really do damage (IE: boots, army boots, and hard soled dress shoes) are too slippery to use in the street on tile, or any wet surfaces, and sometimes even the right type of carpet, and the "army boots" are too heavy and slow to heave all the way up and around.

I have changed my kicking to waist high at the highest, and all front side or low roundhouse, with the occasional back kick for the guy behind me.  The only sensible time I would see those high spinning kicks used would be in the ring, practice, or when the guy's out on his feet and giving you his head.  Though that would be excessive force and you'd probably go to jail for it in the street.

Hope this helps any.