Throwing a Muay Thai Kick from a JKD stance

**TomMack** · Posted On: 3/16/2012 9:30am

doesn't seem to be a big problem if your right lead foward , step slightly foward and to the right to set up the kick . If your throwing a lead hook kick first just land your foot a little bit to the right just before you throw your rear round kick with your rear leg

**brclry** · Posted On: 3/16/2012 10:19am

I take it you study JKD?

If so, The hand positioning iof the stance interests me also, I understand that the lead arm actual protects the body and groin and the rear hand as it were protects the face, have you found it practical to defend your head with just one hand (In comparison to boxing etc.. where you always cover up with two hands) Also this must make the lead hook an interesting punch as it comes from the centre of the body rather than the shoulder.

I am of the Jerry Poteet Lineage, the curriculum is grouped into 10 levels, I am a level 8, and also an assistant instructor.

It depends on range. If I am in kicking range, Ill probably be toe to midstep, and there is less of a need to keep the hands close to the face. As I close the gap (Toe to heel or wider) I cover up more like a boxer. The lead leg usualy defends the groin. I protect my face with my left hand, and right shoulder like a philly shell, think Floyd Mayweather. The lead hook isnt too different, other than you have to move the fist off center before you throw it, kind of like how you have to step to the right before throwing a round kick.
A lot of defense is covered by keeping the fists vertical, and using your own punches to deflect incoming ones. You dont need your lead hand to defend, if your punching from the center with a vertical fist, on the inside of their punch, or cutting into their punching arm, with your forearm on the outside. Your jab IS the defense.

**ZenMMA** · Posted On: 3/16/2012 2:37pm

Originally Posted by brclry

I am of the Jerry Poteet Lineage, the curriculum is grouped into 10 levels, I am a level 8, and also an assistant instructor.

It depends on range. If I am in kicking range, Ill probably be toe to midstep, and there is less of a need to keep the hands close to the face. As I close the gap (Toe to heel or wider) I cover up more like a boxer. The lead leg usualy defends the groin. I protect my face with my left hand, and right shoulder like a philly shell, think Floyd Mayweather. The lead hook isnt too different, other than you have to move the fist off center before you throw it, kind of like how you have to step to the right before throwing a round kick.
A lot of defense is covered by keeping the fists vertical, and using your own punches to deflect incoming ones. You dont need your lead hand to defend, if your punching from the center with a vertical fist, on the inside of their punch, or cutting into their punching arm, with your forearm on the outside. Your jab IS the defense.

Thanks, that is really well explained.

Apologies to the mod regarding this maybe not being advanced enough for this forum, feel free to move the thread if you believe it is required.

Thanks again for the response, I am interested in JKD and knowing its origins I am aware every aspect of it has a reason behind it, so its useful to hear those reasons when articulated effectively.

**Chen Zen fromFA** · Posted On: 5/09/2012 2:49pm

The stance you are referring to is known in JKD as the S.P.B.K.S.

That is the small phasic bent knee stance. This was the stance preffered by Bruce and was core to The OJKD Curriculum. It worked well for the arts that he personally employed in his JKD. He was biased towards Wing Chun and that can be seen in OJKD quiet easily. He also favored Savate, and fencing and from the positioning of the stance, it fascilitates those things. The savate rear leg kick he used, the straight blast from WC, the lunge from fencing, used for eye gouging.

Bruce used it because it worked for him, and what he preffered to do as a fighter. However, that isnt the case for everyone. Take the ideas, but make them yours. People tend to think "If I can fight like that guy, I could be a good fighter" But They forget, they arent that guy. They arent built the same. They dont condition, train, or eat the same.

JKD is about art for the individual, not for the mass. Find an instructor that is willing to fascilitate that and structure a curriculum around you, instead of changing yourself for the art.

**Rene "Zendokan" Gysenbergs** · Posted On: 5/09/2012 4:52pm

I'm sorry to say but the the S.P.B.K.S. is not a Savate stance.

I know that you didn't say that it was a Savate stance, but the stance itself would not be beneficial to throw Savate kicks from.
The "Dutch" squared stance is the basic foot position in Savate, in the best case I would say that the S.P.B.K.S. comes from an inbetween techniques position (not even a stance) when a Savateur backs away after a boxing sequence to give a frontleg roundhouse kick whilest moving out of the kicking range. But that position is never used as a stance and certainly not as the beginning stance.

**Chen Zen fromFA** · Posted On: 5/09/2012 10:48pm

Originally Posted by Rene "Zendokan" Gysenbergs

I'm sorry to say but the the S.P.B.K.S. is not a Savate stance.

I know that you didn't say that it was a Savate stance, but the stance itself would not be beneficial to throw Savate kicks from.
The "Dutch" squared stance is the basic foot position in Savate, in the best case I would say that the S.P.B.K.S. comes from an inbetween techniques position (not even a stance) when a Savateur backs away after a boxing sequence to give a frontleg roundhouse kick whilest moving out of the kicking range. But that position is never used as a stance and certainly not as the beginning stance.

I dont now much about Savate, but I know Bruce used one technique from them, if it was the only one. It was a low level kick, toe pinted out, impact occuring at the heel, Used to attack the knee or ankle.

As for the SPBKS, I dont think you have envisioned it correctly. It isnt much different than a boxers stance. Shoulders up, head tucked. Knees bent, standing about shoulder width apart on the balls of your feet. Hips roughly at a forty five degree with the strong leg and hand at the lead. It would seem to me to be a variatin between a boxer and a TKD fighters "Relaxed" stance.

**Rene "Zendokan" Gysenbergs** · Posted On: 5/10/2012 3:10am

Originally Posted by Chen Zen fromFA

I dont now much about Savate, but I know Bruce used one technique from them, if it was the only one. It was a low level kick, toe pinted out, impact occuring at the heel, Used to attack the knee or ankle. .

Coup pied bas (low foot kick/sweep).
It's used to
- attack the foot, ankle, Achilles tenden, shin and knee of an "stationary" opponent
- block a kick by attacking the ankle at the moment that the foot disconnects with the ground
- sweep an opponent by attacking the ankle just before his foot connects with the ground (mostly done after your opponent has kicked)
- sweep your opponents supporting leg when he kicks by attacking the ankle, side of the foot or (my favorit) his Achilles tenden.

Originally Posted by Chen Zen fromFA

As for the SPBKS, I dont think you have envisioned it correctly. It isnt much different than a boxers stance. Shoulders up, head tucked. Knees bent, standing about shoulder width apart on the balls of your feet. Hips roughly at a forty five degree with the strong leg and hand at the lead. It would seem to me to be a variatin between a boxer and a TKD fighters "Relaxed" stance.

On the sentence that I highlighted, it's the same as Savate, but with us both feet point straight forward and the hip is straight.
If the hip was placed in an angle at our start stance we would lose a lot of our boxing capability.
Savate mixes 'orthodox stance/orthodox fists', 'orthodox stance/southpath fists', 'southpath stance/orthodox fists' and 'southpath stance/southpath fists' constantly during a match.

**TomMack** · Posted On: 5/10/2012 8:34am

this thread reminds me of what one of my physical education professors would say , "in all of athletics there is only one stance , knees bent, weight on the balls of feet, feet should width "

**Chen Zen fromFA** · Posted On: 5/11/2012 4:00pm

In JKD ther is the risk of takedowns, so the hips are never squared, and the toes of the rear foot almost never points toward the opponent. The lead hand is the strong hand, and as such does most of the striking.

The way you have described the usage of the kick is virtually identical to how we use it.

The stance is often done incorrectly, knees bent too deep, and bad waist alignement. It should be quiet relaxed and natural and when used properly its great for JKD. JKD is a stop hit/ counter hit type of system, and the stance is great for angular and lateral movement, allowing the practitioner to slip his opponent.