I choose #1. Even if you telegraph it you can follow up with a snappy or thrusting front kick. I’ve never been pulled off balance with this kick and often use it just to set up a front kick.
[QUOTE=YouKnowWho;1235925]When you apply a “crescent kick”, you can:
Let your body to pull your leg.
PRO: Your whole body is unified. You can use your body mass to generate maximum power.
CON: Your body move can easily telegraph your intention. If you miss your target, you may over committed.
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You mean to use body torque to power the kick?
It doesn’t have to telegraph if you use short force body snap and hide that in the natural relaxation of a preceding motion of a combination attack.
It will be like the answer to that question you always ask about “internal” kick.
[QUOTE=YouKnowWho;1235925]
2. Let your leg to pull your body.
PRO: No telegraph. If you miss the target, it won’t affect your own balance.
CON: You may only use your leg power instead of whole body powr.
So which side do you think that you like to be on?[/QUOTE]
You mean to power the kick with just the hip and leg muscles? And body might turn afterwards?
No thanks.
But with regard to power and missing the target, it depends on what you are trying to do. You adjust your power for the situation. If you mess up, you mess up.
You can lessen the need to over-telegraph with the body by doing a ‘whipping’ crescent kick; that is, starting with the knee bent/chambered, then extending the leg (almost) straight just before contact. Say you’re doing an outside crescent…if your target is at 12:00, you extend your leg at 10:00, and either bend it slightly again at 2:00, of simply keep it extended the rest of the way through. It’s best to keep a slight bend in the knee at ‘full extension’, even though it may appear straight at contact. If you make heavy contact, you may also return your leg along the same route.
If it’s an outside crescent, if you slightly direct your knee outwards, it also adds some speed/torque, and noticeably lessens pressure on your knee/ankle during contact. I used to use it on the heavy bag and sometimes landed it in competition, and never hurt my knee, ankle, and never had it grabbed. If you do it right, it comes from a blind angle over the opponent’s shoulder. I don’t consider it a street technique, though.
I never used the inside crescent except as a low foot sweep.
[QUOTE=Jimbo;1236013]If it’s an outside crescent, if you slightly direct your knee outwards, it also adds some speed/torque, and noticeably lessens pressure on your knee/ankle during contact.
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I don’t consider it a street technique, though.
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I used that for a knife disarm in the street one time.