in sparring how often do you kick? personally i try not too unless its a sweep when clinching or maybe the occasional front thrust/front snap kick but only to mix it up a lil or help me get inside to punch or take down. how do you guys like to roll? :woo: jamie :woo:
Personally, I love to kick, and I love to throw flashy kicks. My latest projects have been my high right roundhouse and my spin back kick, though it's been a while since I've sparred. I personally love the lead leg roundhouse to the legs as an "opening kick." Especially with untrained people, they tend to reach down to try and stop the kick with their hands, which leaves their face wide open. I also use my low lead roundhouse to set up high kicks. Once my opponent has gotten used to me kicking him in the leg (this also works very well with the right round kick), I feint low, then roll my chamber over to throw it the head. This sow far has been my most successful strategy with head kicks. Also, I'll intentionally miss with the low kick, and then roll over the hip to throw a high hook kick (I come from a background in Shotokan, of which the hook kick is a major technique). I think a lot of people don't kick because they're afraid of the kick getting caught. While this is a legitimate fear, you have to learn to defend the kick catch... I've found a number of sweeps and submissions that can come off of someone catching a kick.
I try to focus on my boxing/hand skills most of the time, but I come from a karate background and one of my workout partners was an alternate for the Olympic TKD team, so sometimes I'll play with kicks pretty heavily. I'm pretty confident on the ground, so I'm not too concerned about the kick getting caught. All that said, it takes a while to get good at them, and I don't think above-the-waist kicks are for everyone. I think the key is learning to throw them in combination with punches, either to close the distance or as a parting shot when you've got the guy on the run.
kicks can be used very well as we've seen so many times in MMA, even the fancy ones (CroCop, GSP, Shogun). all depends how good you are at throwing them.
Spot on. If you've a good striking base with good kicks; then they're still good in MMA. Throw 'em like pepper on a steak. The problems start when you've someone that doesn't have a fullcontact striking base before heading into MMA. Then dodgy high kicks are a bad idea. Practise them in the gym - not in the ring/cage.
If you wana be a great mma fighter then learn all the skills including kicking,and kick defences and counters,it seems to me that a lot of mma fighters are scared to let go of the kick in case they get taken down,but you could get tken down doing most things in a mma fight so it shouldnt stop a guy who wants to be a complete fighter learning to kick good
Couldn't agree more with you. My suggestion however, is that you don't let them rip in the ring until they are of a sufficient standard. In other words; learn them, practise them, use them in training/sparring, become good at them, THEN use them in the ring. They're an essential part of the overall game.
Yeah...the guys who use kicks effectively in MMA all already have GREAT kicking skills. You never see a successful kicker kick like Sean Salmon did.
I agree Venrix,train em hard but dont be scared to let em go in the ring in case your taken down,with good reversal skills etc its possible to get back up to your feet,or nullify the ground game and wait till ref stands you up etc,incidentally i feel that the art of moving back up to your feet quickly when you hit the deck is a missing skill in mma
I would point out that is a side benefit of having a complete skillset. Having the confidence in your ground game allows you to just let your hands go. Just look at BJ Penn...he strikes with total confidence...he knows that if he gets taken down while going for the KO, he simply gets an opportunity to put on a submission.
Absolutely. I agree with you both. To be honest; my comment about "don't practise it in the ring/cage" doesn't just apply to kicks. It's a golden rule with all techniques. The gym/dojo/school/insert-term-here is the appropriate place to train and improve. The cage/ring is the place to put into practise that which you are COMFORTABLE with. I too have been guilty of "practising" in the ring and it cost me four fights in a row. It won't cost me a fifth....
