Should you throw kicks in real combat?

Kicking, especially the spectacular swings from kung fu or taekwondo, has been at the center of a long-standing debate over its practicality in modern combat environments.

High kicks are often very beautiful - Photo: TK

No room for pretty kicks

For a long time, the martial arts world has debated the practical value of flying kicks such as "chain kicks", "double flying kicks" in kung fu legends, or spinning kicks that can reach up to 540 degrees, 720 degrees in Taekwondo...

They are beautiful and showy, but when placed in a fighting ring setting, they have almost no use.

In a Reddit debate, one martial arts expert commented: “High kicks are like a high risk, high reward game.

If the attack is successful, it will likely stun the opponent, because high kicks are often aimed at the head or chest. But the risk is extremely high, because it is difficult to be accurate, slow, and easy to counterattack.

Fancy kicks have no place in real combat - Photo: SH

This opinion immediately received widespread approval, arguing that spinning, flying and high kicks are often “useless” in real combat - because when performed, the fighter will expose himself to an opening, making him vulnerable to counterattacks.

That is why in MMA arenas, there are few beautiful high kicks. Instead, fighters choose low kicks, which are simpler, more effective and safer.

First of all, the MMA competition environment is a closed octagonal ring, the space is narrow, the opponent often approaches, making time-consuming kicks that spin or fly easily blocked or grabbed the leg.

Joe Rogan, an MMA expert, once analyzed: “If you throw a spinning kick, you can easily get knocked out or taken down immediately.

Furthermore, MMA allows grappling and BJJ (compression). A fancy kick that misses the mark can be considered a serious tactical error, allowing your opponent to take advantage and bring the fight to the mat, where you are completely out of position."

High kicks are also common in the ring, but that is due to the specific rules of some sports such as kickboxing or Muay Thai. In MMA, the frequency of successful high kicks is very low.

Which kick still retains high combat value?

While many fancy kicks have been eliminated from MMA tactics, there are still some very effective and popular kicks - mainly low or mid kicks, intended to break the opponent's base.

Mid and low range kicks are more common in the MMA ring - Photo: BO

In an article, MMA organization One Championship lists some common kicks: push kicks (or teep in Muay Thai) to maintain distance; body kicks to cause tissue damage and weaken stamina; spinning back kicks, a surprise kick that is very dangerous when executed correctly - like Kevin Belingon, who once sent his opponent "flying into the wall" with this kick.

Jon Jones, one of the greatest MMA fighters, frequently uses the oblique kick - kicking the opponent's knee, causing a significant loss of balance.

Another great example is Mirko “Cro-Cop” Filipović, a former kickboxing and MMA champion. His low left-foot roundhouse kick has been described as “right foot - hospital; left foot - cemetery”, which speaks volumes about his devastating power and efficiency in the ring.

"Kicking is still very useful in the MMA ring, or in real fighting. But you have to understand that no matter what kick you do, in real fighting you only have a split second to strike.

High kicks take too long, are not as accurate, and leave a lot of openings in the defense. So fighters today tend to use low kicks,” Rogan commented.

Double kicks, continuous kicks, or triple spinning kicks, therefore, will only exist in movies.

HUY DANG

Source: https://tuoitre.vn/co-nen-tung-don-da-khi-chien-dau-thuc-su-20250912111326206.htm