Re-Examining the Bladed Stance: Manson Gibson vs Ernesto Hoost

[TheMightyMcClaw]

So, there's a line of thinking which I have traditionally ascribed to, and I believe has come up on this forum in years past, that goes something like this:
The long, bladed stance traditionally associated with arts like TKD and Shotokan Karate is only viable because those formats don't allow kicks to the legs. When fighters who adopt this stance come up against those with low kick backgrounds, they are quickly defeated by power kicks to the exposed back of the lead leg.

And then, the other day, I watched this fight:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3ScwOQZyDsc

Ernesto Hoost, as most of you hopefully know, is no slouch when it comes to leg kicks. And in 1993, Manson Gibson fought him to a draw while standing in a deeply bladed stance and throwing nothing but side kicks, spin back kicks, and spin back fists. Hoost did eventually win in the overtime round, but his ring dominance came largely from his punches and his clinch work.

The main thing that I noticed while watching is that Gibson stayed open stance to Hoost most of the fight, only switching when he wanted to set up his back kick. By keeping his lead foot to the outside of Hoost's, it made it very hard to throw the leg kick; he can still throw the inside leg kick, but with Gibson's steeply bladed stance, that makes it very likely to to land on the knee or shin-to-shin.

And yes, I realize there's a bit of irony in having my world shaken by a fight that transpired a decade before I started doing martial arts at all. I now have to reconsider that the reason why so many TKD and karate guys get chewed up with leg kicks isn't inherently the fault of the bladed stance; it's the fault of not training with leg kicks.

Here's the Lawrence Kenshin breakdown of the same fight:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3ScwOQZyDsc

[Permalost]

My first spar at a Bullshido throwdown (more than 10 years ago IIRC) was against Kempoclyde, a character who stopped posting long ago. I start with a typical hips square kickboxing stance, he starts with a sideways horse stance with hands at waist level. I thought it was going to be an easy match of low kicks and high punches. Well, he was handily countering both of those things from his unorthodox stance. My attacks would miss as his side kicks etc connected. He repeated this strategy successfully against other bullies too. So, I decided to not underestimate someone who fights with their stance bladed, or their hands low.

Sometimes though, someone who fights that way takes light leg kicks in friendly sparring and scoffs at them, assuming that they can simply eat those kicks when they're hard, and that's a mistake.

[Omega Supreme]

My first spar at a Bullshido throwdown (more than 10 years ago IIRC) was against Kempoclyde, a character who stopped posting long ago. I start with a typical hips square kickboxing stance, he starts with a sideways horse stance with hands at waist level. I thought it was going to be an easy match of low kicks and high punches. Well, he was handily countering both of those things from his unorthodox stance. My attacks would miss as his side kicks etc connected. He repeated this strategy successfully against other bullies too. So, I decided to not underestimate someone who fights with their stance bladed, or their hands low.

Sometimes though, someone who fights that way takes light leg kicks in friendly sparring and scoffs at them, assuming that they can simply eat those kicks when they're hard, and that's a mistake.

Were you there when him and I fought?

[Permalost]

Were you there when him and I fought?

I think I was there but I missed the match.

[Omega Supreme]

I think I was there but I missed the match.

It was in Vegas. I wish somebody shot video that was a fun match.