Banging the Body Kicks - A Handy Dandy Guide

[Ilk]

I like the be big idea and how you should rise on the toes when you kick. It is like wave. Calm and relaxed at the beginning rising at the moment of a contact and then returning to initial position. I was thought to jab in the same way.

 

[Superhet]

I must confess to my love of body kicks

Got two main ways to use them, climbing kicks and as counters. Climb kicks like you saw Conor use against Holloway are so easy to do it's kinda crazy that more people don't use them, but so powerful and useful. I guess they have their reasons not to. For those who don't know, you just do a pendulum step but jump up with your front leg instead and kick with the rear. The extra height makes the kick harder to block, lets you retain more power against taller opponents, it's great for catching guys who try to dodge kicks, and the movement suggests a head kick which is great for various reasons. Being a knee enthusiast I use them as one of my ways to enter the clinch, kicking out of either stance as it suits. Best case scenario it hits them flush and you're on plus before you even start your thing up close, worst case it's a heavy blow to their forearms that pins them in place giving you easy head control as you land. Either way you win. And if you don't want to clinch, you can still land and exit on an angle after pushing off like Conor did. All you need to be mindful of is not attempting them from too close against opponents who want to smother you.

Hoo boy, can you say enough good things about body kicks as counters. All you have to do is time the kick for when he punches, like a defensive leg kick except it has guaranteed stopping power if you have your technique down right. It sounds too simple to be true, but that's it. Either leg works fine, for any punch. Kicking when someone tries to punch you is like going for a takedown when they punch you; instead of having to trade shots to see who comes out on top, you win if you just time it right. The leg is longer and way more powerful than the arm, and they're the ones walking into the strike. Most people don't really know how to attack you effectively if it doesn't involve committing to a punch first so if you can add these counter kicks, it gets much easier to shut those guys down - and it only takes one or two good hits to seriously affect your opponent.

 

[AndyMaBobs]

I must confess to my love of body kicks

Got two main ways to use them, climbing kicks and as counters. Climb kicks like you saw Conor use against Holloway are so easy to do it's kinda crazy that more people don't use them, but so powerful and useful. I guess they have their reasons not to. For those who don't know, you just do a pendulum step but jump up with your front leg instead and kick with the rear. The extra height makes the kick harder to block, lets you retain more power against taller opponents, it's great for catching guys who try to dodge kicks, and the movement suggests a head kick which is great for various reasons. Being a knee enthusiast I use them as one of my ways to enter the clinch, kicking out of either stance as it suits. Best case scenario it hits them flush and you're on plus before you even start your thing up close, worst case it's a heavy blow to their forearms that pins them in place giving you easy head control as you land. Either way you win. And if you don't want to clinch, you can still land and exit on an angle after pushing off like Conor did. All you need to be mindful of is not attempting them from too close against opponents who want to smother you.

Hoo boy, can you say enough good things about body kicks as counters. All you have to do is time the kick for when he punches, like a defensive leg kick except it has guaranteed stopping power if you have your technique down right. It sounds too simple to be true, but that's it. Either leg works fine, for any punch. Kicking when someone tries to punch you is like going for a takedown when they punch you; instead of having to trade shots to see who comes out on top, you win if you just time it right. The leg is longer and way more powerful than the arm, and they're the ones walking into the strike. Most people don't really know how to attack you effectively if it doesn't involve committing to a punch first so if you can add these counter kicks, it gets much easier to shut those guys down - and it only takes one or two good hits to seriously affect your opponent.

It's interesting you say that, because Ajarn Surat from Dejrat Gym in Thailand encourages his fighters so somewhat jump/spring into the kick. In his private lesson with Slyvie from 8limbs, he says that if you watch a chicken in a fight it comes up in the air to kick - so you should be like a chicken.

Seeing as we're the big knee enthusiasts here (as far as I know), I also think it's important to know how to use a kick to set up a knee and vice versa, for example if you miss a knee because they move back out of position, you've got the perfect opportunity to time a body kick as they come back in.