Why would anyone use kicks in MMA?

[Dhalsim]

I like kicks myself but have such a fear of putting any power into them because I believe Ill hit an elbow or knee! Ouch! Watching events Im amazed at the confidence with which fighters use their kicks (ala kicking flailing legs when opponent is butt scooting). Also, do kickers condition their feet along with their shins or do you always use your shin for impact? Ive read the posts about shin conditioning, once youve deadened the nerves do you bruise less easily?

[Szczepankiewicz]

Kicks

We train in MMA in my dojo. All of our strikes use parts of the body that are built for impact.

Side of the hand, muscles on the outside of joints, certain tendons that flex with certain hand positions, etc. For our kicks, we use the ball of the foot, the heel, and very rarely the top of the foot. We don't use shins, as they are not built for impacts of this nature.

You can train and condition any part of your body (within reason) to become desensitized and/or calloused and thus used as a weapon. But if you do that, then they become useless for other functions...

For example, if you train your finger tips to become like spear points (by using sand, then rocks, then bigger rocks) you have one heck of a strong set of finger tips ideal for puncturing hard objects, but if you wanted to play the guitar or something that requires fine motor control, you might just be SOL.

Anyway, back to kicking... We kick because that is the longest reach weapon you have. Unless you are 12 feet tall, my kicks, even with my stubby legs, are going to have a longer reach that your punches. Besides the fact that the power generated from your hips and transmitted through your leg muscles is much larger than through your upper body.

When fighting someone who is an excellent puncher/boxer, I will want to kick or grapple, I don't want to box them....

Fighting a kicker(TKD), I want to close and punch/grapple.

Fighting a wrestler/bjj stylist/judoka I will want to punch and kick (i.e. strike).


Does that answer the question?

THX-SZ

[edro]

1234567890

[Mako]

We agree, kicks aren't effective in MMA.

Sincerely,

Mark Coleman, Gary Goodridge and Conon Silveira

[duchman]

BWAHAHAHAHAH @ MAKO, that some of the funniest sh*t i've seen on here for ages

[sakattacked]

LOL Mako. I was going to post something like that myself. Add Joey Gilbert in UFC Japan (courtesy of Minowa), Paul Varelans in an early UFC (courtesy of Marco Ruas), and Rumina Sato in Shooto (courtesy of Uno), etc., etc.

[Dhalsim]

I believe you are missing out on the most devastating and effective kicks if you dont train to use your shins! If you sparred with a Muay Thai guy I think you would understand!

[duchman]

Dhalsim,
i realy don't understand youre point. I'm 16 year's old right now and have bin training kyokoshinkai & muay thai for a long while now.
You will hurt youre self once in a while with kicking. But the more you train the preciser you get, and youre kicks whil hit target.

Szczepankiewicz,
No offence but is typical tkd/traditional crap
KIcking is always dangerous for youre feet/legs. Toughening the shin can do bone damage. Kicking with youre foot is always dangerous, the bones in youre feet are VERY small and can't take much impact. Please kick with youre shin.
Toughening youre hands/fingers WILL lead to artrites

[Szczepankiewicz]

Then what shall I kick with dear Duchman?

With what?....

Kicking with my feet is dangerous? As opposed to kicking with my hands? Or face?

Am I correct in the idea that kicking with my shins is better than kicking with my heel or the ball of my foot?

TKD crap huh? If you don't like my strategy listed here, please show me the better way. I am always open to better ideas.

Thx

SZ

[YeLLa-TiGeR]

I have done TKD b4, for quite a bit. Kicking with the shins produce a more devastating blow. Hurts more, covers more surface area. Compare it to, get hit with a baseball bat. The Thai roundhouse is the most dangerous and hurtful roundhouse type kick.

[controllerzero]

dhalsim, maybe you should buy a bubba grappling dummy and practice by kicking it's knees and elbows! Don't try spearhanding them though, it's much too risky!