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5 LOW KICKS FROM KOREA
Author: Robert W. Young
Ask any martial artist which styles have the best kicks, and chances are he or she won’t hesitate before naming a few Korean arts. Although taekwondo, tang soo do, hapkido and kuk sool may immediately come to mind, modern farang mu sul also falls into the foot-fetish category. And, as you will see, it possesses some of the most uncommon, yet practical, low kicks ever devised.
Those kicks don’t work only in demonstrations and forms. They are just as useful for the street, says San Francisco-based farang mu sul expert Michael De Alba, as long as they are kept below the waist.
“There are many reasons why low kicks like these work so well,” De Alba says. “There’s a low risk factor because you are not standing on one foot very long, and because you’re not kicking above the waist, the recovery time is short. And there’s the concealment factor: When your opponent focuses above the waist and you hit him with a low kick, he probably won’t even know what hit him.
“The kicks are very fast because there’s less distance to cover from your foot’s natural position to a low target,” he continues. “You don’t need a great deal of flexibility, and you don’t need to wear loose clothing. Most important of all, you can get good at them relatively quickly.”
The following five kicks are best used in what farang mu sul stylists call the No. 2 range; other styles may call it trapping range. “Being close to your opponent helps you pull them off because he probably won’t be aware of your attack,” De Alba says. “On the street, they are much more effective than a movie-style high roundhouse kick.”
De Alba cites one drawback to these techniques, however: “They are not allowed in competition because of the danger involved.” Consider yourself warned.
CHOP ’EM LOW
The low chopping shin kick is a powerful technique that targets the pressure points around the knee or along the inside or outside of the leg, De Alba says. “Because the kick is low, it’s hard to see and hard to block.
“You should close the distance with minimal giveaway,” he says. “Use a shuffle movement to switch the position of your feet while cocking your back leg for more power. This also disguises your entry.”
The key to generating power lies in turning your hips completely, De Alba says. “If you kick with your right leg, your hips don’t stay at a 12 o’clock or 1 o’clock position. They rotate to the 11 o’clock position—until they’re just past your opponent. This helps you roll your hips and really dig your shin into the target.”
Although the rear leg is normally used for maximum effectiveness, De Alba says you can perform the technique with your front leg. “That sacrifices some power,” he says. “It becomes more of a snap kick than a power kick because you don’t have the follow-through of the hips.”
Make sure you strike with your shin, De Alba says. “If you hit with your foot, you lose the power generated by rolling the hips. And if you misjudge the distance a little, you could strike with the lower part of your foot, which can put a strain on your ankle. With the shin, you can’t miss.” In training, do not hit the pressure points on your partner’s leg too hard. “You need to improve your speed and accuracy but not at the expense of control,” De Alba says.
“But if you do hit some pressure points, you must confine the strikes to one side of the body. Never hit points on both sides of the body because that can cause some real damage.”
STRAIGHT AHEAD
“The straight heel thrust is done in an oblique fashion so your hips don’t give away the movement; they stay pretty much stationary,” De Alba says. “The foot travels in a low line to the target, and the heel strikes in a thrusting fashion. The main target is the kneecap, but for a little more safety in training, the areas just below or above the knee can be used. For self-defense, you may also aim at the side of the leg.”
Bend your supporting leg a little when you kick, De Alba advises. “If it’s straight, you may lose the power you can transfer into the kick from your hips. It’s also easier to balance with your leg bent because your foot is usually flat on the ground.”
If you attempt the kick while wearing hard-soled shoes, its effectiveness is greatly enhanced. “But even wearing tennis shoes is fine,” De Alba claims.
In a self-defense situation, a kick to the knee may or may not require a follow-up technique, De Alba says. “You may get the desired effect of incapacitating your attacker right away, but many times it won’t stop him. That’s when you might want to use the kick as a distraction technique so you can follow up with a high strike.”
If your low kicks aren’t having the effect you expect, you’re probably not hitting where you should, De Alba says. “As much as some martial artists try to downplay it, your opponent’s size and strength are big factors in self-defense. But I do believe that technique serves to overcome the size and strength factors. When you have accuracy, power and timing, you’ll definitely have an impact—especially if you use pressure points. Remember the Ultimate Fighting Championship match between Marco Ruas and Paul Varelans? Ruas kept kicking the sciatic nerve in his larger opponent’s leg, and he eventually chopped him down. It took him a while, but he did it.”
HEEL HIT
“The chopping heel kick is similar to a roundhouse or circular kick,” De Alba says, “but it chops with the heel, much like a side kick. You can attack the kneecap or various pressure points around the shin. Sometimes you can dig your heel into one of several points on the thigh, but they aren’t the main targets.”
Because the foot travels in an arc, the window of opportunity to throw the kick is somewhat small, De Alba warns. Therefore, maintaining the correct distance from your opponent is crucial. It’s also important to torque your hips past the point of impact—just as you would when throwing a Thai-style roundhouse kick, he says.
Of course, any circular technique like the chopping heel kick offers your opponent more of a chance to block than does a straight technique. “The kick can get jammed by a fast opponent, but if it lands, it’s devastating,” De Alba says. “And if you’re wearing heavy work boots or cowboy boots, the technique becomes very, very painful.”
TWIST AND SHOUT
The low twist kick is a deceptive technique because the lack of movement in your hips and upper body leaves your opponent clueless as to your intent. The kick is very powerful and can be done with a snap or a thrust. “The snapping version can hit a pressure point on the inside of the thigh,” De Alba says. “The thrusting version can destroy the groin.”
Because it’s a low kick, it’s difficult to see, and the angle is so unusual that it’s hard to block, De Alba says. “That means it will work fine on the street because your opponent won’t expect it, because you move very little as you initiate it, and because even if he does see it, it’s hard to block. Furthermore, recovery time is very short.”
When you execute the thrusting variation, you can hit with the toes, or you can pull them back and hit with the ball of the foot, De Alba says. “If it’s a hard target, hit with the soft part of your foot. If it’s a soft target, hit with the hard part or use the instep.”
Striking the pressure points in this area can have a paralyzing effect, De Alba says. “The whole side of the body can be temporarily im- mobilized. It can be a great crippling kick, but more importantly it can be a great set-up kick for another strike.”
HOOK THIS!
The low hooking heel kick uses a thrusting motion to drive the back portion of your heel into the target. “You should aim for a low target, especially the pressure points on the inside of the knee or thigh,” De Alba says.
“But the kick works on the outside of the leg as well. And you can use it from the rear, like when you’re choking your opponent or moving behind him. That’s the perfect time to hit his groin with the kick.”
This technique has a profound effect on the human body, De Alba claims. “Because of the digging motion, it penetrates and causes great pain. Striking a pressure point there can shock the whole leg.” ...
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