when kicking do you keep your hands up or throw your one down?

[fumanchu451]

when kicking do you keep your hands up or throw your one down? it seems like anytime i watch ufc or any other mma org when someone kicks they always throw there one hand down why? ive always been taught to keep both up still protecting the chin so when my leg comes back down i can throw off a pucnh easy or for defensive reasons if you kick and throw down that arm it completly opens up that side of you for an unneeded blow

 

[Cratos]

The natural path of your arm is to go down. It's gotta go down in order to get that power in the rotation when you turn your hips over.

 

[boogieman4215]

The natural path of your arm is to go down. It's gotta go down in order to get that power in the rotation when you turn your hips over.

exactly

 

[fumanchu451]

you can still kick with force having your hands up not to mention you dont leave a hole in your defense starting at your face and ending down to your liver and kidneys

 

[Capt.Canuck]

My understanding is that it is a tradeoff...keeping your hands up generates slightly less force, but leaves you less exposed to being countered.

 

[Ryukyu Damashi]

If you are kicking properly your shoulder will be protecting your chin from a punch counter.

A lot of Karate guys kick with both hands up, but they are kicking as hard as a Thai fighter.

 

[DeadlyArt]

Why even ask...?
You def. should be swinging that hand as hard as you can. There is a huge difference and all the posters who said there is a "slight" power difference are on crack.

There is a huge difference if you're doing it properly.

 

[kyokushin_Nero**]

well, we train to keep them up.

There's some nasty counter-kickers/punchers.

 

[Ryukyu Damashi]

Try sprinting as fast as you can without swinging your arms in opposition. Then try sprinting as fast as you can while swinging your arms. Which is faster? It's the same with the kick.

 

[Biggiebrother**]

Definitely a trade off

I gotta go watch some K1 and see what the top guys do

 

[turbine]

The hand lowers as a counter-balance.

 

[turbine]

*edit: double post*

 

[fumanchu451]

it may work as a counter-balance but if you practice just a little with your hands up you will be able to keep your balance that is if your toned if you have a big pot belly thats setting you off balance your gonna have to throw your arms around like a turkey trying to fly or some shit just to mantain it i just dont understand why people do it when it opens up such an opening

 

[JoshGrrrr]

We train to keep them up. I'm sure you could kick harder by dropping it, but I can punch harder with my right if I drop my left a little, but I'm not gonna do that. I think you should still be able to kick plenty hard enough while keeping your hand up.

In my opinion, dropping your hand while kicking is the same as throwing a haymaker while punching. It's definately not something I'd do every time I throw a kick.

 

[vjvj]

This is what we're taught:

• Same-side hand goes down for power (i.e. if you are kicking with your right foot, right hand goes down).
• Opposite hand goes across the face to help block counters.
• Head should slip while kicking to guard against counter.
• Stepping off angle is another optional way of guarding against counters.
• And most important: you need to set up your kicks. If you just lead with a kick without doing anything to set it up, of course there's a good chance you've got a right hand or counter kick coming your way. Get his hands up with punches, or back him up/get him off-balance somehow before kicking.

I'm not so great at all of this, yet, but this is what we are taught.

 

[Payak]

you have to step left to kick through your opponent, and swing the arm for power.
stepping left and bending your post leg not only gives extreme power on top of pivoting and rotating the hips but also puts your head well out of range.
your other arm will cross over and your hand will cover your face, as your arm is crossing over your hand will be covering your face and the arm attached to that will cover the other side.
do it right and do it after you set up the kick with another technique and you will not be open for a counter, counter only happens when people dont cover correctly.
if you try to kick very hard with both hands up one hand will drop a little everytime leaving you exposed.

 

[Cratos]

This

 

[onepointeighty]

crocop knows all ^^^

you should have you shoulder rolled up and your chin tucked which will block some counters

from what my instructor says hands up is a TKD or karate style to kicking while the hand swinging is more from muay thai. (he is a BB in karate and TKD and has competed in muay thai very succesfully and teaches all three)

 

[BaliShagSmoke]

it may work as a counter-balance but if you practice just a little with your hands up you will be able to keep your balance that is if your toned if you have a big pot belly thats setting you off balance your gonna have to throw your arms around like a turkey trying to fly or some shit just to mantain it i just dont understand why people do it when it opens up such an opening

Why did you ask this question when you seem so sure that you should keep both hands up?

Someone else posted a ****phor of sprinting with your arms pumping and sprinting with your hands up by your face. This is your answer.

You don't drop your arm to help you balance, you swing it hard in the opposite direction that your leg is swinging. Your body reacts to your arm swinging one way by trying to recover in the opposite. In other words, a harder kick. The converse is true. Your body reacts to your leg swinging violently towards a target by pulling back a little on your hips resulting in a weaker kick.

 

[deluxeMT]

Duh you give up some defence by throwing your arm down, but the best defence is kicking at an appropriate time..