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Self-Defense Fighting Techniques; Part One: Kicking, Does It Work In A Real Fight Or Not?

Author: Shawn Kovacich
Date Posted: October 11, 2006

Being the author on several books that focus on the subject of kicking, I am often confronted by the following statement, “Kicking is ineffective at best in a real self-defense situation and is usually dangerously detrimental to the individual who attempts to use it on the street.” I very rarely hear this type of statement from practicing martial artists, especially from the practitioners of karate, tae kwon do, and kickboxing. It usually comes from the “self-defense” experts and the former/current street tough guys who are now trying to teach everyone how to effectively defend themselves using everything but kicking. And you know what; for the most part they’re right, but not completely.

Now that I have your attention let me explain exactly what I mean. Kicking is very effective as a fighting technique in a self-defense situation, if you know the Who, What, Where, When, Why, and How’s that determines the effectiveness of kicking, or any other technique for that matter. If you don’t, then kicking is about as effective in a self-defense situation as water is to a drowning man. Now let’s take a look at these one at a time.

WHO is doing the kicking, and WHO are you attempting to use the kicks on?

Who is doing the kicking should be pretty obvious, that who is you. Now is the time that you need to take a really hard honest look at yourself and your present skill level at kicking. Are you technically proficient when executing your kicks? Can you execute your kicks without telegraphing the kick beforehand? Are your kicks accurate? Do you have any power in your kicks? Are you using the correct striking surface when executing your kicks? These are all questions that you need to answer honestly before even considering using your kicks effectively in a self-defense situation.

Now I know that some of you are wondering why I didn’t include how high you can kick in this particular series of questions. Well don’t, because kicking high is irrelevant to effective kicking in self-defense. Now I am not saying that kicking high doesn’t have its uses, quite the opposite in fact. If you happen to be a gifted athlete that is capable of kicking to a high section level, then yes high section kicks can and are effective. However, for the vast majority of you, kicking at a high section level is not only ineffective, but also very foolish. Unless you are exceptionally well gifted at kicking, don’t do it. And even then, only do it when your opponent is already stunned by another technique.

Who are you attempting to kick is another matter altogether. This who is your opponent. Who your opponent is today will probably not be the same one you face tomorrow. So each opponent is just as unique as each situation. Therefore, you have to have a basic understanding of the various types of opponents you may or may not be facing in order to have a basis from which to consider whether to kick, or not to kick.

Such factors include, but are not limited to; the size of your opponent, his height, mental state, his fighting experience, etc. Although the primary deciding factor whether or not to kick should be the circumstances leading up to the situation. For example; is this merely a disagreement between co-workers, an obnoxious drunk, someone breaking into your house or trying to hurt your family?

WHAT type of kicks are you attempting to use with WHAT part of your foot, and WHAT are you attempting to kick?

What type of kick are you trying to use? Although all kicks can be effective in some situations, not all kicks are effective in all situations. For example; a roundhouse kick to the head may be effective at an already downed opponent as he tries to get back up, but totally ineffective against the 7’ basketball player standing right in from of you that you just got into a confrontation with. Are you trying that jump spinning hook kick that you just learned last week, or that basic front kick that you learned all those years ago and practiced thousands upon thousands of times? Allow me to put it into perspective for you. Would you use a saw to hammer a nail into a board? How about a hammer to saw a board in two? Remember to always choose the proper tool for the proper job.

Along with selecting the proper kick, you also need to make sure you are striking with the correct striking implement each time you kick. What is more effective, striking with your toes or the ball of your foot when executing a front kick? Do you want to strike your opponent with the bottom of your foot, or the knife edge of your foot when executing a side kick? You also have to consider whether or not you are wearing shoes. For the most part, I would say that well over 95% of the time, you are going to be faced with a possible self-defense situation while wearing shoes. How does this differ from kicking with your bare feet? What type of shoes are you wearing?

What are you attempting to kick? Although applying certain kicks to certain areas of the body can be effective, not every kick applied to just anywhere on the body is going to be effective. Let’s use my 7’ basketball player again. What is going to be more effective, a roundhouse kick to his knee, or to his shoulder? Executing a spinning wheel kick to his head, or to his back? Having a thorough knowledge of the vital and vulnerable points on the body is absolutely essential to effectively applying kicks (or any technique for that matter) in a self-defense situation.

The rest of this article will be continued in part two.

About The Author

Shawn Kovacich is a high ranking black belt in both Karate and Tae Kwon Do. He is also a two-time world record holder for endurance high kicking as certified by the Guinness Book of World Records. Shawn is the author of the Achieving Kicking Excellence™ series and can be reached via his site at: www.KickingBooks.com

Article Source: JKD Street Combat - online collection of articles on self-defense.

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