Vicious leg kicks in sparring

[Mad Dollar]

Hi guys, I've been improving a lot in my kickboxing lately, but I have a huge hole in my game!
I'm a tall southpaw and every time I spar a few skilled guys at my gym they leg kick the shit out of me and I just can't seem to find any good counters for it.. It's mainly the outside leg kick that is ruining my front leg (and confidence lol), so from their orthodox stance it's their left outside leg kick that's the big problem for me!
Any advise will be much appreciated !!

 

[ctrlaltdelete]

Are you heavy on your front foot? Do you block the inside low kicks well? Is your stance bladed or do you stand more square with them in a "thai style."

WHEN YOU CHECK make sure you move your leg and hips outward to meet the leg kick instead of just bringing it up - where it can be kicked through or hooked. ( This is hard to explain online without pictures, but if you've been training you know what I'm saying )

If you're fast ( and light on your front foot ), you can try a thai hop and teep them in the stomach / hips with your front foot when they switch for the outside lowkick - but you have to be very light on your front foot.

You can also do things to make them not want to throw the kick, like bouncing your front foot like you're ready to check their kick and anticipating them to throw it, or try to keep an outside front foot position.


Lastly if you're much taller and have good reach, and don't mind eating a lowkick, you can take a step forward into them and throw your left cross as they switch kick, you might catch them flush and off balance. Even if you take the lowkick - it'll be less effective because you'll be stifling the kick - and they'll think twice before throwing it next time


Just some ideas, I'm not a coach - I'm a student, so take with a grain of salt.

 

[Mad Dollar]

Are you heavy on your front foot? Do you block the inside low kicks well? Is your stance bladed or do you stand more square with them in a "thai style."
Make sure you move your leg and hips outward to meet the leg kick instead of just bringing it up - where it can be kicked through or hooked. ( This is hard to explain online without pictures, but if you've been training you know what I'm saying )

If you're fast ( and light on your front foot ), you can try teeping them in the stomach / hips with your front foot when they switch for the outside lowkick - but you have to be very light on your front foot.

You can also do things to make them not want to throw the kick, like bouncing your front foot like you're ready to check their kick and anticipating them to throw it, or try to keep an outside front foot position.


Lastly if you're much taller and have good reach, and don't mind eating a lowkick, you can take a step forward into them and throw your left cross as they switch kick, you might catch them flush and off balance. Even if you take the lowkick - it'll be less effective because you'll be stifling the kick - and they'll think twice before throwing it.


Just some ideas, I'm not a coach - I'm a student, so take with a grain of salt.

Thank you so much for the detailed response !
- I do have a bad habit of being way to heavy on my front leg! In the beginning of the sparring rounds I just lift my leg up when they kick it, but as the rounds go on I just eat the kicks straight on the thigh because it gets to paralyzed to check the kicks.
But it's definitely some good tips to stay more light on the front leg and try to front teep kick them when they start to leg kick me! I will keep these tips in my inventory next time I spar on my Monday, and tell you if it worked out for me !
- btw I will also practice turning my leg more towards their kick when I check them !

 

[ctrlaltdelete]

Thank you so much for the detailed response !
- I do have a bad habit of being way to heavy on my front leg! In the beginning of the sparring rounds I just lift my leg up when they kick it, but as the rounds go on I just eat the kicks straight on the thigh because it gets to paralyzed to check the kicks.
But it's definitely some good tips to stay more light on the front leg and try to front teep kick them when they start to leg kick me! I will keep these tips in my inventory next time I spar on my Monday, and tell you if it worked out for me !
- btw I will also practice turning my leg more towards their kick when I check them !

I hope some of it helps out! When sparring super tired, I'll get lazy and just lift the front leg without turning the hip out. If the opponent has any strength in the kick, it'll crash right through and put me off balance and sometimes, if they step through, kick out the supporting leg as well. It's important to keep that leg check strong and angled out.

Here's a video explaining it, timestamped

 

[fluffball]

I am extremely tall myself, if you're like me you can check many kicks without actually picking your leg up. Turn your knee into the kick, go up on your toes and move it forward a couple inches. That helps since my reaction time is no where near as fast as someone who is like 5'6.

I tried to find some gifs of it but I mostly found women kicking naked men in the balls for some reason. I'm sure your instructor will know what I'm talking about. Think 'front stance', only practical.

Obviously you can't check much higher kicks doing that, but if it cuts back on anything from like mid thigh and down, that's a win. Even one good check moving into the kick might completely stop leg kicks even in practice.

 

[Mad Dollar]

Thanks again bro, I don't know why I completely forgot to turn my hips outwards and only lifted my leg straight up, I think this will improve my game a lot when I start to get the hang of it! Because my experienced sparring partners seriously destroy my leg today, and I will not let that happen again xD!

 

[freaky]

what ctrlaltdelete said are all good counters and requires timing/training. It's easy if you can see it and react to it. But sounds like you don't even see it coming.

Sounds like you're getting chewed up by a switch kick, one of the slower kicks.

Some ways to not get kicked. Know your distance. Don't get into kicking range. Stay on the outside or if you're in kicking range, then try to go in even more into the punching range. They can only low kick you from a certain distance. Too far, they will miss. Too close, it will do no damage and easy to counter with punches. I suggest rushing in with punches if you're within kicking range or kick them first.

Also, make it a habit of having your lead leg outside of theirs. Makes it harder for them to outside leg kick and sets you up for a better angle.

If you can see and react in time but too lazy to lift leg to check, then just pull your lead leg back to dodge it.

There are many ways to prevent kicks even if you can't see/react.

 

[Mad Dollar]

I am extremely tall myself, if you're like me you can check many kicks without actually picking your leg up. Turn your knee into the kick, go up on your toes and move it forward a couple inches. That helps since my reaction time is no where near as fast as someone who is like 5'6.

I tried to find some gifs of it but I mostly found women kicking naked men in the balls for some reason. I'm sure your instructor will know what I'm talking about. Think 'front stance', only practical.

Obviously you can't check much higher kicks doing that, but if it cuts back on anything from like mid thigh and down, that's a win. Even one good check moving into the kick might completely stop leg kicks even in practice.

Thanks for the advice !
I definitely try it out and see if it works! I think when I'm sparring some of the smaller guys at the gym I will try to just go up on my toes and then blast them in the face with a straight left or something !
- The part with the gifs had my laughing my ass of btw

 

[Mad Dollar]

what ctrlaltdelete said are all good counters and requires timing/training. It's easy if you can see it and react to it. But sounds like you don't even see it coming.

Sounds like you're getting chewed up by a switch kick, one of the slower kicks.

Some ways to not get kicked. Know your distance. Don't get into kicking range. Stay on the outside or if you're in kicking range, then try to go in even more into the punching range. They can only low kick you from a certain distance. Too far, they will miss. Too close, it will do no damage and easy to counter with punches. I suggest rushing in with punches if you're within kicking range or kick them first.

Also, make it a habit of having your lead leg outside of theirs. Makes it harder for them to outside leg kick and sets you up for a better angle.

If you can see and react in time but too lazy to lift leg to check, then just pull your lead leg back to dodge it.

There are many ways to prevent kicks even if you can't see/react.

You spot on about me not seeing the kicks coming in, but even though I don't see them coming in I know they're coming at any chance they have because it's their ultimate weapon against me. And you're also right about rushing in with punches, because I really don't feel like I have any other options as soon as they start to chop my leg apart!
I will definitely start trying to have the advantage with the foot placement so they won't have that nice angle to power up on those kicks!
- thank you very much for the advise !

 

[Two]

People are over-complicating things. Plant your feet, take the kick and land the cross.

 

[freaky]

People are over-complicating things. Plant your feet, take the kick and land the cross.

lmao you're over simplifying things. A good leg kick will not be countered by a cross. They usually dip their heads.

 

[DoctorTaco]

Find a good mitt holder who can throw kicks at you while they hold pads. Have them throw kicks while you work pads and have a few preset combinations to block and return kicks with.

 

[wilddeuces]

Move to their weaker side so that you can take the steam off their kicks. They'll have to reset or if they throw it won't hurt as hard. Don't stay at the same range all the time. Smother their kicks and work inside.

 

[aries]

Learn to go light on your front foot so you can check effectively. I came from boxing to MT and it was my biggest issue (eating low kicks) because I was too front foot heavy and not in a good position to check.