Someone asked if KaizenTao utilizes kicks and if I had ever heard of the ‘question mark’ kick used in the UFC.
I’d never heard it called a Question Mark kick but i looked to me like a traditional double roundhouse kick. The first half is a low line feint towards the knee to draw the opponent’s attention down before striking his face.
Funny how today’s UFC/MMA fans really think these beginner techniques are innovative. What’s old is fashionable again.
Here’s a clip is from a class with various first responders, bouncers, MIL, LE. The students (kneeling in black tshirt and white gi) is a 7th degree Black Belt who’d studied directly under General Choi Hong Hi, the founder of Tae Kwon Do ITF organization.
Uke is Nick Kiritz Sensei, a 5th dan black belt under Mitsugi Saotome- Aikido Schools of Ueshiba and a certified Model Mugging National Self-Defense Trainer. When I walked into class, I heard him telling his students that high kicks didn’t work because, “You can see them coming from miles away and they can easily be grabbed due to the lack of stability while standing on one leg.”
I invited him to come forward and experience a variety of kicks.
A properly executed high kick is felt and not seen. I agree that it is not a high percentage attack, but it is foolhardy to dismiss any threat.
Those who think high kicks don’t work, haven’t had their jaws shattered by one. Look up UFC fight between Anderson Silva vs Vitor Belfort, Lyoto Machida vs Randy Couture, Lyoto Machida vs Vitor Belfort, Alex Pereira vs jiri Prochazka 2, Leon Edwards vs Kamaru Usman 2, Valentina Shevchenko vs Jessica Eye, Stephen Thompson vs Dan Stittgen.
Humility and an open-mind keeps you safer!