High kicks, are they ineffective against everyone, or just trained fighters?

It's not that the kicks are ineffective. It's that they're more difficult to pull off, and thus people tend to disregard them in favor of things that are easier to learn when they want to 'get ready for a street fight'.

Someone good enough with high kicks can pull them off in the street, or against someone in a competition, as well as any other strike. The trick is getting good enough.

In a sterile environment where high kicks are expected and limited techniques allowed to counter them, they are very effective. Look at taekwondo: spin kicks are the mainstay of any fighter, and these kicks must be to the head for real points or a KO to happen. The opponent is not allowed to trap these kicks, nor is he allowed to strike the leg (except in a legitimate block... and a good fighter can mix the two and create ambiguity with the referee)

But we are not talking about sterile environments, limited techniques, referees, or a soft floor.

We are talking about the unpredictable nature of the ground (sandy, rocky, slippery, uneven, etc). The adrenaline of a sports fight is the same as the adrenaline in a street fight - same body enzymes - but the mentality between them is quite different. The ring fighters are sure to go home that night and have a beer - either together or separately with friends.

But the street fighters are not even sure either or both will live through the next few minutes. These fighters aren't even sure the other has friends who'll jump in, or that someone has a weapon. That changes your thinking. One screw-up, and you are dead.

So the question isn't that the technique being effective (they can be quite deadly). But is the risk worth it. Would you bet your life on a complex technique, or a simple but effective technique?

So much has to be calculated, the risks are irrelevant if you don't even have time to consider them to begin with. Opportunity is also important: Throw a high kick as your initial strike? Or throw it when he's dazed because of a quick jab you threw?

Bottom line, self-defense isn't about razzle-dazzle, it's about survival. Take your chances spraining an ankle, or having your knee taken out from a counter kick, slip on a curb and knock yourself out, be tackled from behind... Is any of it worth it?

Hi there

The thing with this is that to pull these off in a real life situation requires great skill, speed and a very high standard of flexibility. The average sports fighter cant be arsed putting the daily hours stretching in order to pull this off. Thats why you get all the negative fan boys going on about it.

Were talking about a high kick to the head at speed against a moving target which could compromise your balance etc. You dont worry about **** like this when your fighting you just do what comes based on what you know, see and whats presented to you at that given time.

I know of at least one incident in my area where someone was killed by a kick to the head by a martial artist and the person that did it went down for it even though it was self defense.

So yes they work in the right hands. Or should i say in the hands of a skilled martial artist which are few and far between these days. There are very few fighters in the UFC that have any real martial skill. Most use a sledge hammer to crack a nut. Same applies to boxing. The ones that know their stuff stand out from the reset and its great to see a real skilled show man at work. The rest of the fights are just like watching the local thugs on a saturday night!

Bruit force does not make someone a martial artist!!

Best wishes

idai

High kicks often require lots of training. I do karate and i can't kick high without warming up first. kicks of all kinds are awesome if you know how to kick and the other guy doesn't know how to block them. against the common jerk, there's really no point in using a high kick, since it takes more skill and energy, and you can get a good relust by kicking his thigh or side. I totally agree that a trained fighter pull this off with any common jerk, probably KO them even by using just high kicks

They are slow. Look at the distance they travel. If you just wing one out there, it is easy to grab or be rushed and knocked down. In a real fight peeps don't square up. Generally one guy rushers the other. This doesn't leave time for head kicks.

That doesn't, however, mean they can't be used. My brother used one on a bully in high school ... but that was kids fighting.

But even peeps who've been training them for years will still slip on occasion.

It is very high risk. It can have high rewards, but many safer options are just as effective.

High kicks can be effective against even trained fighters. CRo cop was one of the best strikers in the world and got KOd by a head kick in the UFC. They can be effective when the circumstances allow it. If your on sturdy ground, enough space, and fast enough to pull it off nothing should stop you from throwing it. Even say you trip a rounded fighter will be able to recover and stand back up or work good off his back.

The problem with high kicks is that you basically have to be a master to be able to pull them off in a real fight. I can think of only a few guys in the world who would really be able to accurately land effective high kicks in a real fight. Fighters like Georges St. Pierre and Stephen "Wonderboy" Thompson. Since most people can't kick like they can, they shouldn't attempt a high kick unless they have no other choice.

High kicks are very effective if you can land a perfect one, consistently, under pressure, in a variety of conditions. Some people just aren't well practiced enough to land a high kick with power enough to stop someone while simultaneously keeping their balance. It's better to mix in low kicks to the knee, thigh, and shin; all of which can allow you to stop an assailant with less risk of putting yourself in a bad position.

It all depends on whose throwing the kick. If you're good enough to throw them correctly and hit your target, then they would be good to use. People that say they aren't effective probably don't know how to do them. It's true that they're riskier than low kicks, but they can still work.

Some martial artists say that it is strategically better to keep you kicks low in a figth, which is true. But I say that if you canpull off high kicks and have the opportunity to use them, then do it.

Usually people that say high kicks are ineffective are those who do not have the knowledge and skill to throw high kicks and set up high kicks with success. High kicks have been used successfully for years in the UFC, fighting sports, and even on the street.

Yes, they are risky. Yes, they are somewhat hard to do. But they have to be set up, kicked at the right moment, etc. And when done right are very, very, devastating. Personally I love high kicks bc I am very good at setting them up, especially a right roundhouse.