The distance of the shin kick

Guys,

I have been thinking a lot about the shin kick. For the traditional martial artists out there, who may not use it much, it is just a roundhouse kick using the shin, rather than the ball of the foot or the instep. Anyhow, I hear from Muay Thai boxers and Mixed Martial Artists about the "superiority" of the shin kick in fights. And as usual, I disagree :)

The general consensus is that it is superior in terms of generating power, and doing damage. The shin is much harder than the small bones in the foot, and the power comes from torque in the hip rather than the chambering of the leg. On a scientific level, a lot of the argument makes sense, but as we know, there is always more to it than facts and figures. So, while I am all lathered up, let's dive in.

In Thailand, France and Holland, where Muay Thai is immensely popular, they often start at a young age, and are VERY proficient in the use of the shin kick. They kick hard pads, steel belted radial tires, and often times even banana trees. They are also versed in the timing, distance, and angle that allows the kicks to do maximum damage. Like I have posted previously, it takes thousands of repetitions to become good at this against a skilled opponent.

In the MMA realm, the shin kick is preferred to the traditonal roundhouse kick, allegedly due to the ease in learning it, and the power that can be generated. Planting a hard shin kick to someone standing still does hurt like a mofackle, no doubt about it. But like I have also said previously, dont sacrifice power for speed and accuracy. Let's break this down shall we?

In MMA for example, the shin kick is a liquid in the Holy Grail of MMA. I mean, it may actually and literally be sworn by. But let's have a look at why people like it so much, as opposed to why maybe they should look into other options. One: Power is cool. People LOVE the sound of a shin thudding into the target or opponent. BTW, if your kick "smacks" you did it wrong. Two: With correct distance, it is a high percentage strike. Lastly, it does NOT require a whole lot of flexibility. I think that the flexibility issue may be the most important thing. When Rashad Evans booted Sean Salmon out of consciousness with a shin kick, it was not very technically sound. Effective yes, technical? Nope!

On the other hand, let's take a look at why maybe you should consider the "chamber" style of roundhouse kick. For starters, let's consider MMA. It is REALLY easy to take someone down after a shin kick to the leg. They are close and off balance. Also, landing a straight cross is the best available counter to a leg kick as well. Look into the Anderson Silva versus James Irvin fight for illustration. Or perhaps the Nate Marquart/Damien Maia fight. The closer that the shin kicker is to the opponent, the easier it is to land the crushing cross. When I hear MMA fans talk about how a good MMA guy would just kick the legs of a pro boxer, I often chuckle. In 4 or 5 ounce gloves, a ranked pro boxer's hands are like lightning.

Also chambered roundhouse kicks offer more control and precision. It is easier to land a strike in between the hands of your opponent with a chambered kick. Once a kick from the shin has been unleashed, it is kind of like swinging a club. A lot of power, not a lot of control. Like I have said a zillion and four times, I would NEVER sacrifice speed for power. Fact of the matter is, with technically sound movement, speed pretty much equals power. When has Mike Tyson ever thrown a hard punch that was not fast? When has Lyoto Machida or Anderson Silva ever thrown a fast strike that did not land with serious impact? The answer: never.

Next as far as MMA goes, we need to talk about takedowns. One of the things that makes MMA such a different animal from Boxing, Kickboxing, or any other striking venues, is the ability to for for the takedown. Now with a shin kick, the proximity to the striker makes it relatively easy to affect an effective takedown. But chambered kicks involve greater distance, and give more time to repel a takedown. Look at the Lyoto Machida versus Tito Ortiz fight. Tito has made a name as a powerful wrestler who often man-handled his opponents who tried to strike him. Lyoto's distance with his kicks made it relatively easy to repel a MUCH bigger and stronger Tito. I cant remember off the top of my head if Tito was able to complete any effective takedowns at all in that fight. I will have to check into that..... Oh darn! :)

At any rate, keep your options open people. I have never kicked someone in the face who said" I am glad that he didnt use his shin." Hurt is hurt. Be well, and tell your parents that you love them.

FMA-From full hands to empty ones

Folks

I find myself really liking the philosphy of many Filipino Martial Arts. That idea is to learn how to use a weapon from the onset. Why do I like it? Well, for a host of reasons. The first is that it helps to take away the "freeze up" factor in real situations. I know that most empty hand combatants "progress" to knife and weapon defense after a certain amount of training. But to start from the beginning with weapons is a completely different mindset. I like the idea that the most difficult part of the training is done from the outset.

In the Philippines, roughly 80% of the murders are committed with kniver or stabbing weapons. It is not only practical but neccesary. If you consider yourself a teacher of realistic self-defense, you HAVE to include weapons training. Given the culture of the Phillipines, by which I mean that knives are used for everyday activities beyond fighting, such as cutting rope and chopping fruit, having a knife is common. It makes sense to have training with a weapon that you are likely to have available.
They dont employ empty hand techniques until they are well-versed with weaponry. I have been told that a lot of the techniques are the same, just with a different range. I am going to hop back in to the weapon arts for sure. And as soon as I know, you will know. Why? Because I just cant keep my mouth shut about this stuff :)

Is your art traditional?

Folks,



I just feel that I need to ask. The reason is that I think some folks are confused about what that means exactly. While I could go into a long drawn out explanation, I dont wanna :) Let me keep it real folks. A traditional art is a fighting system that has a do component. Karate, Kung Fu, Taekwondo, and Judo are good examples. Boxing, Muay Thai, Shootfighting, and Krav Maga are not. While these classes can teach a number of virtues, it is not a set part of the curiculuum. That is all for me folks. Later gator!