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GOING LOW Anyone who has been repeatedly drilled in the legs knows how devastating the pain can be. It becomes difficult to stand, impossible to kick, troublesome to close the gap and forget about grappling. It just plain hurts. There's virtually nothing of value you can do with your legs. Anyone who has been there knows how painful it is. To put it mildly, you've got yourself one big distinct disadvantage. Unless, of course, you are the one who is doling out the punishment. Then it's a different ballgame. Completely different. And that is what is so nice about taekwondo. Most opponents think you're going to go high. So, while they are waiting for you to unload upstairs, you can hammer them down below. You can literally attack every inch of your opponent's legs ... the inside of the thigh, the back of the calf, the shin bone, the knee, the instep, the hip, the groin. Everything is fair game ... from every conceivable angle. |
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Who Needs Flexibility? In a real self-defense scenario, you will not have the time to stretch out. You may not even have the luxury of wearing appropriate clothing that allows freedom of movement. Moreover, the surface may be uneven or hilly. These are just a few more good reasons to throw low kicks. Kicking to the leg requires little or no flexibility. - Philip Ameris
The Round Kick · Perhaps the most widely used basic kick in every art · Serves as a speedy, versatile kick · Can be thrown to the knee, leg, groin, solar plexus or face · Can be thrown in a number of ways
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Cho (left) and Phil Ameris assume an open fighting stance
(1). Ameris chambers his leg for a twisting kick
(2) and delivers the kick to Cho's forward leg (3). A
tight look at the action (4). Ameris then chambers his leg
for a round kick (5) and drills Cho in the leg (6). |
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BE PRECISE In addition to pounding on your opponent's legs, you also have to hammer him with the correct contact surface. This makes the kicks that much more effective. When you add this power and precision to your arsenal, your opponent is going to be in a world of hurt, especially when you hit his vital areas and pressure points. Following are some of the attacking areas of the taekwondo low kicks:
SET IT UP When you add low kicks to your fighting arsenal, you will enhance your punching and high kicking accuracy because it gives your opponent more things to think about. Try this. The next time you're sparring, execute three or four strong kicks to your opponent's legs. See where his attention goes? Without question, he will be concentrating on defending your low kicking attack. All his attention will be on the pain in his legs. Guaranteed. Next, fake a low kick and follow through with a punch or a high kick. It is almost a guarantee for success. When designing your fighting combinations, be sure to set them up with your low level taekwondo kicking techniques. You'll see some positive results.
SHATTERING STEREOTYPES Sometimes, being labeled is a good thing. Just think about it. Most people associate taekwondo with high kicks. Sure, they know that high kicks require flexibility, precision and accuracy. However, they also know that high kicks take longer to reach their destination. Thus, they believe that they are easier to defend against. What they may be overlooking, however is that taekwondo stylists can - and do throw some brutal low kicks. So, while they are looking high, the taekwondo stylist is going low... or vice versa. And the result is some pretty potent damage. So the next time you face a taekwondo stylist, be prepared to block not only that jump sidekick, but one of the many low level kicking attacks he is sure to demonstrate. And what is the moral of the story? Be careful before you affix a label to anything.
MARTIAL ART. July 2003 |
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