Dropping the hand when throwing a high kick

[Doctorfunk]

Some say to keep the hands up virtually at all times, even when throwing high kicks. What are you peoples' opinion on this, My right hand naturally drops when throwing a right kick, and i feel off balance when i try to keep my hands up like the instructor says.

 

[Da Speeit]

it depends on what your hands are doing and where youre cutting to.

if youre standing stationary, youre going to get Maia'd

 

[Jesse Pinkman]

When I throw I high kick iin Muay Thai, I drop the right hand, but I compensate by covering the bottom half of my face simultaneously as I swing the right arm for the kick. That's the way I was taught
Posted via Mobile Device

 

[dr.feelgood]

If you're throwing a rear kick, your rear hand should swing back and your lead hand should swing across to protect your face. If you're throwing a lead kick your lead hand should drop and your rear hand should swing across to protect your face.

 

[LEGS MAHONEY]

you really telegraph your kick when you swing your arm down like that

 

[dustin]

i do not drop my hand, i keep it up. if i'm kicking the bag, i reach across the bag. same with the pads. depends on my distance if i actually touch the shoulder/bag/whatever however.

you should always keep the arm up, it actually helps with my balance, speed, and power. helps turn over and also protect my jaw. just good practice.

 

[thirteen]

^^^ any chance you can post a vid this mate?

 

[sdjudoka]

YouTube - Buakaw Por.Pramuk - Video Clip - MAX FINAL

 

[snarf]

yeah, i would love to see a video or picture example of this kick..................please

 

[thirteen]

you should always keep the arm up, it actually helps with my balance, speed, and power. helps turn over and also protect my jaw. just good practice.

Do you keep the opposite hand up (what I do) or keep both hands up?

 

[Seppuku Sam]

Some say to keep the hands up virtually at all times, even when throwing high kicks. What are you peoples' opinion on this, My right hand naturally drops when throwing a right kick, and i feel off balance when i try to keep my hands up like the instructor says.

Kicking, particuiarly high ones are not too natural of a motion. It IS natural for the hands to drop. You must train your self to keep them up. One of the reason the hand naturally drops is to compensate for a percieved lack of balance. Training for kickers flexability will help. The other part of it is to aquire a well enough developed sense of balance so that your brain is not thinking its falling over when you execute a kick.
There are some exercises and drills that others have mentioned that will help......BUT....As with so much in MMA...it is very specific: You get better at kicking by kicking.

 

[vince89]

kicking with both hands up is shit

 

[Seppuku Sam]

getting knocked out is shit

 

[thirteen]

If you are throwing a mt style high roundhouse kick the correct method, demonstrated in thousands of mt fights, is to drop the hand.

If anyone can throw a mt roundhouse without dropping the hand
and not sacrifice power I suggest they post a vid.

 

[vince89]

Kicking, particuiarly high ones are not too natural of a motion. It IS natural for the hands to drop. You must train your self to keep them up. One of the reason the hand naturally drops is to compensate for a percieved lack of balance. Training for kickers flexability will help. The other part of it is to aquire a well enough developed sense of balance so that your brain is not thinking its falling over when you execute a kick.
There are some exercises and drills that others have mentioned that will help......BUT....As with so much in MMA...it is very specific: You get better at kicking by kicking.

this is keyboard warrior bullshit rhetoric

post a video of yourself throwing these kicks with both hands up or at least find me an example of 1 good fighter who throws roundhouse with both hands up

here is a couple guys who have pretty ok kicks..notice 1 thing. only 1 hand up.





but their kicks are ok, im sure Seppuku Sam knows better.

 

[PikachuManson]

It depends on what venue you're doing. A TKD or Karate competition you can get away with it cuz a lot of times the rules don't permit hits to the head. But in the street or MMA it's a good way to get put to sleep.

 

[thirteen]

That's why high kicks are thrown at the appropriate time...
You don't just throw them haphazardly.

 

[Doctorfunk]

Yeah I mostly see the hand on the side thats kicking drop, and that feels natural for me when putting power into a high kick. As for examples of kicking with the hands up, Shogun did it in the machida fight, but that was only to the legs and body. It worked especially well because it defended machida's counter punches.

 

[dr.feelgood]

If you're throwing a rear kick, your rear hand should swing back and your lead hand should swing across to protect your face. If you're throwing a lead kick your lead hand should drop and your rear hand should swing across to protect your face.

Let me quote myself to get away from the "hands up at all times" bullshit.
Watch any decent Thai fighter like vince89 posted for examples of this.

Shogun kicking with both hands up was applicable because he knew Machida would counter(and he wasn't throwing high kicks). By not swinging his hand back though he wasn't getting as much torque as he could have and probably sacrificed some power. I'm pretty sure low and mid kicks don't require the swing as much though, as you can still turn over your hips really well without putting yourself off balance. The difference is, if you try and throw a high kick like that chances are it will have either no power or you'll completely bust your ass because you'll have no balance.

 

[LEGS MAHONEY]

why the hell do you need to throw the hand down to add power?