Head Kicks

Look darlin', I'm sorry I got your Texan titties in a twist but the fact is you've ignored my arguments over and over while attacking me and my personal qualifications. I could be a cripple in a wheelchair and my arguments still stand.

That video shows Brian rolling his shoulder and taking three square on the jaw, thus illustrating the weakness of the technique.

In the two kickers square off example if they both throw a right kick, hands-up kicker has his right hand ready to fire and arm swing-kicker is still recovering. Is one way better? I think so. you sure as sugar haven't come up with a cogent counter argument. I hope you're better at kickboxing than debate.

I've ignored nothing...in fact you're the one that doesn't address all that's said.

And I don't know what video you're watching, but in the one I posted up of Brian none of those punches hit him square on the jaw. I've not questioned your qualifications, you have made it evident that you have none...or at the very least lack the fighting experience to understand what's being told to you. Essentially I've questioned your ability to support your own argument. Unless you can physically prove it, it's moot.

There is physical proof that disproves your argument time and again yet nothing but theory and conjecture on your end. Like I said before...when you can evade all the kicks that are so easily seen because of a step, and when you can land counter shots on every kick because both the other guys hands aren't up tight to the head during the kick...then you have something to go off of. Until then...you're just going to keep getting shut down in this thread because what you have is an OPINION not a fact.

So the definitive factors lie not in one aspect like how many inches from the face the hand is, but on a myriad of things from timing, distance, mechanical speed, neurological speed, spatial orientation, genetics, power, mental states, confidence, lack of confidence, and a host of other variables. Where your hand is DURING the kick, plays a minor role as evidenced by everyone but you.

So to explain again, during a properly timed and placed kick the danger is nil. As kick comes back hand move back too. The person who is able to have both hands up as soon as the kick is done is going to have no less of a hole than the person who had it up to begin with.

Take your hypothetical scenario...what you don't seem to realize is the guy with his hands up isn't going to be able to fire anything until he recovers from his own kick. Crosses require the back leg on the ground to get power. Something you'd understand if you fought. When doing a proper thai kick your hips are leading the kick, meaning your "cross" isn't a cross until both parties reset with their entire lower body back in place...and in this scenario of yours...neither has the advantage on that one with all else being equal. So no...one isn't better in that respect.
 
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Check it out dude, right around 2:10 in he's showing the shoulder roll, but his training partner has a clear line of fire to his jawline. The straight left is a solid counter to the Thai round as it's demonstrated here.

Now Brian's left hand could cross over to block, but he'd need to be fast with it if his partner threw a 1-2. Given, Brian's pretty close to be throwing the kick, but it does happen and having both hands up is an advantage in that situation.

Okay let me sum this up:

Swinging the arm while kicking is awesome. All the coolest fighters swing their arm when they kick. I swing my arm all the time and it's great. I have awesome timing, distance, and reactions and you are a fool to kick with your guard up.Muay Thai is perfect in every way. Also, you are a fool and you must suck at kicking if you disagree with me.

Me said:
Swinging the arm is dumb. If you were good at kicking you wouldn't need to swing the arm and you'd have better offense and defense

My way is better, you suck

Me said:
My way is better, you're a jerk.

Oh the internet, where rational discussion is sidelined whenever someone's fragile world view is challenged.

How's this. If your timing and footwork and reactions are good enough, you can swing your arm like it's going out of style and it'll never be a problem for you so go for it. Hammer away at the invisible midgets beside you because it gives you magical kick powers. I mean have you guys seen Genki Sudo fight? That cat is amazing and I don't think he ever had his hands above his nipples unless it was to do some kind of acrobatics.

For the rest of us who see no demonstrable benefit to the arm swing, we can aspire to keep our guard high when kicking, just in case we might want to block or punch. I know it's not common in most gyms, but some of us can throw punches off of our kicks, and some of us train with people who like to step in and counter.

I think it's fair to come to the conclusion that if you don't need to swing your arm it's better not to. For training purposes it's preferable to aspire to keep your guard up when you kick, especially because it's much harder to learn to keep your guard up once you've become accustomed to letting it swing.

It is better to have your guard up and not need it, than it is to need your guard up and not have it.
 
What I have learned from this thread: keep on swinging the arm.
 
This tread is still going? EVIL5150: Just let it go man.. Sometimes you hurt your "pride" more by never admitting that you was wrong..

A lot of pro fighters and GREAT fighter kick this way.. so there is nothing wrong in kicking like that..
 
Once again: there is more than one method.

Once again: there is a time and a place to put both arms "out" or keep the guard up.

Once again: EVIL5050 only sees ONE WAY.

/thread
 
Ladies please. I've laid out a few good reasons to keep the guard up, and no one's got a good reason to drop it. It's pretty simple.

I'm open to suggestions, anyone have a good reason to drop the arm?
 
are you a believer in hooks and uppercuts, or is that also stupid because you give away openings?
 
Ladies please. I've laid out a few good reasons to keep the guard up, and no one's got a good reason to drop it. It's pretty simple.

I'm open to suggestions, anyone have a good reason to drop the arm?

physics and power generation?
 
Check it out dude, right around 2:10 in he's showing the shoulder roll, but his training partner has a clear line of fire to his jawline. The straight left is a solid counter to the Thai round as it's demonstrated here.

Check it out "dude"...the punch glances off his shoulder, hence the reason why the punch curves away.

Now Brian's left hand could cross over to block, but he'd need to be fast with it if his partner threw a 1-2. Given, Brian's pretty close to be throwing the kick, but it does happen and having both hands up is an advantage in that situation.


Or he could be kicking the guy and the guy could be having to block instead of running head-on into a kick. I have YET to see anyone who drives into a kick's power line to try and punch the face. You're stupid if you try to come straight into a thai kick. Either that or the guys that you spar with can't kick worth anything.

Okay let me sum this up:
Quit being a baby. You know damn well that's not how it went down. Perhaps in your mind...but then anyone can see the answers that have been given to you by me. You just fail to address any of it specifically.

How's this. If your timing and footwork and reactions are good enough, you can swing your arm like it's going out of style and it'll never be a problem for you so go for it. Hammer away at the invisible midgets beside you because it gives you magical kick powers.

Thanks...and how's this: You can continue to talk shit on the internet about fighting when it's obvious that you don't fight. You can't keep avoiding specific retorts, create your own versions on them, and you can even think that your one way is better. I'll continue to perform well...and you probably won't because you think you know better than 99% of the fighting community who have higher qualifications.

For the rest of us -- oops -- I mean since I see no demonstrable benefit to the arm swing, I can aspire to keep MY guard high when kicking, just in case I might want to block or punch. I know it's not common in most gyms, but some of my imaginary friends and I can throw punches off of our kicks, Even though I can't achieve any power without my foot on the ground. But then again I only spar super light playing tag so I have no real clue as to what full contact is. Oh and some of us train with people who like to step in and counter running right into our partners panzy kicks thereby making us believe we can do it to people who kick hard.

I corrected that for you.

I think it's fair to come to the conclusion that if you don't need to swing your arm it's better not to. For training purposes it's preferable to aspire to keep your guard up when you kick, especially because it's much harder to learn to keep your guard up once you've become accustomed to letting it swing.

It sure is fair. No one is saying that its wrong. They're saying you're wrong for thinking your one way is better and any other way is slop. What you also are failing to realize is that this swing that you keep talking about isn't some exaggerated chop...it's natural biomechanics. But then you probably can't kick hard enough to need it anyway.

It is better to have your guard up and not need it, than it is to need your guard up and not have it.

True enough. You've said your peace now STFU already. If you want to continue to talk shit, I'd encourage you to just come and show me what you're talking about. It's much easier to convey a message when there are hands-on elements to it.
 
are you a believer in hooks and uppercuts, or is that also stupid because you give away openings?

Of course not, but I do believe in minimizing my openings when throwing hooks and uppercuts by not swinging wide and by keeping my other hand up. Admittedly dropping my guard when I throw the uppercut is one of my worst habits.

physics and power generation?

Swinging the arm doesn't generate power, it helps you maintain balance when you do throw with power. My point is that with practice you can throw with power without the arm swing. It is unnecessary.

Check it out "dude"...the punch glances off his shoulder, hence the reason why the punch curves away.

If you can't see the opening you are delusional and beyond reason. That shoulder roll is doing nothing to stop the left hand, nor would it stop the right. It'd help against a left hook as he described in the video, but it might not if the hook clears the shoulder. I'm not suggesting that you need to cover up in a Philly shell every time you kick. Even with the guard up openings will be created, just not as big ones. Note: I see fighters use the double forearm guard while kicking all the time in K-1

Unsubstantiated personal insults and mischaracterizations

Look, I can see you are insecure about your inability to reconcile your position with reason, and your ego feels threatened. That's no reason to lash out with insults. I've been training for decades now and have done plenty of full contact sparring. Calling out my abilities with no evidence to support your accusations only makes you look like an asshole. My training partners and my students seem to think I kick pretty hard, but my testimony is kind of pointless on the internet.

Interestingly there are a few ways to generate power off one foot while recovering from a kick;

I like to bridge distance by kicking and landing forward off with my kicking leg, that forward step can generate power with either hand. Just like in a step-jab.

You can also use the counter rotation of your kick recovery to punch as your kicking leg lands back as you recover. True your foot does land as you're punching, but this technique works better if your hands are in place.

Lastly you can fire the kicking hand as a superman punch by hopping your base foot as you swing the kicking foot behind you to generate core rotation. It's a little fancy, but it's a fun tool to have in your arsenal.


It sure is fair. No one is saying that its wrong. They're saying you're wrong for thinking your one way is better and any other way is slop. What you also are failing to realize is that this swing that you keep talking about isn't some exaggerated chop...it's natural biomechanics. But then you probably can't kick hard enough to need it anyway.

Agreed. It is natural biomechanics, and it's counter-intuitive to keep your hands up. Lots of things in martial arts are counter-intuitive at first. Again you can call me a pussy with no evidence to support that claim. Fair enough, I can say that you're selling yourself short for not holding yourself to a higher standard by training with your hands up. But hey, if the arm swing works for you, go for it. Like I said, plenty of people get away with lots of non-ideal technique. My point is for the purposes of training and instruction it's better to learn with the guard high and you can't summon a good reason not to. No point in being a dick about it.



True enough. You've said your peace now STFU already. If you want to continue to talk shit, I'd encourage you to just come and show me what you're talking about. It's much easier to convey a message when there are hands-on elements to it.

Ooh! A bonified internet tough guy threat! Okay Lonestar, you pay for my plane ticket and a hotel room and I'll be happy to exchange pointers with you.

I'm sorry if my language made it sound like I was saying something to the effect that "everyone who drops their hands ever is a terrible fighter". I have nothing but respect for pro-fighters that swing their arms when they kick. No fighter is perfect, but it is foolish not to strive for better form.
 
I have nothing but respect for pro-fighters that swing their arms when they kick. No fighter is perfect, but it is foolish not to strive for better form.

thats the thing, though...what if swinging that arm IS the better form? for the delivery of that kick, that is...

by your logic, checking kicks by raising one leg off the ground is inherently bad defense since it opens you up to getting your one support leg swept from underneath you...why not just keep both legs on the ground and defend?
 
thats the thing, though...what if swinging that arm IS the better form? for the delivery of that kick, that is...

I'm saying it isn't. If you learn to kick without the swing, you'll find it's extraneous. There is no physical measure by which that swing is helping to propel the kick. It may feel right and it may look cool, but it's not making the kick any harder or faster than if you kept your hands up.

by your logic, checking kicks by raising one leg off the ground is inherently bad defense since it opens you up to getting your one support leg swept from underneath you...why not just keep both legs on the ground and defend?

That's just being silly. I do make sure not to lift my checking legs foot above my base foot's knee though as a precaution .

This is more akin to telling kyokushin guys that pulling their opposite hand to their hip when they punch is stupid. Sure it looks kinda cool and it helps you get the feeling of pulling your shoulder back to assist core rotation, but it's really no better than pulling your fist back to your shoulder.
 
This is just embarrassing.

I bet EVIL5150 runs with his hands in his pockets.
 
If you can't see the opening you are delusional and beyond reason. That shoulder roll is doing nothing to stop the left hand, nor would it stop the right. It'd help against a left hook as he described in the video, but it might not if the hook clears the shoulder. I'm not suggesting that you need to cover up in a Philly shell every time you kick. Even with the guard up openings will be created, just not as big ones. Note: I see fighters use the double forearm guard while kicking all the time in K-1

First it was him getting hit three times. Now if it's just him being "open" to getting hit, so which is it?? If it the latter, then of course his head is open, it's an offensive maneuver; and just like any offensive maneuver be it a punch or kick or whatever there are going to be openings.

The shoulder shrug is a middle-ground manuever that helps to cover the chin and jawline while throwing the kick with full power, akin to keeping your chin near the shoulder during a punch. It's not meant to cover the entire head and face. The other hand is there to provide cover for the face and other side of the jaw. That's all there is to it.

What you have continually failed to acknowledge is that the defense of the kick lies in the power, speed, timing and placement of the kick. You have all that and you'd be successful with no hands at all. I honestly believe that you have the wrong mindset when it comes to kicking if your constantly worried about being countered during the kick. How are you 100% committed if you're too scared to throw the kick as it's taught?

I concede that In theory your argument makes sense, but it reality it fails to hold water because it's not only dis-proven by professionals, but by amateurs all the way down to the novices. Do you honestly believe that with the pragmatic approach to sport fighting that something so "flawed" would continue to be practiced?

Just in my past sparring session at the gym, I was working with one of the ammy's on his punching entries and counters. I PURPOSELY kicked him over and over again to help him learn to maneuver around kicks and use his hands to counter them. Even with my hands "down" he never hit my face during any kick. When he tried, he ate the kick and was stopped because I was off the line. Even on the right cross he tried he was dropped because I used a half shin half knee kick while leaning and using my opposite hand to parry. The times he got kicked in the face, each kick was because he didnt bring his punch straight back but let them drop as they returned.

Look, I can see you are insecure about your inability to reconcile your position with reason, and your ego feels threatened. That's no reason to lash out with insults.
Not at all, I'm just giving you the same attitude an tone you've given everyone else in this thread. Quid pro quo buddy. You want to be treated like the adult you claim to be, then you need to act like it. You can't talk shit and then try to play the "what's up with the insults?!" card.

I've been training for decades now and have done plenty of full contact sparring. Calling out my abilities with no evidence to support your accusations only makes you look like an asshole.
Call me an asshole if you'd like. Your statements and lack of understanding about the totality of successful kicking is the proof. I don't need to know your record to see your understanding of reality versus theory.

My training partners and my students seem to think I kick pretty hard, but my testimony is kind of pointless on the internet.
I could say the same of my partners and students. In fact that's what I'm known for are my legs and kicking ability. I've practiced that skill more than any other my entire life from age 5. But you're right...doesn't mean much on the internet.

Interestingly there are a few ways to generate power off one foot while recovering from a kick;
I guarantee you, that you cannot throw any sort of a powerful cross without a rear foot on the ground to transfer the power. If you want to throw arm punches that's fine. But let's see...

I like to bridge distance by kicking and landing forward off with my kicking leg, that forward step can generate power with either hand. Just like in a step-jab.
That's a good tactic for the kick-punch strategy. Works with straight kicks and snap kicks quite well, it could work with thai round kicks if the kick is stopped with contact or done lightly...not so much if it's done with power and misses. This right here is part of the proof that I'm talking about as far as knowing how you kick. You don't do it the Thai way, hence you don't understand the mechanics involved.

You can also use the counter rotation of your kick recovery to punch as your kicking leg lands back as you recover. True your foot does land as you're punching, but this technique works better if your hands are in place.
Interesting...but it would lack power relative to a standard punch. How are you connected to the ground to transfer power?

Lastly you can fire the kicking hand as a superman punch by hopping your base foot as you swing the kicking foot behind you to generate core rotation. It's a little fancy, but it's a fun tool to have in your arsenal.
Interesting as well...it would catch people off guard but wont have as much relative power.

Agreed. It is natural biomechanics, and it's counter-intuitive to keep your hands up. Lots of things in martial arts are counter-intuitive at first. Again you can call me a pussy with no evidence to support that claim. Fair enough, I can say that you're selling yourself short for not holding yourself to a higher standard by training with your hands up. But hey, if the arm swing works for you, go for it. Like I said, plenty of people get away with lots of non-ideal technique.

This illustrates everyone elses point right here. You're coming off an elitest in that all other methods of kicking are inferior to yours. You're trying to play the "you guys don't like what I'm saying because I'm right" card now. Truthfully, you're not.

My point is for the purposes of training and instruction it's better to learn with the guard high and you can't summon a good reason not to. No point in being a dick about it.
I've summoned many and explained the Thai kick in detail for you to include all the reasons why it's done the way it's done. Even explained why you're able to do what you do and why it's not ideal for the Thai kick simply because it inhibits full power delivery. Body mechanics and physics are the reasons why it's not done. The more momentum in the kick the more counter balance you need to compensate for it. You just don't kick hard enough to understand that yet apparently. Snap kicks don't cut it in the power delivery comparison.

Ooh! A bonified internet tough guy threat! Okay Lonestar, you pay for my plane ticket and a hotel room and I'll be happy to exchange pointers with you.

I'm sorry if my language made it sound like I was saying something to the effect that "everyone who drops their hands ever is a terrible fighter". I have nothing but respect for pro-fighters that swing their arms when they kick. No fighter is perfect, but it is foolish not to strive for better form.

Why would I pay for you? The onus is no you to prove everyone wrong...not the other way around. Until you prove it in some form or fashion...spouting off some epiphany of yours on the internet will do little to gain you a following. My offer is just a genuine offer to train and learn from one another. We could talk all day on the internet and nothing will change until you see for yourself where you're incorrect.

You're pissed because you expected everyone to be like "oh crap this guy is right!" You didn't get the support you thought you were going to get and as such you're holding on for dear life to this thread. Better form is whatever makes the kick more effective. Using double crazy monkey defense while you kick does nothing to make the kick more effective. That's why its not done.
 
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the threads on this subject are always so much fun.:icon_chee
 
Great posts in this thread vankuen. You have way more patience than me.
 
Great posts in this thread vankuen. You have way more patience than me.

Agreed, good posts! and you definitely have far more patience than I do..... I am making it a point to never open another to throw/or not to throw the arm down thread!
 
in katate i was taught to keep my hands up. but i understand why ppl swing the arm. generates more power for sure. still keep at least 1 hand up for safe measure
 
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