using high kick in traditional kung fu

Wai Jia: The Kung Fu Forum Kung Fu Forum
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Dear all,

        In traditional kung fu the use of high kick is not encouraged due to the exposure of the groin to a counter attack. Therefore, when  using  high kick to the head, there is always a hand  in front of the groin, while you perform the  kick.  Let assume that you are fighting in a life and death situation  against a very fast and very powerful opponent, who can kill with one punch. If you do a round house kick to his head, while one of your hands is placed in front of your groin. He side stepped and immediately punch your groin, before you can put your foot on the ground.  His punch will hit your hand and damage it. Your hand will most likely be forced to move backward and hit your own groin. The pain on your groin may not be as painful as the result of the direct attack, but it will still hurt you. You hand is now too damaged to be use in the fight. Since you have one weapon less to defence yourself, you will lose the fight and die. I know that having your hand in front of your groin is better than not having it, but the risk  of it being damaged is too great.

According to one of the boxing books written about Rocky Marciano’s life. Rocky Marciano used to hit his opponents’ forearms during boxing matches. If they happened to use them to shield their faces from his attacks. Eventually, they would lower their hands due to the pain they received from his punches. This allowed Rocky to punch into their faces and bodies instead.

My questions are:

  1. Why deliberately sacrifice one of your hands (using it as a shield), if you can not run away after receiving a powerful blow to your groin from your own hand?

I do not think an injured person can run very far or very quickly. However, I can be wrong.

  1. Are there some secret moves that prevent your hand or groin getting hit while preforming a high kick?

Thank you very much

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Since when does CMA advocate sticking a hand in front of your groin during high kicks?

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[QUOTE=MasterKiller;905985]Since when does CMA advocate sticking a hand in front of your groin during high kicks?[/QUOTE]

I saw a movie once.
Oh and saw a picture of a monk doing it too !
:stuck_out_tongue:

4

In traditional kung fu the use of high kick is not encouraged due to the exposure of the groin to a counter attack. Therefore, when using high kick to the head, there is always a hand in front of the groin, while you perform the kick.

This is not correct or true of many styles. As a blanket statement about tcma, it is wrong.

Let assume that you are fighting in a life and death situation against a very fast and very powerful opponent, who can kill with one punch.

Am I to assume as well that I am an insect or tiny mammal or perhaps a goldfish?

If you do a round house kick to his head, while one of your hands is placed in front of your groin. He side stepped and immediately punch your groin, before you can put your foot on the ground. His punch will hit your hand and damage it. Your hand will most likely be forced to move backward and hit your own groin. The pain on your groin may not be as painful as the result of the direct attack, but it will still hurt you.

well when you put it that way, and sort out all those variables like that, I think I’ll never use a roundhouse kick while covering my groin ever again!

You hand is now too damaged to be use in the fight. Since you have one weapon less to defence yourself, you will lose the fight and die.

Oh dear!

I know that having your hand in front of your groin is better than not having it, but the risk of it being damaged is too great.

Will I go blind though?

According to one of the boxing books written about Rocky Marciano’s life. Rocky Marciano used to hit his opponents’ forearms during boxing matches. If they happened to use them to shield their faces from his attacks. Eventually, they would lower their hands due to the pain they received from his punches. This allowed Rocky to punch into their faces and bodies instead.

If only Rocky had learned that “one punch and you’re dead” method, he could’ve saved a lot of time.

  1. Why deliberately sacrifice one of your hands (using it as a shield), if you can not run away after receiving a powerful blow to your groin from your own hand?
    I guess maybe it’s hard to kick with both hands cupping your berries?

I do not think an injured person can run very far or very quickly. However, I can be wrong.
Yes you can!

  1. Are there some secret moves that prevent your hand or groin getting hit while preforming a high kick?

speed? accuracy? strength? ability to actually kick and transmit force?
Or, youcould chant wololo 300 times before every encounter and while cupping the berries and kicking.

Thank you very much

You’re most welcome! :slight_smile:

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I just started in kungfu, but we were trained , when doing a round house kick (or anything for that matter) to always keep our arms protecting our face. Our arms are in front of us in a 90 degree angle, and our bodies face a 45 degree angle.

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[QUOTE=Exadon;905998]I just started in kungfu, but we were trained , when doing a round house kick (or anything for that matter) to always keep our arms protecting our face. Are arms are in front of us in a 90 degree angle, and our bodies face a 45 degree angle.[/QUOTE]

Yeah, I’ve always been taught to keep the face protected too. Cupping your groin while kicking seems like a really good way to get punched in the nose.

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generally, in regards to high kicks, ive always been of the mind NOT to throw them unless i feel i have a good chance of connecting. there are many factors involved in being able to determine what you feel your success might be with something like a high kick, such as cadence(sp), distance, fatigue, injuries, and so on.

after fighting someone for a couple of minutes, you have a pretty good base to decide what you feel your chances are against someone, over all. unless they are of course holding back to draw you out.

personally, i dont like throwing high kicks anyway. i can, but i dont feel as safe with one leg above my waist, while standing on only one leg. while a kick is relatively fast, when i do high kicks in sparring i always feel to succeptable to take downs, sweeps, shoves, leg kicks, or what have you.

8

Hmmm, a thread about groin cupping…interesting indeed.
Sure this isn’t a grappling forum ?

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you crack me up dude. just dont ever talk about cupping my groin again! :eek:

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[QUOTE=Lucas;906014]you crack me up dude. just dont ever talk about cupping my groin again! :eek:[/QUOTE]

What are you saving up to be? Jewish?
:stuck_out_tongue:

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LOL!!!

you got me on that one dude, no comeback here :eek:

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I’ve seen the downward palm block while kicking in a few forms. We practice foreward kicks with blocks too.

Let’s see…in this scenario if I don’t block my groin, then the powerful man will destroy it with one punch. If I DO block it, then I’m injured and he kills me.

Clearly the only answer here is to cup HIS groin and try to make friends.:eek:

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its definately an ‘on’ day for the KFM humor.

its pretty common to see the downward blocking/warding in many kungfu styles during forms. ive never seen this as an atempt to ‘shield’ the groin for any prolonged period of time, (i definately would never ‘cup’ my groin) but rather as an adjustment during combat to protect your family jewels. a quick block, then pulled back to the ready. the downward block is ok for, say, a front kick, but i prefer to adjust my hips and deflect/block with my thigh. or raise my leg slightly for the same effect.

there was this one guy who just always had to go for groin shots. i dont think he meant to, but if you wernt careful, you got kicked in the nuts. sparring him became second nature to protect my future generations.

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I’ve seen that technique used very effectively here:

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=IVYkdFTeVtc

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[QUOTE=RisingCrane;906060]I’ve seen that technique used very effectively here:

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=IVYkdFTeVtc[/QUOTE]

lol that vids great. its got to be the funniest thai boxing match ive ever seen.

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youtube cro cop

high kicks ftw

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I’ve always been taught that high kicks were generally more for practice. According to Dr. Yang for instance crescent kicks (or inside/outside sweeps) are erroneously believed to be aimed at the face. Instead they are meant to hit the wrists or forearm of an assailant attacking with a weapon. Other than that they are executed much lower in order to damage the opponent’s knee, or otherwise destroy his rooting. Kicks are generally trained high to develop speed, power, and balance but are reserved (more generally as this is not ALWAYS the case) for knees, shins/ankles, groin, and sometimes the solar plexus in actual combat. The hands protect the groin from counter attacks from kicks as kicks should (once again generally speaking) be used a middle to long range as opposed to short. But that is what I was taught for basic Longfist strategy, and so I understand this may not be true for everyone.

Namaste

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Whew! Glad I don’t have to worry about protecting my groin on my high kicks…uh…er…unless someone is trying to insert their foot.:rolleyes:

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just kick fast, strong, and hit your target. no need to worry then. :wink:

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[QUOTE=huolung;906094]

According to Dr. Yang for instance crescent kicks (or inside/outside sweeps) are erroneously believed to be aimed at the face. Instead they are meant to hit the wrists or forearm of an assailant attacking with a weapon.

[/QUOTE]

Ah, yes, to defend against the knife, crescent kick it out of his hand, ah, yes :rolleyes: