Are high-kicks really useful?

[italian judoka]

There is a diffreence between a sport fight and a selfdefence against an assault. In the first you have a clean ground and you have the right distance to performe a high kick. The second probably happened at very close range, often in a messy ground, where there is no space for an high kick, and elbow and knee strikes, palm strike on the nose and throwns works better.

It may be interesting to know the experiences of people who really tested high kicks in selfdefence .

[ermghoti]

For some reason, this thread title is displaying on my computers as "Are high-kicks really useful?" and not "Newbs come here and post self-evident chestnuts." Anyone have troubleshooting tips?

[gregaquaman]

I must admit I have never understood why people think that fighting on the street is automaticly an in fighting game.

I mean you have the whole world to move around in.

[italian judoka]

I must admit I have never understood why people think that fighting on the street is automaticly an in fighting game.

I mean you have the whole world to move around in.

If you have te whole world to move, you may have also the option to run and avoid fight.
But if you don't have this option, high kicks may be usefull for a well traided fighter. For example a front kick uppercut on the chin may stop an advancing opponent.

[TEA]

Holy crap, Batman! Jiu Jitsu can't work on Teh Str33t because teh st33t is covered in broken glass, AIDS needles and lava. We ALL know that to be true. Now we learn that high kicks won't work either because on Teh St33t either because the ground is uneven and apparently Teh Str33t is too narrow and has too many light posts and mail boxes in the way. Or maybe in Italy people only get mugged in phone booths and coat closets.

Why oh why is this thread still going on?

[wetware]

There is a diffreence between a sport fight and a selfdefence against an assault. In the first you have a clean ground and you have the right distance to performe a high kick. The second probably happened at very close range, often in a messy ground, where there is no space for an high kick, and elbow and knee strikes, palm strike on the nose and throwns works better.

It may be interesting to know the experiences of people who really tested high kicks in selfdefence .

First of all... did you even read the thread? Several people have already stated that they have used high kicks in self-defense situations.
Secondly, in many ways the mean streets are a better surface for kicking than the mat. There's more friction, which makes it less likely you'll lose your balance. In fact, my biggest problem with kicking on the streets is I have too much traction to easily rotate my foot and therefore my hip. I've adapted to this by twisting my hip and leg more forcefully to rotate on the ball of my hip.
Third, if you're really that worried about tripping/slipping/falling/fighting on a trash heap then you can do what I did. My heavy bag hangs from a tree in my back yard. This tree has a buttload of roots, sheds bark and drops sticks. The only ones I clear are the sticks that present a clear hazard if I fall. Did I fall a few times? Yeah, at the beginning. But that has happened less and less over the course of the last year or so. I do stub my toes a bit, though.

[Permalost]

So now we're outside of conventional fighting and we're in weird environments? In that case, I say stand on higher ground and low kick the face, like from some stairs or something. Or, do it while swinging from a rope!

[TEA]

What about in space? Are high kicks effective in a zero or low gravity environment?

[italian judoka]

What about in space? Are high kicks effective in a zero or low gravity environment?

That's a very interesting topic that IMHO have to be treated in a new tread. Martial arts are coincived to work on the Earth and I never heared of fights between astronauts in ISS.
Which kind of technique works in space?
May be somthing like Navy Seal water fight method can be adapted in to work well in free fall.

[italian judoka]

First of all... did you even read the thread? Several people have already stated that they have used high kicks in self-defense situations.
Secondly, in many ways the mean streets are a better surface for kicking than the mat. There's more friction, which makes it less likely you'll lose your balance. In fact, my biggest problem with kicking on the streets is I have too much traction to easily rotate my foot and therefore my hip. I've adapted to this by twisting my hip and leg more forcefully to rotate on the ball of my hip.
Third, if you're really that worried about tripping/slipping/falling/fighting on a trash heap then you can do what I did. My heavy bag hangs from a tree in my back yard. This tree has a buttload of roots, sheds bark and drops sticks. The only ones I clear are the sticks that present a clear hazard if I fall. Did I fall a few times? Yeah, at the beginning. But that has happened less and less over the course of the last year or so. I do stub my toes a bit, though.

I'm sorry there is a little misunderstanding, may be due to my poore english. It was not in my intention to disrespect others opinion. Probably assault methods are diffrent in each country.
In Italy for example if a person want to beat you, he simulate to be frendly and tell you he want to recoinciliate. In dooing this, he gains the right distance to strike you with a surprise attack, like a hook on the chin or an headbutt on the nose.
If you know this tactic, you have few seconds to stop him with a prehemptive strike, and in this case an high kick may be a good option (but a prehemptive strike may appear like an assault and may expose you to legal troubles, but this is another topic).
The other option is to fight at close quarters.
When I was a student I was attacked in that way. It was in a local with tables and chears and there was no space for high kicks. I stopped an headbutt rising an elbow.