Kicking the forearms is underutilized in MMA

[DatSamboKid]

While it’s nice to have larger arsenal of tools, but to make this kinda technique effective you need to put a lot power behind it, and without proper setup there is chance of you hitting elbow , or guy can to block/parry style takedown.

I would definitely agree with statement. It’s effective if you’re kicking hard, but doesn’t require a lot of power to do damage. Similar to calves kicks.

 

[DatSamboKid]

Because fighters know to avoid strikes and not block them.

Learning how to avoid every strike comes with experience. You’ll block many body kicks with your arms before getting there. I see it happen on every card

 

[DatSamboKid]

Some of you guys don't understand how big the downsides are for kicking in MMA

A lot of you guys never stepped in a ring or octagon.

 

[Patof]

I think Robbie Lawler applied this when he fought Ellenberger. As many have pointed out, MMA still has ways to go in terms of kicking.

 

[Snoowpy]

I sure don't, what are some of them and which ones do you think are most concerning when kicking?

Anything that has you on one leg is in essence an extra challenge to your balance which could mean a whole round from your back. Low kicks go in a downward trajectory with the most balance. The higher you go the more risk you miss the kick. And get shot on by a wrestler. Or get the kick caught and getting clinched on and/or taken down.

Obviously mma can go a long way in kicking yet still and kicking also has a lot of upsides. But also more downsides then in a muay thai or kickboxing based sport.

 

[HatKick]

classic Muay Thai bout with Samkor deadening Satoshi's (Japanese kickboxing champ) arms with southpaw bodykicks, then getting a brutal finish

 

[taugrim]

I kicked someones elbow once. Needless to say it hurt right away.

Yea you learn 2 things:
1. aim carefully
2. kick across the body, as opposed to upward. The latter has much more tendency to land on the point of the elbow, and it sucks

 

[Orochimaru 大蛇丸]

A lot of you guys never stepped in a ring or octagon.

A lot of people get really into a single art and don't realize MMA guys aren't using a lot of the techniques they think would be so effective for a reason

 

[taugrim]

Kicking the forearms works in an attrition bout. You rarely see a bone break from a single kick, but it can happen.

But landing a kick against the mid-section tends to be much more consistently damaging. It hurts the target, knocks the wind out of them, and if it's on the liver they're #$*@!

 

[drbolony]

Kicking the forearms works in an attrition bout. You rarely see a bone break from a single kick, but it can happen.

But landing a kick against the mid-section tends to be much more consistently damaging. It hurts the target, knocks the wind out of them, and if it's on the liver they're #$*@!

I think TS is just stating that kicking the forearms comes with added element of surprise and they're easier to land because of it. High level MMA is all about low risk high reward moves.

 

[Luvhawky]

Getting taken down is the biggest one

Lol, that was one downsides I knew about. But it didn't register, I thought you were going elsewhere, like fatigue, injury or something else.

 

[JohnnyDragon]

I'm a Muay Thai coach and this is absolutely true in Muay Thai. Unfortunately, in MMA, it increases the chances of you being taken down. The leg kick is a much lower risk move to damage your opponent's limbs.

 

[Jorge Luis Borges]

I sure don't, what are some of them and which ones do you think are most concerning when kicking?

 

[Gensoking]

Completely disagree that it would be difficult to catch. Think it would be the easiest kick to catch because you could end up putting your leg right into their armpit

 

[The Finnish Flash]

I get what you mean and there’s def a lot of examples proving your point, but that’s a naked, slow and honestly lazy kick so it’s easy to take advantage of

 

[Oceanmachine]

Some of you guys don't understand how big the downsides are for kicking in MMA

I think his point makes sense. It is a kick aimed at the very part of the body your opponent will use to try to take you down. Fighters have taken leg kicks then caught one, but harder to catch the kick aimed at your handa and arms then at your legs or head is his point I believe

 

[Oilcitymo]

classic Muay Thai bout with Samkor deadening Satoshi's (Japanese kickboxing champ) arms with southpaw bodykicks, then getting a brutal finish

No matter who wins, their shins lose lol. That was brutal.

 

[Luvhawky]

Yeah everyone keeps suggesting takedowns. but that is well known to casual fans as well. I thought the poster I commented to would have provided another level of knowledge beyond takedowns. I think my expectations were to much or I should have made them more clear.

 

[Paulog]

But wouldn't be easier for the receiving end just to flare his elbows out? That would be dangerous for the kicker, I guess.
I threw a kick once and the back of my foot landed on the elbow, and boy did that FUCKING hurt. Couldn't sleep and had to spend the whole night icing my foot

 

[Iron Nick]

My thai coach always emphasized on aiming for the forearms when throwing roundhouse kicks. I never really understood how effective it was till I was on the receiving end of them.

In Muay Thai, when someone throws a body kick you can catch, check, counter, dodge or block it. An inexperienced striker will often block a body kick with the elbow/forearm region. An inexperienced kicker can even break his foot landing on an elbow. But the Tibia bone is way bigger and harder than the Radius and the Ulna. Throwing your shin bone full force into your opponent’s arm does damage. You can break an arm pretty easily if landed correctly. I’ve also seen fights where the forearm is so damaged that the fighter has trouble lifting his arm (see video below).

With the calf kick craze going on, I’ve always wondered why we don’t see more fighters aim for the arms. A forearm is like a bitch version of a calf.

Technically speaking, you’re not "aiming" for the forearms. You’re kicking through your opponent, but the kick is targeted at the chest/upper ribs area. It’s an awkward angle, it makes the kick difficult check and catch because it’s high and tricky to dodge cause it’s low. A miscalculated pull back or duck under can lead to a nasty head kick.

Footwork, distance and takedowns make them harder to land in MMA, but I’ve still seen many fights where this kick could’ve been a game changer. It’s very effective for taller fighters and in my opinion, the two best guys to utilize them in MMA is Jones and Adesanya. Honorable mention to Barboza for his nasty switch kick and Darren Till.

See video below for example on how lethal they can be:

Great post. I thought about this a lot too, recently. Agree fully.

Yup, and adjusting would be a bitch. Fighters are still learning to adapt to low leg kicks.

Right? But that's what makes MMA so interesting and unpredictable; there are so many techniques involved, that it's gotten to the point where in various instances, making adjustments for one move, makes you inevitably more vulnerable to another one.

MMA still has a lot of room to grow when it comes to kicking and kicking defense in general.

That's true i guess.

Some of you guys don't understand how big the downsides are for kicking in MMA

I mean it depends, no?

Sure, there's the danger of your kick being caught, but let's say i fight an orthodox opponent and my opponent is southpaw (or vice-versa) and he happens to be the one who wants to take things to the ground, alright?
If my opponent's in range for it, i don't think he'll be too keen trying to catch a rear round kick to the body that is thrown with full force.
Catching kicks that are meant to be precise is one thing, but if you make your opponent respect your kicks the chances of your opponent trying to catch it decrease significantly, wouldn't you agree?