How useful is a hook kick?

[Heroic Wolf]

How useful is a hook kick in a full-contact, minimal rules fight? My friend who is a very good tkd competitor says its actually good for little else than pushing a group of people away (btw, I've never seen him use it when sparring me). Does the hook kick have any merits when one is fighting just a single opponent? It probably hits way less hard than a muay thai roundhouse/shin kick or an axe kick, but has the ability of hitting the opponent in the head from an angle that winds around the opponent's guard. Any ideas?

[Heroic Wolf]

My idea of hook kick is what you do when you spin around and hit them with your heel. My friend said it has nasty power due to the spinning motion, but I still find that hard to imagine (maybe I haven't been hit with it very hard yet, lol). What about axe kick? That seems like a nasty kick in general and especially with shoes on. Also, are the crescent kicks useful for anything? I've always thought that crescent kicks only have a slapping effect

[Heroic Wolf]

But couldn't muay thai-style roundhouse kicks smash the side of the opponent's head better than the crescent kick can? Also, isn't the crescent kick you are describing more of an outside-inside axe kick than a pure crescent kick (that uses the sideways whipping motion and not downwards chopping motion)?

[Tom Yum]

The hook kick generates snapping power - enough power to knockout. The kick is delivered from a side-forward stance and can be used deceptively as a progressive indirect attack with other side-forward kicks. It can also be used if your strikes drive your opponent from punching to kicking range.

The hook kick can reach around a boxing style guard and still hit under the ear, the neck etc.

YouTube - Billy Blanks= KTFO

[DickHardman]

YouTube - Billy Blanks= KTFO

isnt that just a sidekick??

that was a very basic tkd combo too. sidekick set up with a backfist. the backfist to the face is used to distract in order to deliver the devastating sidekick.

[DickHardman]

nope that's a lead leg hook kick.

whats the difference between the two??

[Tant01]

whats the difference between the two??

Angle of attack. A side kick is a thrusting linear (straight) kick. The lead hook comes in at an angle and is a circular (hook) kick









I think...

[l0rca]

Hook kicks generate snapping power, yes. But I'd say to really get mileage out of them, put your hip into them, and throw them with a kind of Thai mentality, winding your hips through the movement, snapping deep and into your target. Hook kicks like this can be used to stick hard shots into the ribs and thighs (try it out on the bag: step into the range, slightly to the side, then throw the hook kick as hard and winding as you can. It shouldn't take too much practice until you realize that you can use this movement both to cause your opponent to re-align as well as deliver a blow of rib-shattering potential.)

You can skip into a high hook kick, much like a hard side kick ("Bruce Lee style"); with this sort you can really abuse your downward motion of the skip and put tons of power into the kick.

If you spend a lot of time on hook kicks, they can be used to break through guards--you can fake a Thai kick, slightly chamber it, and come across the other side of the person's face with a hook kick. Instead of going high though, you can also throw a low one into their other shin.

Spinning hook kicks are also good to practice. If I am to spin, I prefer a heel kick, but if you see (or 'feel') them closing the gap as you spin, you can change the heel kick to a close spinning hook to still make an effective kick. Learning spinning hook kicks then gives you the ability to dynamically change the range of your spinning heel kicks, adding a better dimension of functionality.

But of course, with EVERYTHING I mentioned, you should note that their usefulness is rare, and I'm sure a safer substitute could be argued in every situation. But hook kicks are damn near impossible to telegraph, and there is power there. It's a tool you can use to surprise your opponent, and if nothing else it can slow their timing and plan against you.

[Earl Weiss]

Bill Superfoot wallace was full contact kickboxing champ. Only used one leg and 3 kicks with that leg. Roundhouse, hook and side.

[TKDBJJ]

[YOUTUBE]http://youtube.com/watch?v=aSsEniLha5M[/YOUTUBE]

I think this is an answer to your question, but its all about what YOU can do not what the next fighter can do. If you can throw these fast without telegraphing and your good at countering then throw em.

[TKDBJJ]

[YOUTUBE]http://youtube.com/watch?v=dWbLtNwRrn0&feature=related[/YOUTUBE]


Another sick example!

[kanik]

Hook, spinning hook.... If you fought my friend, you'd understand there insanely dangerous power when mixed up with a variety of other kicks, and insanely good balance.

[Heroic Wolf]

Nice! I also have a (taekwondo) friend who can nail me with spin hooks. I guess my question is: even though spin hook can have devastating knockout power, does it have advantages that cannot be found in other kicks? Spin hook is powerful, but can it match the explosiveness and power of a muay thai roundhouse kick? But I guess no matter what, the spin hook can loop around an opponent's guard and deliver KO power in a way the muay thai-style roundhouse can't

[ChunKiKyle]

Try not to think about a specific kick in terms of being "better" or "worse" than another kick. You don't have to choose whether you want to use only round kicks or hook kicks, so don't. Every kick, strike, grappling technique, take-down, and joint lock you learn is another tool in your box.

A hook kick is useful because it can get around a guarded position. It is also easier to throw from certain positions. Sometimes, a round kick is your best option, but hook kicks (both spinning and not) can be very effective weapons. Personally, I like to set up a spin or reverse hook kick with a round kick.

[boar98]

http://youtube.com/watch?v=dWbLtNwRrn0&feature=related


Another sick example!

that was good fighting.

that was a very good spinning hook kick.

i like practicing reglar spinning back kicks,front kicks,roundhouse kicks and side kicks.

i've made quite a few vids of practice session clips on my yt channel.