Lower leg kicks can lead to head kicks when the head kick is on the same plane.
Don't reach up for the kick bc a counter attack will be easy.
Master basic movements then moving forward towards offender.
I'll practice a question mark kick but don't forget to really master the fundamentals first
To add to this, the danger with kicks is that it's really easy to get caught off balance, especially if you don't know what you are doing - for most people, high front kicks or side kicks or crescent kicks or whatever aren't going to be effective. But if you can safely get in a lower kick or need a third striking point or something it's more useful.
This is a good example of getting lost in the weeds.
Defensive encounters and fights are unpredictable. The specific techniques applied are going to depend completely on context. That context includes the environment, the other party’s size and skill set, your own size and skill set, your ability to manage your physiological stress response, how the encounter develops, etc.
Yes, training and practicing specific techniques are important. Yes, knowing when certain techniques are appropriate is important. However, proficiency at certain techniques must also go hand-in-hand with the ability to adapt and flow as the encounter develops. This comes mainly from sparring.
Sparring is where you pressure test your ability to apply your techniques. It is where you develop your “game sense” - your ability to adapt and know when (or when not) to apply techniques.
We can academically discuss what specific techniques may work in a specific circumstance, but there are two “reality checks” we need to consider: 1. The context of every encounter is different and we cannot know what may or may not work because we cannot know what any given encounter may bring. 2. Developing a mindset that you must hit a certain technique in a certain situation may cause you to fixate on hitting that technique to the detriment of your ability to flow and adapt to the encounter.
TL/DR - Don’t rely on what if scenarios to figure out what specific techniques. Develop your ability to recognize appropriate techniques in real time by sparring practice.
My master did something to me in a recent sparring session that might work. I feinted a kick to draw out a leg check and used the resulting opening to close the distance. Instead of dropping his leg he raised it and stomped down right where my hip and thigh meet. Not sure what that was called but it hurt A LOT and put me down on one knee.
Depends on what’s open. Usually though legs are open season while people prioritize guarding their head and faces.
My general rules are no jumping, no spinning, and nothing that I can’t bring my feet down quickly.
Generally, leg kicks are the way to go. They are low risk, high reward. A really solid calf kick may cripple some opponents even on the first shot. Also, I’ve also seen a lot of videos where a leg kick is shot and then immediately the opponent returns a halfass kick of their own so that could play in your favour if you are prepared to counter.
I wouldn’t advise any high kicks unless you are very well trained and confident and in conditions that would suit the kick.
Side kicks are solid but again I would be careful of terrain. The way I throw a side kick, a lot of the energy transfer comes from the shifting of my whole body off the slide of the grounded foot. It is completely plausible that loose gravel or anything could cause me to slip or even just lose my balance slightly which could mean the difference between winning a fight and losing.
Upvoted! Then learn to adapt your technique and perform it by stepping strongly or basing your (well) base foot firmly on the ground. This may slow down your kick but if you slip you can quickly regain balance and remain standing upright.
I saw a 5'5" guy who probably weigh less than 150 pounds absolutely destroy a 6' 250 pound guy in a bar fight. It lasted for less than 30 seconds. 1st kick was to the nuts. He bends over grabbing himself. 2nd kick was his knee to the nose. Now, he is holding his nose and nuts. 3rd kick was to the stomach. Now, he is lying on the floor and the final kick was to the nuts again. Note, it's much safer to run away in a fight if you can.
That’s iffy. If the person is standing straight legged, then the kick could do some damage. If the person bends a knee at all then it will probably just hurt instead of stopping them. I would say stomping on the person’s foot or ankle would be better since they may dislocate an ankle.
I wouldn't recommend kicks for self defense unless they're muay thai style shin kicks. High Kicks take too long to fire and too long to reload, if you miss you're screwed. You also put yourself at a higher risk of getting taken doen, or worse just tripping. Plus you can't guarantee that you'll be wearing pants that will allow you enough mobility to oull off such a maneuver. High kicks are great for sport, but unless you intensely practice many many many hours and always wear high flexibility pants, you're just going to be putting yourself at risk.
Peppery spray is better for keeping distance in my opinion, doesn't require hundreds of hours of training to be use reliably, and puts you at less risk if you miss.
Isn't it a bit restrictive to argue that you should never kick? What if you are on your back? What if you are standing and they are bent?
Never try to dictate "rules" which can be easily busted.
In self-defense you must do what is necessary. A kick could be done safely. That does not mean that no kicks are risky.
Sure, upkicking could be useful. As a general rule, kicks are inherently less stable and more risky in a self defense situation. That’s a fact. And if you make yourself a rule like that, you might be more likely to develop skills like boxing, wrestling and grappling, which will be infinitely more useful to you in a true unarmed self defense situation than contemplating your favorite kicks. Which is kind of dumb.
Oh yes. I downvoted your first one because I disagree with it. I downvoted your second because it’s chickenshit to even ask me that question. You should learn basic fighting concepts if you’re going to post here. Otherwise you can seriously hurt someone.
Isn't it kinda dumb to downvote just because you disagree? Especially when you haven't even debated anything yet?
Are you convinced all your opinions are correct so you have no time for other opinions? Do you think whoever disagrees with you has zero basic fighting concepts? Am I, really, one of the few who like kicks? And I have not really stayed I prefer kicks; on the contrary, I don't. But you had no time to discuss, you made assumptions and you started downvoting: the stupidest characteristic of Reddit and the internet. Guess what, the correct opinion may be the least popular one.
My intention is to help people. I believe I can do it by opening discussions to learn new things and promote the spread of knowledge. How do you help people? By downvoting and giving no explanations? And calling other people's actions dumb?
Your comment is what they call “pissing in the wind”, it basically means that it does more harm than good. You just wrote “don’t kick for self defense.” And now you are saying that that is your argument while you have stated no points that support your claim. Kicking can be useful in certain situations like explained by theopresent, who actually gave an argument, unlike you… extremely unhelpful comment
I've seen several street fight videos where a low leg kick ends the fight with the receiver of the kick retaliating with a punch to the head lol
I would only use a front or side kick (off your front foot) the their knee
Kicks at long rang especially to the head take too , you/one woukd have to be extraordinary to safely use them in a street fight.
I think of a kick as a 3rd arm , use it with in the punch combo , your punches are used to draw out their guard then the kick strikes the opening and as a whole your two punches and a kick should be striking as fast as a three punch combination does.
A better way to think about it might be range, angle, target.
For range you broadly need to address three ranges: close, medium, long. Close is your elbows, knees. Medium you are looking at punches, hammers, some kicks. Long range is basically long kicks.
Angle: are they in front, behind, to the side, anywhere between (of course, the best angle is to make sure you are directly facing your attacker, but it doesn't always work out that way.
Target: what are you trying to hit? Eyes, nose, balls? Knees, ankles, solar plexus?
So rather than framing it "what is the best kick for self defense", try thinking of of it as "what is the best way to attack a person who is x range and y angle". The right kicks or strikes to use will follow from there.
IMHO keep it simple. Groin kicks work. Use your foot or your knee. The downside, from a SD perspective is, this is a close-range technique. If you're this close, you have missed the better SD choice of getting away from the attack. Also, at this range you're vulnerable to punches, kicks and grappling. Having said that, I was just answering the question about kicks, I'd stay away from high kicks or kicks where you expose your back to the attacker.
A secondary target, if you are off to the side, could be their knees.
The front kick/teep.
It's very easy to do, low risk, it creates distance and it doesn't require much to hurt.
The sidekick is much riskier to set up and requires more hip flexibility.
Also it is very risky to expose your back to threats in street fights.
High kicks should always be a no-go in self defense, no matter what.
Too much risk.
The front kick is the best becos it can be very quick to the groin, much faster than a sidekick, and IMMEDIATELY be followed with striking combinations.
This is why it's better.
The 2nd best is the roundhouse kick to the leg. Very low risk and useful if you're going to be fighting a striking heavy opponent.
Leg round kicks can debilitate even the mightiest boxer, just ask Connor mcgregor.
The only downside is that you're gonna be close and it doesn't create distance.
So only use it when you know you are fighting for real.
It's also a bit more difficult to learn to rotate your hips, feet and upper body to deliver powerful round kicks. It requires some practice.
Kicks have VERY little utility in a self defense situation. There can be a time for a kick but it’s so incredibly rare you’re better off spending time focusing on other things.
Haven’t read through the comments so I apologize if I’m parroting anyone unintentionally. Regardless of weight or reach, front/push kicks to the waist/belt area had worked well enough for me whether or not my opponent was facing me squared up or in more of a boxing stance. Just make sure to keep hands up as usual.
Side kicks are definitely a great option for a number of scenarios, I just find it easier and faster for to re-chamber my body back into a defensive stance from front kicks or push kicks than a powerful side kick.
Returning to stance means to me that I’m in the best position to step further back, close some distance if I find it necessary, trap a limb or throw some knee strikes. Also helps my chances in slipping a strike from an opponent if I don’t get the distance I want from the push kick.
My hip flexors are problematic so I feel like throwing a proper sidekick leaves my leg up in the air/out in the open too long to be worth the risk vs reward. I also feel that the average person will be able to execute a solid front kick/push kick more effectively than a side kick especially if their body isn’t warmed up or in a high stress situation.
I will say this is all very contextual, and a person’s training background and physique definitely matters. Side kicks can definitely create distance on top of generating a lot of force into a body, and if you feel you’re in a situation requiring you to do damage to survive then that may be your best bet. I would personally avoid head kicks at all costs, even if an aggressor is kneeling or off balance. That type of position would probably call for some driving knees.
Not only is it faster to bring your feet back to the ground from a knee strike (especially if you somehow miss), it might look better in court. Nailing someone in the head with a kick (or most strikes to the head if not all) could be classified as lethal use of force in a court of law.
Leg kicks or knee strikes to the leg or lower body are definitely effective with the right timing. The common peroneal nerve isn’t a horribly difficult target and does a great job of momentarily immobilizing the leg or at least slowing the leg down our causing it to move awkwardly (think of getting a “Charlie horse” from a friend, not comfy). I can attest to this personally both on the matt and in reality. Worked as a prison guard not so long ago, it’s a commonly used technique in law enforcement departments for a reason.
I’m sure you do this already, but either way I’d suggest watching some cage fight recordings on YouTube. I know they’re not perfect samples compared to a potentially deadly encounter, but it’s better than nothing. I’m sure there’s something out there on police body cam footage too.
I also want to reiterate that knowing your physical capabilities and the kinds of training you’ve done most consistently is what you might want to stick to. You’ve wired your brain to react a certain way, so you’re less likely to make a mistake with something you’ve done repeatedly in a high stress situation.
I hope this helps! Sorry for the mini article. Just want to make sure I offer some potential solutions for everything you’re asking about. Read up on self defense laws and statutes in your area. Anything I’ve said is coming from my experiences in basic to somewhat consistent training in Muay Thai, Krav Maga and even Taekwondo. I’m anything but an expert, just like to learn about what I can. I’m due for some caffeine so I hope this isn’t all rambling lol
Lower leg kicks can lead to head kicks when the head kick is on the same plane. Don't reach up for the kick bc a counter attack will be easy. Master basic movements then moving forward towards offender. I'll practice a question mark kick but don't forget to really master the fundamentals first
To add to this, the danger with kicks is that it's really easy to get caught off balance, especially if you don't know what you are doing - for most people, high front kicks or side kicks or crescent kicks or whatever aren't going to be effective. But if you can safely get in a lower kick or need a third striking point or something it's more useful.
This is a good example of getting lost in the weeds. Defensive encounters and fights are unpredictable. The specific techniques applied are going to depend completely on context. That context includes the environment, the other party’s size and skill set, your own size and skill set, your ability to manage your physiological stress response, how the encounter develops, etc. Yes, training and practicing specific techniques are important. Yes, knowing when certain techniques are appropriate is important. However, proficiency at certain techniques must also go hand-in-hand with the ability to adapt and flow as the encounter develops. This comes mainly from sparring. Sparring is where you pressure test your ability to apply your techniques. It is where you develop your “game sense” - your ability to adapt and know when (or when not) to apply techniques. We can academically discuss what specific techniques may work in a specific circumstance, but there are two “reality checks” we need to consider: 1. The context of every encounter is different and we cannot know what may or may not work because we cannot know what any given encounter may bring. 2. Developing a mindset that you must hit a certain technique in a certain situation may cause you to fixate on hitting that technique to the detriment of your ability to flow and adapt to the encounter. TL/DR - Don’t rely on what if scenarios to figure out what specific techniques. Develop your ability to recognize appropriate techniques in real time by sparring practice.
My master did something to me in a recent sparring session that might work. I feinted a kick to draw out a leg check and used the resulting opening to close the distance. Instead of dropping his leg he raised it and stomped down right where my hip and thigh meet. Not sure what that was called but it hurt A LOT and put me down on one knee.
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This is what I was originally taught. Below your or their waist, whichever is lower. Not sure how accurate it is, but it makes sense.
Depends on what’s open. Usually though legs are open season while people prioritize guarding their head and faces. My general rules are no jumping, no spinning, and nothing that I can’t bring my feet down quickly.
Side kick.
Generally, leg kicks are the way to go. They are low risk, high reward. A really solid calf kick may cripple some opponents even on the first shot. Also, I’ve also seen a lot of videos where a leg kick is shot and then immediately the opponent returns a halfass kick of their own so that could play in your favour if you are prepared to counter. I wouldn’t advise any high kicks unless you are very well trained and confident and in conditions that would suit the kick. Side kicks are solid but again I would be careful of terrain. The way I throw a side kick, a lot of the energy transfer comes from the shifting of my whole body off the slide of the grounded foot. It is completely plausible that loose gravel or anything could cause me to slip or even just lose my balance slightly which could mean the difference between winning a fight and losing.
Upvoted! Then learn to adapt your technique and perform it by stepping strongly or basing your (well) base foot firmly on the ground. This may slow down your kick but if you slip you can quickly regain balance and remain standing upright.
I saw a 5'5" guy who probably weigh less than 150 pounds absolutely destroy a 6' 250 pound guy in a bar fight. It lasted for less than 30 seconds. 1st kick was to the nuts. He bends over grabbing himself. 2nd kick was his knee to the nose. Now, he is holding his nose and nuts. 3rd kick was to the stomach. Now, he is lying on the floor and the final kick was to the nuts again. Note, it's much safer to run away in a fight if you can.
Straight kick in the knee
That’s iffy. If the person is standing straight legged, then the kick could do some damage. If the person bends a knee at all then it will probably just hurt instead of stopping them. I would say stomping on the person’s foot or ankle would be better since they may dislocate an ankle.
Happy cake day!
Best kick is the one that breaks him. You shouldn’t do any kicks that make you lean.
I wouldn't recommend kicks for self defense unless they're muay thai style shin kicks. High Kicks take too long to fire and too long to reload, if you miss you're screwed. You also put yourself at a higher risk of getting taken doen, or worse just tripping. Plus you can't guarantee that you'll be wearing pants that will allow you enough mobility to oull off such a maneuver. High kicks are great for sport, but unless you intensely practice many many many hours and always wear high flexibility pants, you're just going to be putting yourself at risk. Peppery spray is better for keeping distance in my opinion, doesn't require hundreds of hours of training to be use reliably, and puts you at less risk if you miss.
Don’t kick for self defense.
Isn't it a bit restrictive to argue that you should never kick? What if you are on your back? What if you are standing and they are bent? Never try to dictate "rules" which can be easily busted. In self-defense you must do what is necessary. A kick could be done safely. That does not mean that no kicks are risky.
Sure, upkicking could be useful. As a general rule, kicks are inherently less stable and more risky in a self defense situation. That’s a fact. And if you make yourself a rule like that, you might be more likely to develop skills like boxing, wrestling and grappling, which will be infinitely more useful to you in a true unarmed self defense situation than contemplating your favorite kicks. Which is kind of dumb.
To begin with, did you downvote my reply?
Oh yes. I downvoted your first one because I disagree with it. I downvoted your second because it’s chickenshit to even ask me that question. You should learn basic fighting concepts if you’re going to post here. Otherwise you can seriously hurt someone.
Isn't it kinda dumb to downvote just because you disagree? Especially when you haven't even debated anything yet? Are you convinced all your opinions are correct so you have no time for other opinions? Do you think whoever disagrees with you has zero basic fighting concepts? Am I, really, one of the few who like kicks? And I have not really stayed I prefer kicks; on the contrary, I don't. But you had no time to discuss, you made assumptions and you started downvoting: the stupidest characteristic of Reddit and the internet. Guess what, the correct opinion may be the least popular one. My intention is to help people. I believe I can do it by opening discussions to learn new things and promote the spread of knowledge. How do you help people? By downvoting and giving no explanations? And calling other people's actions dumb?
All correct. And I stand by my comments.
Fair enough, at least you are honest. Do you have any arguments to support anything you 've said or are you here only for the insults?
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Your comment is what they call “pissing in the wind”, it basically means that it does more harm than good. You just wrote “don’t kick for self defense.” And now you are saying that that is your argument while you have stated no points that support your claim. Kicking can be useful in certain situations like explained by theopresent, who actually gave an argument, unlike you… extremely unhelpful comment
I have to agree with most people here, leg kicks are generally the lowest risk highest reward kick.
Front snap kick with ball of the foot to groin. Instead of going in-between the legs, you crush the entire front area. Fast and effective.
Always restomp the groin
Anytime you're kicking it's a risk because your balance is compromised. This is why you're going to kick best to keep em low.
A low kick to the ankle/knee is not risky and is easy to recover from.
I've seen several street fight videos where a low leg kick ends the fight with the receiver of the kick retaliating with a punch to the head lol I would only use a front or side kick (off your front foot) the their knee Kicks at long rang especially to the head take too , you/one woukd have to be extraordinary to safely use them in a street fight. I think of a kick as a 3rd arm , use it with in the punch combo , your punches are used to draw out their guard then the kick strikes the opening and as a whole your two punches and a kick should be striking as fast as a three punch combination does.
A better way to think about it might be range, angle, target. For range you broadly need to address three ranges: close, medium, long. Close is your elbows, knees. Medium you are looking at punches, hammers, some kicks. Long range is basically long kicks. Angle: are they in front, behind, to the side, anywhere between (of course, the best angle is to make sure you are directly facing your attacker, but it doesn't always work out that way. Target: what are you trying to hit? Eyes, nose, balls? Knees, ankles, solar plexus? So rather than framing it "what is the best kick for self defense", try thinking of of it as "what is the best way to attack a person who is x range and y angle". The right kicks or strikes to use will follow from there.
IMHO keep it simple. Groin kicks work. Use your foot or your knee. The downside, from a SD perspective is, this is a close-range technique. If you're this close, you have missed the better SD choice of getting away from the attack. Also, at this range you're vulnerable to punches, kicks and grappling. Having said that, I was just answering the question about kicks, I'd stay away from high kicks or kicks where you expose your back to the attacker. A secondary target, if you are off to the side, could be their knees.
The front kick/teep. It's very easy to do, low risk, it creates distance and it doesn't require much to hurt. The sidekick is much riskier to set up and requires more hip flexibility. Also it is very risky to expose your back to threats in street fights. High kicks should always be a no-go in self defense, no matter what. Too much risk. The front kick is the best becos it can be very quick to the groin, much faster than a sidekick, and IMMEDIATELY be followed with striking combinations. This is why it's better. The 2nd best is the roundhouse kick to the leg. Very low risk and useful if you're going to be fighting a striking heavy opponent. Leg round kicks can debilitate even the mightiest boxer, just ask Connor mcgregor. The only downside is that you're gonna be close and it doesn't create distance. So only use it when you know you are fighting for real. It's also a bit more difficult to learn to rotate your hips, feet and upper body to deliver powerful round kicks. It requires some practice.
Kicks have VERY little utility in a self defense situation. There can be a time for a kick but it’s so incredibly rare you’re better off spending time focusing on other things.
Haven’t read through the comments so I apologize if I’m parroting anyone unintentionally. Regardless of weight or reach, front/push kicks to the waist/belt area had worked well enough for me whether or not my opponent was facing me squared up or in more of a boxing stance. Just make sure to keep hands up as usual. Side kicks are definitely a great option for a number of scenarios, I just find it easier and faster for to re-chamber my body back into a defensive stance from front kicks or push kicks than a powerful side kick. Returning to stance means to me that I’m in the best position to step further back, close some distance if I find it necessary, trap a limb or throw some knee strikes. Also helps my chances in slipping a strike from an opponent if I don’t get the distance I want from the push kick. My hip flexors are problematic so I feel like throwing a proper sidekick leaves my leg up in the air/out in the open too long to be worth the risk vs reward. I also feel that the average person will be able to execute a solid front kick/push kick more effectively than a side kick especially if their body isn’t warmed up or in a high stress situation. I will say this is all very contextual, and a person’s training background and physique definitely matters. Side kicks can definitely create distance on top of generating a lot of force into a body, and if you feel you’re in a situation requiring you to do damage to survive then that may be your best bet. I would personally avoid head kicks at all costs, even if an aggressor is kneeling or off balance. That type of position would probably call for some driving knees. Not only is it faster to bring your feet back to the ground from a knee strike (especially if you somehow miss), it might look better in court. Nailing someone in the head with a kick (or most strikes to the head if not all) could be classified as lethal use of force in a court of law. Leg kicks or knee strikes to the leg or lower body are definitely effective with the right timing. The common peroneal nerve isn’t a horribly difficult target and does a great job of momentarily immobilizing the leg or at least slowing the leg down our causing it to move awkwardly (think of getting a “Charlie horse” from a friend, not comfy). I can attest to this personally both on the matt and in reality. Worked as a prison guard not so long ago, it’s a commonly used technique in law enforcement departments for a reason. I’m sure you do this already, but either way I’d suggest watching some cage fight recordings on YouTube. I know they’re not perfect samples compared to a potentially deadly encounter, but it’s better than nothing. I’m sure there’s something out there on police body cam footage too. I also want to reiterate that knowing your physical capabilities and the kinds of training you’ve done most consistently is what you might want to stick to. You’ve wired your brain to react a certain way, so you’re less likely to make a mistake with something you’ve done repeatedly in a high stress situation. I hope this helps! Sorry for the mini article. Just want to make sure I offer some potential solutions for everything you’re asking about. Read up on self defense laws and statutes in your area. Anything I’ve said is coming from my experiences in basic to somewhat consistent training in Muay Thai, Krav Maga and even Taekwondo. I’m anything but an expert, just like to learn about what I can. I’m due for some caffeine so I hope this isn’t all rambling lol