A large percentage of today´s adolescents and young adults has concentrated a great deal of time in the development of kicks--mostly kicks of a dazzling nature such as high spinning or flying kicks aimed at the opponent´s head.. While certainly not ineffective, these kicks can very easily cause the kicker to lose his own balance, too much time is consumed for the kick to move from the ground to the head making the kick avoidable, and they can´t often be relied on to hit the desired target with the desired force before being avoided or blocked.
In
interviews with dozens of martial artists, students, and street fighters, most
say that they have never seen a high kick actually decide a fight! In "fight
to the finish" championships started in the 90´s and still popular, there is an abundance
of convincing evidence that Thai boxers, karatemen, etc., finally needed to resort
to other techniques rather than kicks.
The simpler and effective kicking techniques described here can definitely win
in a street fight, especially against an unskilled fighter. These kicks can damage
and sap the wind of an opponent, can put an end to the fight, and may leave the
attacker in a vulnerable position.
To practice kicks, begin slowly, following the directions precisely. Always keep your eyes on your opponent, lift your knee high, and lash out with full power being sure that the proper part of your foot strikes the exact target that you are aiming for. Keep your hands under control so that they can be useful in your follow-up or for defense during and after your kick. Practice against a kicking bag if possible, but when practicing against a partner be sure to stop the kick short of the target.
In a street fight you can use your hands to feint toward the opponent as a means of misdirection so that he will not be thinking about an approaching kick. Kick with power and with your bodily weight. You must maintain a strong stance with good balance. After a kick you must quickly withdraw the kicking leg so you may prepare for your nest move and so that your opponent cannot grab it.
If the kick is grabbed, try to pull yourself into the opponent to attack, thereby
closing the gap as you attack while he has your foot in his hands.