Another instep kicking thread

[Teh El Macho]

Ok, I did my search func, but I didn't get the results I wanted, so there :tongue6:

Anyways, I've read here and in other sources that kicking with the instep is a good way to fuck the ankles. And yet, afaik, several kickboxing rules seldom allow kicks with the shins and prefer kicks with the insteps.

The reason I'm asking is that I recently watched on DVD CroCop's fight with Magomedov (prior to his fight with Fedor.) More than in any other fight, one could clearly see the instep kicking, including his kick to Magomedov's face and the subsequent kick to the liver that delivered the win.

So the question is, how the hell kickboxers condition their insteps for that type of kicks? Shit, insteps are just a mess of tendons and little bones as opposed to the shin, which is a freaking big, thick, baseball bat.

I have a friend of mine who is a former kickboxer, and one of the things he complained is that he broke his instep during comps long ago, and, according to him, that was a common accident back in his days.

How do you guys condition your insteps? How do you make them stronger and how do you cope with the damage that comes with it?

I'm very curious to to hear your experiences in this matter.

[TehDeadlyDimMak]

I haven't a clue. I know many fighters condition their shins on the lower portion of a heavybag... maybe they simply do the same with their instep?

Right now I'm nursing a partially purple foot from an improperly thrown instep kick. Instep vs knee is a victory for the knee.

[Rubberduck]

Bag kicking mostly, but then again I mostly use point of the shoe when doing roundkicks. Ankle conditioning too, since whacking a good kick can cause some problems there.

Most people train with shin/instep guards, so that gives them a false sense of security, instep vs. elbow for example. Damn newbs block with elbow by instinct.

Hope that helped a bit. Now off to train.:wav:

[Anna Kovacs]

A lot of kickboxing rules wear little booties to protect the instep, even pro full contact rules fighters wear them.

My instep is a little fucked up at the moment from catching something hard but sometimes if you kick from out of range or if you're kicking a head, it happens. It's nnoying and hurts when you train but during a fight the little shit like that doesnt matter.

[Odacon]

Instep for headkicks, nothing else. I'm too much of a wimp to risk smashing my instep off someones knee.

[Kyokushin_Dave]

Id never use the instep for any roundhouse kick, not even to the head. Its too risky. Also, kicking with the shin hurts the guy/gal a hell of alot more lol. When doing shin kicks in Kyokushin the foot and toes are curled back, so as to tense up the shin and not risk losing power through vibration of the foot (which happens if the foot is extended). Also, in Kyokushin blocking kicks and other strikes with your elbow is perfectly viable and done by most, which is why none of our roundhouse kicks come up at an angle at all.
AnnaTrocity, why would you ever throw any strike from out of range?

OSU,

Dave.

[kikkoman]

You can also do roundhouses with the ball of the foot. It hurts them more than the instep.

[Kyokushin_Dave]

The heel can also be used. Quite nasty for someones face or ribs. Infact, the position of the foot that we use in Kyokushin means that roundhouse kicks using the shin, ball or heel are all more or less the exact same, just with a range difference.

OSU.

[alex]

um, how the fuck do you do a roundhouse and hit someone with the heel? i am seriously intrigued by that one. you have super double jointed knees or something?

[ONE TWO THREE FOUR FIVE]

I to want to know more of this roundhouse with the heel.

[Lv1Sierpinski]

All I can figure is that it's more that the ball of your foot misses the, rib for example, but the bottom of your heel hits. Am I warm?

[Kyokushin_Dave]

All I can figure is that it's more that the ball of your foot misses the, rib for example, but the bottom of your heel hits. Am I warm?

Pretty much. It does require a good deal of flexability in the foot, as you have to pull it back far. To be honest Im not too found of this kick. Id prefer just to use my shin.

OSU,

Dave.

[Seraphim]

I was taught to throw round kicks with my instep in my old Karate class. The only reason we didn't hurt ourselves where:

Lame Century Foam Kicking Mitts
We were not trying hit really hard in sparring. (did catch elbows all the time)


The shin is the superior striking instrument and should be used over the instep. It may not be as articulate as the instep, and the instep is easier to aim. It's basically a baseball bat or a fist. Choose the Baseball bat.

I have no idea how to condition the the instep. It sounds like a bad idea. The instep is basically the same as the back of your hand. Who wants to smack hard stuff with your tendons? Thats why the knuckles are a better choice. Hence your shin.

[Odacon]

I know the shin to the head is preferable, but I'm not flexible enough to get my shin up to head height. I'd say that's the main reason why the instep head kick is used.

[Ecks]

Shin seems more natural for me. I dunno why, when I first started karate, I threw shin roundhouses. My sensei would keep telling me off for that and tell me to use instep, until he broke his own instep one day kicking someone in the elbow during class. He kinda shut up about that afterwards.

The only possible advantage I could see the instep giving is slightly more range. But when you're kicking someone, unless you both kick at the exact same time and are the same height, those extra inches don't really matter that much.