Theirs no denying the fact he's talented, but excuse me if I have a sandwich while I'm waiting for him to spin ten thousand times before kicking me.
Impressive? Sure. Athletic? Absolutely. Best kicker in the world? That depends on what you base your expectations on. Me personally, I look for martial applications (it is martial arts after all), or some sign that your kicking is able to do a job other than look good. By that criteria, he is not the greatest kicker in the world because all he does is kick to look fancy. There is no martial application to what he is doing.
I'd have to say that Capoeira has consistently produced the world's best kickers. And since I don't do Capoeira or TKD I don't have a horse in that race.
He was the Swedish TKD national champion, I think that's a good example of application. But if you want to stick to that critera then Hwang Jang Lee still wins for having killed a guy with a kick.
I have always thought GM Cho was one of TKD's best kickers [ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=euJx4qXdAGs"]YouTube - Compilation of Grandmaster Hee Il Cho's Demos[/ame] the first bit in slow mo, then from 2:40 onwards are the best.
If best you mean flashy then those guys are good. For power and deadlyness I'd say Bas Rutten in this test [ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QGjPnLjvvrs"]YouTube - Fight Science MMA - Bas Rutten Kicks a Crash Test Dummy[/ame] This guy is impressive too [ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uj2cQhxy6sY"]YouTube - Kyokushin karate speed kick tutorial[/ame]
I'm a big Bas fan and have incorporated many of his stuff from instructionals into my class. But that is why those stupid shows annoy me. Bas throws the equivalent of a thai kick/kyokushin kick and they say, "Now we'll teach you the secret of the 'MMA Kick'. Like it is some new kick that was just invented with the MMA revolution or something.
The fastest rising kicker in the world is Gary Brickley from Limerick in Ireland. A tangsoodo fighter at only 25 will definatly be up there with the likes of tim man in a few years
The best kicker in the world would be judged on how many he landed effectively on an opponent and his win / loss ratio But I guess martial arts isn't all about fighting and winning eh
Kicking in martial arts has a purpose and that is why [ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xw9zaojdVXc&feature=related"]Chloe Bruce Kicking Insanity (Budo Gala Zurich 2010) - YouTube[/ame] is not better than [ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bKWErrS7tM4"]Buakaw KO Headkick Victory - Very Rare & Old - Muay Thai - YouTube[/ame] even if it looks pretty.
Nope. Very XMA, and if we are considering 'non-opponent' kickers, this guy deservse a mention.. at least he kicks a BOB! [ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V9aWdHIjMxw&feature=share"]Taekwondo Kicking and Training Sampler on the BOB - YouTube[/ame]
This guy? [ame="http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=CY0qQu-OgW0"]YouTube - My left foot[/ame] Sorry but I've seen much better TKD blue belts. He's okay, but certainly not anything noteworthy. And seeing as it's your first post, and how you seem to write the same as the user who uploaded that video, let me be the first to say "Hi Gary, welcome to the forums."
Best kicker in the world. Both in impressiveness of technique and martial application. Servet Taezegul. Hands down! [ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uGsqMBZhghw"]Servet Tazegul Mega Mix - YouTube[/ame] Current European, World and Olympic Champion in arguably the sport that focuses mostly (entirely) on kicking. WTF TKD
