Checking leg kicks

[James O'Neill]

My first exposure to kickboxing was the little bit of MT we did in submission fighting classes. I was taught to do a proper outside leg kick with my shin and I was taught to raise my shin to the outside to defend the same kick without dropping my hands...

I have been taking a kick boxing class for awhile now, this in addition to Hapkido. Anyway, the kickboxing is not Thai style but their kicking is very good. However, they do not advocate raising the leg to check - especially against the inside leg kick.

I figured if I wanted some pro's & con's of raising the leg to check leg kicks in kick boxing this would be the place to ask - Do you advocate raising the leg & checking with the shin or just leaning into the strike with the thigh, foot firmly planted? Why?

[Cliff Hargrave]

- Do you advocate raising the leg & checking with the shin or just leaning into the strike with the thigh, foot firmly planted? Why?

That sounds like a way to get your knee torn apart. I am all for shin checking, and it goes back to when I did Karate, way before I even knew what Muay Thai or MMA was. I can't seem to think of a time I would want the leg being kicked to be firmly planted. Even if you can't check it, if you are loose with the leg then it kind of moves with the kick and don't hurt "as bad."

[Tony Dismukes]

I agree with Cliff. Planting your leg to take the kick sounds like a good way to get hurt.

[James O'Neill]

The technique involves leaning into the strike & basically eating it. And making them pay with a punch... But they don't raise the leg like I was taught originally and they don't fold their leg with the strike in a way that will get you hurt.

The class is taught by a former pro kick boxer and I have allot of respect for him and his methods. His skills are undeniable & I'll have to ask him more about why he chooses not to raise the leg.

Thanks for your input guys - this will just be an area he and I will respectfully disagree about the method - I tend to agree with y'all on this particular point. At least until I hear more of an explanation... Regardless, I really enjoy the workout and the punching & kicking is top notch whether or not we agree on every single point

[Cliff Hargrave]

Enjoying it is all that matters. I agree about making them pay for it, every low kick gets a straight right....

[Tony Dismukes]

It sounds like you might be talking about jamming the kick while simultaneously countering with a punch.

That's a totally valid technique if you can control the timing and distancing correctly. In essence, you're performing a stop-hit. The punch knocks your opponent back and takes away the power of his kick.

Using this tactic requires that you be aggressive and quick enough to crowd your opponent and land your counter before he can complete his kick.

What's not a valid defense is just standing there and planting your leg to be a stationary target, which is what your initial description sounded like.

[James O'Neill]

Well, he advocates the punch with it, but when I asked him if they raised the leg to check, the answer was no.

You can't always land the punch - and they are not always practiced together either. Based on his initial explanation, basically eating the leg kick is the way to go - the implied assumption being you just punch him & kick his legs instead of worrying about really checking their kick aside from the whole leaning into it & not letting your leg fold with it thing...

Regarding raising the front leg to check the inside leg kick, he said his response to that would be to kick the back leg.

...Regardless, the dude can punch and kick HARD and he is an excellent kick boxing coach IMO. This really is a small point overall but like I said, it was one I already had an opinion about and I appreciate the feedback

[TEA]

Are you stepping forward and to the outside (i.e. into the kick) with the front leg as you punch? I've been shown that as a counter because (a) you move the point of impact to inside the sweet spot on their shin and (b) you take the kick on the top of the thigh instead of the outside of the thigh.

[James O'Neill]

No step - just a bend & shift of the weight more onto the front leg for stability & into it in order to minimize the impact. I asked him directly about why and it was pretty much as I assumed; he says picking up the leg compromises your base & he is more concerned about kicking & punching the other guy than worrying about checking.

Unfortunately I have not been doing much kick boxing lately. Shoulder injuries - it only hurts if I push. Or pull