5 CLASSIC Martial Arts Kicks That Just DON'T Work

[@GabrielVargaOfficial]

Which of today's kicks do you like SO MUCH you're going to keep training it (even though it's not the most effective)?

[@scorpionsubzero9066]

I train all of them(except jumping side kick) to improve mobility, but Tornado is just to appealing haha. I think Werdum did a jumping side kick on UFC. Cool, but not very effective.

[@thegaminggoomba8737]

Even though it doesn't find a ton of success, I will continue to use my crescent kicks, I have a reached a point where I can throw them over my head with some decent power, so eventually landing one on the opponent just seems too fun to pass up!

[@cahallo5964]

The thumbnail one

[@4thbranch834]

I love all of these kicks even though I totally agree that they are hard to land and a lot of times if they do land they lack enough power to do much other than to get in your opponents head, or make him bite on something but I'm probably going to keep training them all because im old and dont fight anymore, i practice to keep my flexibility, mobility, and stamina. My favorite out of the list are the Crescent kicks and ax kicks and I will most certainly keep them intact because the flexibility that I get from practicing them helps with a lot of my other kicks even though I have to be honest it is very rare for me to land an ax kick or a crescent kick on the dummy with very much power unless I am throwing a spinning Crescent kick but i feel they are great for warming up my legs and getting comfy all around.

[@char4s]

Land that axekick on the collarbone instead.

[@neokimchi]

thing to think about with hug's use of the axe kick is he didn't even strike gold with it that often, but because he was good with it, his opponents were always wary of it and looking to guard/counter it, and he used their fear of it to really effectively set up other strikes

[@nr1NPC]

Exactly. I think all techniques work, you just need to find the right application of it. I used Do Mawashi Kaiten Geri, practiced it EVERYDAY, setting it up with a left jab or a left hook. I made it work with this. Its a sacrifice throw tho, so you gotta be good on your back to use it. I never understood why Damian Maia for example never used it. It could have served him well.

[@Andyofwasa]

Just that. The biggest advance of axe kick is to make life more difficult for your opponent, when kicks come from every directions. It is also quite safe and not very vulnerable for counterattacks.

[@herculesbrofister265]

Yeah? Can you read the minds of people from the past or something?

[@kermit1211]

well u don't really strike gold with other techniques too

[@wardog5537]

Also, whenever he did land with it, it was usually when his opponent decided they needed to back up to regain their momentum

[@omarbudeiri1720]

You are totally right about these kicks. Back in eighties my coach used to tell me that these kicks are just for the movies. In my opinion the only two jump kicks that might work are the jumping front kick and spinning back kick onto the middle section of the body .Much appreciation for your efforts and way to go.

[@leavemealone2006]

The main application I have seen in kickboxing for the tornado kick is when you have already landed a solid spinning back kick. The opponent felt the power. The next time you show the spinning back, the opponent covers their body and backs up, the perfect situation to continue to spin through into a tornado kick to the head. It is kind of an "edge case," and I agree that time is better spent on fundamental kicks, but I think it is still useful to have in your bag of tricks.

[@jestfullgremblim8002]

Yeah

[@kevinhoughton3589]

I always hated the tornado kick when i did Taekwondo, because as you said, the wind up can be easily seen. Love this video agree 100%

[@Budsport_TV]

I’ve always thought the Axe Kick was a low payoff technique. I still trained it due to Cro Cop & Hug using it, especially cause Cro Cop was my favorite fighter for a decade. I do recall hearing in a seminar say and/or saw in a tutorial that some fighters use an Axe Kick not only to hit the head but also to target your opponents guard/shoulder. The instructor was saying if you can land your heel directly on your opponents shoulder or along the forearm that you could break some bones, if done correctly.

[@siegfriedc2332]

Good point. I can imagine an axe kick being much more damaging to a shoulder than to the dome.

[@BTC-MT]

I imagine an axe kick to the collar bone from someone like Cro Cop would be devastating but not very practical against high-level competition.

[@fernandodesa952]

Thing is, how many times you actually seen that working? We cant really base anything because one or two guys of legendary level did sometimes and worked, boxing + roundhouses is what we gotta work then add knees and elbows

[@monkeyboy275bobo8]

@@BTC-MT Cro Cops kicks are just devastating in general.

[@leavemealone2006]

I personally know a high-level TKD practitioner who broke someone's collar bone with an axe kick, and it completely took that person out. However, I do agree with Gabriel; it's a lot of risk to take when a simple front kick to the face might have had the same ending. It's a scary kick, but actually pretty easy to block and, in that case, really compromises the kicker's balance.

[@TruthByDesign]

It's all about who you fight/spar with. My TKD teacher would axe kick my leading arm down as I guarded (not used to blocking axe kicks, coming from Muay Thai) and blitz in with punches to the middle line, now opened. Wicked utilization I hadn't seen so for a complete picture, it's good to spar with more people than those in our own favored art.

[@Oolong-Dong]

Hey Gabriel, i think the optimal target area for an axe kick would be the collarbone. That way more downward momentum is generated and the possibility of injuring your heel on the opponents skull is mitigated. If you simultaneously drive your whole body towards the opponent akin to a pushkick your leg will be harder to catch as well.

[@ikust007]

3:19 yup purely fun !! Very good for training explosion .

[@Wanksu]

For the axe kick, the best place to target would be the collarbones/shoulders. As someone who did TKD, back in the old days axe kicks to the collarbones/shoulders would break them and the match would be over asap. For the crescent kicks, it good to use when you are in close quarters

[@robertchristian2966]

Yes! You beat me to it

[@Ian-yf7uf]

There are a few k1 guys who could get knockouts from axe kicks like Andy Hug but it looks cool.

[@batmanonholiday4477]

how about ura movashi geri? is that legit?

[@flamezombie1]

Ramsey Dewey has a great video showing how to use the crescent kick from the clinch. Most people throw these kicks without hiding them at all, and use them as they would in a form.

[@orderinchaos83]

Verdum vs Browne. Nice example of a heavyweight utilizing flying sidekick effectively in a fight.

[@DKT101]

Yeah he landed it, but Travis just regained balance and they went back to fighting. It didn’t really do much.

[@orderinchaos83]

@DKT101 Agreed. Just meant to say that he used it as intended (running start) and that it landed.

[@Whosyourdaddy21]

It’s still crazy to me that Brown didn’t try to side step it. He looked like a deer in the headlights and just could process what was happening.

[@dogabutila]

@@DKT101Literally after 99.9% of the strikes that land the fighters just regain their balance and go back to fighting. Are you really trying to say that something that doesn't instagib the opponent isn't worthwhile?

[@DKT101]

@@dogabutila That literally does not make any sense. The difference between a flying side kick and every other strike you can throw is that if you land flush with a cross, hook, high kick, etc, you can damage your opponent effectively. The mechanics of a flying sidekick doesn’t offer you the same generation of power and precision to be effective. Watch the verdum kick and you’ll see that it knocked his opponent off balance but it didn’t necessarily do any damage. You can’t tell me that throwing a flush overhand right will be the same outcome as a flying sidekick.

[@IvoDimants]

Check out Fabricio Werdum’s flying side kick though :D Great vid, some of those don’t require that much isolated training to be in your arsenal, therefore it’s not bad to have them for various set-ups.

[@filipcesnjak2944]

Andy Hug was a Master of axe kick and kyokushin karate that is full contact karate and he was flexible and explosive power and speed.

[@MojoHaiku]

Classic Bruce Lee...discard what doesn't work. Simplification is the ultimate refinement.

[@666Havers]

True that Strickland just showed us that lol

[@goldenagenut]

But keep in mind different techniques can work better for some people than others - at 5'7" with short legs the only effective axe kick I could throw would be at someone bent over tying their shoe! ..but a 6'3" guy with fast flexible legs, he might be able to make it work. Many martial arts students can't even kick above their waists due to lack of flexibility and/or athleticism, they might be able to axe kick a Coke can on the ground, so, in a fight that particular technique might not work so well for those people. Lol

[@redacted9723]

Bruce Lee was in this very video throwing jumping side kicks 😂 the dude was an actor, how are people still deifying him to this day?

[@nave94]

Kick number 2. Fabricio Werdum landed something like this on Travis Browne in the UFC

[@WeaponsRemorse]

I’m impressed with your control I would’ve question mark Kicked the wall with my foot through it.

[@GabrielVargaOfficial]

Haha. I've learnt to throw it at sparring partners and stop the kick an inch away. Avoiding the wall seems simple in comparison

[@WeaponsRemorse]

ah yes the anime reply @@GabrielVargaOfficial good shit lmao

[@honigdachs.]

I've seen one good application of the crescent kick, or at least a variation of it. Some Kyokushin guys use it to kick the thigh from a very close distance and they land with the heel. It connects at a slight downward angle. It's easy to do and actually really hurts. Of course in 99% of cases the same guys who do this will use the regular low kick to attack the thigh, but the crescent variant can come in handy.

[@LeyvatenLoop]

Another variation that I see is using it while framing with your arms. The whole point of the crescent kicks is to be able to kick your opponent from the sides without needing to rotate your torso, so using it while keeping your opponent's arms busy works pretty well, and if you have pretty good hip mobility you can hit it from a surprisingly close range (also if you time it well you can use the arms to block the opponent's view of your leg, giving them less time to dodge it)

[@weshardy1063]

Awesome! We all learned these kicks in 90's, then discovered the old teachers were either wrong or wronger...lol. Great vid.

[@GabrielVargaOfficial]

Yes. Instruction has evolved/improved since then. But they sure are fun to throw.

[@jkdfighter4964]

I wouldn't say it's the kicks that are wrong... maybe the way it was taught, and how it was trained is wrong.

[@vocartagmailcom]

No. There are different people and for some of them these kicks will work perfectly and for some it won't. And it will work against some opponents and won't work against other. There is a HUGE bias in this video, you don't see this often work with similar, experienced opponents but it works great against a shorter one, lighter one, some of them may be scary and they will fight in a much defensive way... and for some people it's much easier to stretch in this direction than for round high kick;)

[@ProYagu]

I like that you can be objective about the usefulness of the kicks without being condescending about the styles.

[@Rombodamus]

I just want to say I love your channel and look forward to your videos

[@ceruleanfive]

In my experience, the tornado kick can work if you set it up with one or two back kicks to make the opponent back away when you start turning again, and then you cover extra distance with the tornado.

[@Adrianfytr46]

A Russian fighter landed a devastating sequence of fancy kicks in what may be a MMA match but it might be kickboxing, can't remember. The tornado kick he lands completely blasts his opponent. It's brutal but the fighter is very humble after the lol and does not celebrate. M1 is the organization I think

[@benolzinoproductions7110]

it annoys me the lack of views you get. By far my favorite online coach.

[@GabrielVargaOfficial]

Thanks dude 🙏 I'll stay consistent with the videos and the views will grow

[@dirtpoorchris]

I think the most UNDERATED kick is the backwards horse kick! With a bit of practice you can learn to hit people behind you with 1 leg without even looking at them but takes quite a bit of training. Once you get the leg structure down it might be one of the most powerful kicks in the arsenal after you learn to land your heel on whatever is behind you, (i can backwards horse kick poeple right in their neck/chin with my heel). Yes, you should look where your strikes are going but even horses sometimes kill stuff behind them without even looking, and with some training can be useful.

[@mynameismynameis666]

the nut buster

[@nr1NPC]

You should always look at your opponent tho when throwing it

[@dirtpoorchris]

@@nr1NPC Yep sure, But the NO LOOK horse kick is based on pure distance practicing a distance over and over and over and then guessing where they are based on their running footsteps. If done right with full power stepping back into them with the kick and you CANT look behind you if using the most powerful structured version of the kick. Its pretty much just for street fighting.

[@nr1NPC]

@@dirtpoorchris I think vision is more reliable than sound in a fight. If there is people screaming, shouting etc. Its not always you will be fighting in a forest lol

[@nolans1675]

@@dirtpoorchrisWhy would you guess instead of looking over your shoulder lol…sounds like a good way to get ko’d in the street.

[@flaviofr4v0]

I've trained axe kick back in my kickboxing days, but it really needs a LOT of training to land it properly like Andi Hug and other good Kyokushin karatekas

[@pseudonym4899]

Not every kick needs to be a knockout kick. An axe kick can be pretty useful if you aim for their high guard and knock it down to enter boxing range. A flying side kick where you dont lift your standing leg up but jump forward with it to close distance is the effective version of it. These worked pretty well for me in sparring.

[@artofmartialcinemaamc5334]

A well placed axe kick if it lands to the nose, eyebrow or even collarbone area can be devastating. I think you'd have to set it up with numerous front kicks or something but I definitely will train axe kicks, it helps with dexterity as well

[@EdgieAlias]

A flying sidekick is not what you're doing, that's a jumping sidekick. A flying sidekick involves a run-up and the force comes horizontally due to the nature of the run-up and necessarily early and long leap. A jumping sidekick has a good amount of vertical force applied to it when it lands, making it more practical. Your use of the ax kick is excellent, especially if you're comfortable throwing high roundhouses already, as those will tire out the arm if the opponent shells on them. I'm sure you can think of a way to force your opponent to shell.

[@artofmartialcinemaamc5334]

@@EdgieAlias True but he was just trying to explain a more practical and very effective version of it.

[@Whosyourdaddy21]

There’s an axe kick variation where you do it straight into the thigh muscle. Alex Pereira used it in kick boxing.

[@mauricioramirez8892]

In sparring…

[@VictorGalarza-ok5jq]

There are some people who give you a lot of power and it serves them well. You are very right. In the end it all comes down to practicing and trying. Thanks to professionals like you, we learn and the learning curve is shortened a little.👍👍👍

[@nr1NPC]

Look at Andy Hug. He was an expert of the axe kick

[@borgy7085]

Gabriel talked about him@@nr1NPC

[@JM-rc2wt]

Super video all the kick you described and mentioned work great!! IN THE MOVIES!! Period!!

[@dasmarkopo]

Besides front kicks and roundhouse kicks which are bread & butter, the spinning kicks (back kick & spinning wheel kick) can be really devastating - but I agree not a technique you would throw all the time. I think anyway it can be useful put some time in maybe spinning kicks, then you have something to surprise your opponent with. But, sure put almost all effort to basic tried techniques, that should be your base.

[@nr1NPC]

Wonderboy, Glaube Feitosa, Andy Hug.. are great examples of using these kicks in ways that work. You just need to practice a lot

[@guitarbarbarian]

I love the tornado kick. Not acrobatically gifted, lots of bad attempts. I finally nailed it. I wouldn't use it competing, but it's the only flashy kick I've got. I also follow it with "road house!"

[@bunnyofdoom4501]

1. Ortho stance, Left leg switch kick lands to body 2. Place left leg behind in southpaw. 3. Use momentum to spin into right leg tornado kick to head. But GV is right. Oppt needs to be frozen so use when they linger on ropes.

[@elserpientethechamp2122]

Amazing video as always Gabriel, keep up the great work!

[@superbaobao6830]

Every kick has its own beauty and has been successful. Only a few could master it and apply from situation to situation.

[@danborggren6608]

When we have sparred in kyokushin, and maybe in sport jujutsu, crescent kicks are used in order to pull down the opponents guard (aimed at the lead hand) in order to create space for a punch to the stomach/solar plexus.

[@jasonlewing3239]

I agree overall. I have effectively used a tornado kick, but not how it is typically used to close distance. If thrown at close range, it can serve as a feint for a spinning back kick/turn kick. My opponent either dropped their guard to defend their stomach or stepped back . Either way, they leave themselves open to the spinning roundhouse portion of the kick.

[@seanfrancishenry]

I've had success with the tornado kick, just gotta set it up with a hard spinning back kick or two early in the round. Throw the tornado later, when your opp flinches to the expected back kick, it opens up the head for the tornado.

[@goblue358]

Fabricio werdum hit travis brown with a flying side kick and it was amazing

[@youngwarrior9362]

Pretty right. One thing I've found with the tornado kick is it'll never land but if you do a hook kick right after people don't see it coming. Fun in sparring but yeah a bit too energy consuming

[@FaridYM]

i agree on the axekick using it as a solomove, but if you use it in a punch combination from nearby, the opponent usually doesn't see it coming....And you can aim to break the shoulder instead of targeting the head. For the cresent kick i use it more as a wake up/bitchslap to distract the opponent

[@Andyofwasa]

Francisco Filho once kicked to my guard with crescent kick and I am very sure he can generate power enough fior KO. But he is a extremely high level heavyweight fighter.

[@Gh0st_0723]

Th crescent kicks are actually good, not for hitting the face but its great for knocking down someone's guard In kickboxing. And then following up with a cross. I haven't done it in full combat but ot does work in sparring. Your results may vary

[@TaeSaoDo]

1. jump spin heel kick "helicopter kick": I pretty much agree with this. Even though you can generate a lot of additional power if done right, I think there is more of a risk of ending on the ground compared to the spin hook. I also tend not to throw it sparring out of fear I will hurt my training partners as I can't control it the same way as I can a spin hook 2. jumping/ flying side kicks: I agree with the point mostly. You can potentially land one on a person who is backing away but isn't far away. However, outside of competition This kick can be extremely useful attacking someone who is engaged with someone else. Imagine I see someone being assaulted at a distance and I need to run to intervein. If I'm already running and already going to engage, a flying side kick can end the threat very effectively. 3. Axe kick: I agree 99%. I don't teach to throw axe kicks with rare exception of a grounded opponent on their hands an knees that I don't want getting back up. Even then I might prefer a snapping kick depending the the angles and openings. The occasion I would ever need such an attack is extremely unlikely. Every point you made about the effectiveness and easy of defense are completely right. It is high risk with little reward. 4. Crescent kick: I throw mine with stronger rotation then any that were demonstrated, however I don't generally use them as an attack. I occasionally throw them to an opponent who is at a distance and keeping their hands low. It is harder to see coming than roundhouse and a little faster, but the chance of getting caught is decently high and I would only use it sparring when the leg can't be caught. With that said I actually use mine to create openings against someone with a longer guard. I will kick the wrist or elbow in order to set up an actual attack. I have a whole video on it. 5. tornado kick: This one I disagree with. It is all about the set up. The spin can be used as a fake spin side which can be blocked differently than the round house or hook. I got hit with a good one in a tournament because I went to defend the side and by the time I realized that it was a tornado instead, it was to late. Had I covered for the roundhouse and the side kick would have came I would have got hit by that. Simply moving away as you mentioned does solve this, but I tend to fight close and prefer to move in and pressure. Combine that with with a fighter who is good at evasive fighting and a tornado kick becomes and viable options that can be devastated.

[@kounaboy7011]

Can you do a video on kicks used to move, lazy versions, checks, arched back kicks, Flore kicks, and falling over kicks. I see more rejected techniques from legs, that's why active fighters connect with their arms.

[@kaizenproductions00]

I use straight leg crescent kicks as a leg warm up

[@wingoreviewsboxingandmma3667]

When Fabrcio Werdum flying side kicked Travis Brown right when the fight started 😅 that was awesome

[@ItsMeBatmanlol]

I agree with you 100%! Title is a little clickbaity though lol I’ve seen all these techniques work in both mma and karate brackets, but for effective use of it like you said is not worth putting too much time and effort into.

[@nervedown666]

Great Vid!

[@JayZumOwner]

Totall agree. Axe kicks are more of a danger to yourself than your opponent, in my opinion. Mostly because of the possible knee injuries, but also because you have to be very flexible to pull it off, it is no use against taller opponents and the attack is rather slow compared to other kicks.

[@franciscusvdlouw5436]

I found it worked as a follow up from a snapping front kick

[@leavemealone2006]

Not to mention that if the kick is blocked, your balance is really compromised more so than with many other kicks.

[@danielhounshell2526]

The spinning round kick is more so about using the spin to fake a different kick. Usually when it works, the person's gotten their opponent to expect something like a spinning back kick, then they use the spin to fake that and go high with the round kick.

[@ramondiaz2851]

I started out with 130 kicks & now I am down to 30 kicks !!

[@MarcosLacombe]

I've seen people manage to set up tornado kicks after throwing a few spinning back kicks to the body. If your opponent is expecting a kick coming in a straight line to the body but suddenly there is a kick coming in a circular line to the head, it's a kick that comes out of nowhere. And the thing is that people consider that the tornado kick is too slow because it takes a long time and the opponent has a chance to react, but if you set it up after a spinning back kick the actual time of reaction is between realizing that it's not actually a spinning back kick but in reality a tornado. I'm not saying that it's something super useful and consistent, but, if we're going to judge it, we might as well judge it based on the best use of the kick, not the worst. Otherwise it's like saying that a spinning hammerfist is useless because it's slow when in reality it's always used in specific situations where you can disguise the spin and time it well, not something you simply throw out of nowhere at any time during a fight.

[@SkarryTerry]

I just shadow boxed with this idea. And it works. Especially with throwing a back fist after a spinning round house. I train to bring my leg back, no spinning around, when I throw my round house(Muay Thai checking) so my opponents don’t take advantage of my back. But it’s good to put some sugar and spice into any move! 🎉

[@JohnnyLynnLee]

SAenchai do CARTWHEEL kicks. This video is full of myths.

[@JohnnyLynnLee]

and he is so out of touch of what he himself is saying that he uses if it's used on UFC as a standard for this working or not and Michel Pereira uses Capoeira guess where? At the UFC!

[@francoislachowski7006]

​​​​@@JohnnyLynnLeeyeah we rather believe you than Gabriel Varga who is a 6 time world kickboxing champion, and michel pereira is not a good example he has 28 wins and 11 losses. He lost almost 40% of his fights

[@francoislachowski7006]

What competition you talking about are you talking about high level kickboxers in one fc?, glory kickboxing, k1, lumpinee, ufc bellator, pfl or just some amateur kickboxing tournament or some crappy unrealistic TKD tournament where only kicks are allowed and the TKD players have really bad defense?

[@Atius8]

The crescent kick is viable in the clinch. I've seen Thai boxers pull it off when they don't completely turn over their foot for a round kick. It also has a very low flexibility requirement compared to a roundhouse head kick.

[@punlovingpacifist]

The only two kicks from this video I train or ax, kick and tornado kick the ax kick. I only use as a sort of goofing around thing like you said, and tornado kick. It’s very rare that I even use that anyway but when I do I already have a clear shot for it same with the ax kick not only do I use it when goofing around but if I see a clear shot for it, like if my opponent is not very effective with blocking, which has happened a few times, then I might go for that, but other than that I don’t really train any of these other kicks.

[@FSuixo]

Oh man... back in the day in a street fight. A big clusterfuck of a melee a dude way bigger than me runs and throws a flying kick. I duck, grab his leg midair twist and throw. It was a thing of beauty. The guy stayed there in the asphalt

[@Seraphoverpheonix]

From savage the reverse frontal or crescent kick in karate is a good elevated from front kick. And tornado kick it’s a good elevated from side kick. Most people won’t see the crescent kick coming especially if you constantly using the front kick

[@taekfute]

Throw the axe kick to the nose, or circle it up and bring it diagonally down on the chin

[@petertapola8097]

You can put more power to crescent kicks. Just turn your hip over. You can also do it from jabbing distance or even closer if your mobility allows.

[@Josue_Cristobal]

I’ve seen at least a couple KO’s from axe kicks in Shidokan and Kyokushin full contact karate. I think it can be very effective especially since it comes at a totally unexpected angle. It’s hard to get a lot of power on the down swing but it can definitely be perfected. I half way agree with you about the crescent kick. I think throwing inside crescent kicks is a good way to damage your knee if you actually land it. Not to mention it leaves you open to punches. The outside crescent on the other hand is a very sneaky move that you can hide a straight punch behind. I saw this work in a UFC fight that ended in a KO. Look up Mark Weir vs Eugene Jackson. Also Anderson Silva was fond of lead leg outside crescents, which is the only way they should be thrown in my opinion. You’re absolutely right about the helicopter kick. It’s nothing but wasted motion and energy and if you actually manage to land it on any part of your opponent’s body, you’ll probably end up falling on your butt. Also, any decent fighter should see it from a mile away. There’s no upside to it. It’s purely for movies and forms. The running-jumping side kick is a move that can only possibly be effective at the very beginning of a fight when both fighters are approaching each other from distance. Fabrico Werdum only kind of pulled this off in a couple of MMA matches and it didn’t contribute to the outcome of the fights. I think the tornado kick can be effective in the same way a spinning back fist can be effective. If one strike misses, you use the stored up momentum to throw another. That being said, it’s still a highly risky move and considering it requires total body commitment, it leaves you open to a lot of counters or simply your opponent moving away. I think Michael “Venom” Page is the only guy to ever get a KO from one but I could be wrong.

[@Adrianfytr46]

Shidokan! I haven't heard or read that word in a long time. I love watching old fights and those are classics, along with the Kyokushinkai, and there's another competition but I can't remember the name. There was three rounds of different rulesets. Maybe you might know. Ahh, the Eugene Jackson Mark Weir fight👍very nice how Weir closed the distance with that kick to land that straight punch. You are a man of culture. Anyways, I love throwing Axe kicks when sparring but they never land haha.

[@Josue_Cristobal]

Haha. I don’t know if I’m a man of culture but I grew up loving martial arts and I was addicted to any form of REAL fighting I could lay my eyes on. I always held up Shidokan as an example of a mixed rules event and how exciting that can be. I wish they had gotten bigger than they did. I remember seeing Shidokan on PPV in the 90’s and it was like Budo MMA. I don’t really know of any other event that duplicated that style.

[@jamescooke7243]

the axe kick is amazing. fully opening your legs exposing your testicles as much as possible while facing your opponent.

[@ianslugg8573]

I like to use the axe kick more for knocking down their lead hand to set up a 2.

[@BrandonButaneBute]

An *axe kick* imo is a precursor to remove guard and counter that's the only reason to use an "axe kick" but if you miss you get countered easy. So it's really a thing to do to disrupt patterns.

[@ViralHitHobinYoo]

Although you definitely make some good points, and I don't want to argue with someone who probably has more years of experience than i have life, but i think that some of these kicks can be of use, if done correctly. Tornado kick as a distance closer and counter, and almost all of the others as straight up kicks, or feints. I still very much respect your opinion and your channel❤️💪

[@patrickrichard5948]

Bear in mind, Gabriel is not saying that these kick cannot work. There are just other kicks that are much more likely to produce the desired results. Of course, you COULD axe kick someone, but you could also do something else that is statistically more likely to work, and thus, more effective.

[@OldBadger1]

Kick #4 is actually a blocking , deflection, kick against a spear, long stick or large knife (wrist).

[@shane7103]

In Werdum Vs Brown in the UFC Werdum opened with a jumping side kick, landed it too

[@mattiaslarsson5868]

Hi, I used to train kickboxing intensevly back in the day. One training session I got knocked the fuck out from an axe kick during sparring. I'm a stark testimony that it is indeed a powerful kick 👊. Great channel though, thanks Gabriel.

[@shadowjoker830]

As a TKD ITF Black belt with a lot of experience in kickboxing and MMA I would have to agree mostly, except for the "Tornado kick", which you could go in my profile and watch me land in a Sanda competition. Done effectively it could be very confusing and a great feint, however I would not recommend it over other kicks, because ALL jumping kicks/attacks require unreasonable amount of energy for a potentially small reward.

[@SenraethX]

I agree that crescent kicks as explained are indeed weak. Improving it with the hip turn is what unlocks its strength, and additional vulnerability for the user. But it does hit like a brick then. And it makes for a great way to mix up the entry of an axe kick; convert an in-out crescent into an axe to catch those tricky folks trying to duck it

[@staarfajter922]

I actually landed the jumping side kick. When the opponent is backpedaling alot you can close the distance with the jump. Although the jumping sidekick when you have the feet mostly on the floor is safer and more powerful. And if the opponent moves sideways, you can abort this kick halfway unlike the jumping one where you fully commit by jumping in the air.

[@jonathangidlof7412]

I agree but Andy hugs axe kick were a thing of beauty

[@robinj6997]

I agree with all. Buuut I will still practice them haha. There are som instances when they can be used. A outside crescent-kick is weak, but it can be thrown from very close distance, directly after clinch, which can be an unexpected setup for something more powerful. An Inside crescent-kick can have hip movements. When you make contact with the target, you shift into a diagonal axe-kick and drive your hips forwards, it's kinda like an push-kick towards the floor. The axe-kick we were taught as a defensive kick: let the opponent walk into the kick, and then drive the feet into the ground. The idea that they will pivot backwards around their COG and fall backwards. Like running into a branch, but the branch kicks you to the ground. The tornado-kick is probably least useful. The case would be if the opponent flea from a turning back-kick, then feinting a back kick and throwing a tornado can be used to close the distance and make contact. The jumping hook-kick was also taught as a defensive kick. If moving backwards is the only option, while backing up: jump and sweep the general area where the opponents head is. But I don't compete, so it's just backseat kicking. But there are fun to do

[@EpiphanyMindChange]

Ace kick should come down at an angle across the head or neck to knock them down by having their body follow their head. Also, that twitch of the head might cause the dizziness or K.O. like kyokushin fighter Andy Hug.

[@volentipugnum4045]

I agree with all of this. The jumping kicks are just for fun, board breaking routines or demonstrations. However, the axe kick and the crescent kick are great to get people off of you. I wouldn't lead with one, i wouldn't use one to try to win a match but sometimes the way an opponent backs you up, the quickest move is to throw an axe kick or an outside sweeping crescent kick to get them to flinch and back up. It's just a segway to follow up with a real kick combo.

[@markmessi9020]

I use the hatchet kick to set up my teeps and lead leg round kicks for orthodox. Its kinda like the superfoot thing, but more thai style. It sounds awkward but i promise you it works. At least for me it does

[@gosunflower]

Bruce Lee himself apparently advocated not using any jumping kicks during sparring and reserved them for his films, according to his notes/books

[@moe5796]

i use the crescent kick as a fake to prepare for a side kicks. That works like a charm but in sparring not sure if it would in high level

[@Buri8128]

I won a match/got points with a tornado kicks in the -80. I still remember the feeling 😅 when my foot hit him. It was TKD meets/challenge kungfu competition. 1000 tickets sold. Those were the days.

[@slayemin]

I think the problem with a lot of these flashy kicks is that either you telegraph whats coming too much, or there just isn't any power behind it (ie, crescent kick). The last kick is just a disaster waiting to happen. You turn your back on your opponent, you're up in the air, you can get dizzy, you can lose your balance, you telegraph what you're doing, your opponent can rush in or step back, and it can be lights out for you -- all for what? a flashy kick with little power and low pay off?

[@originalAoitora]

There's a clip on KZbin of a jumping side kick in action. It's from a football match and the attacking player takes out the goalie and a couple of seconds later out of nowhere one of the goalies team mates comes flying from off screen with his side kick. It's a bit funny because it's so unexpected/shocking.

[@justacontrarian]

Growing up on JCVD films, I prided myself on learning how to do his techniques, esp., the helicopter kick. I have to keep that in my repertoire because it's my favorite technique and a symbol of my eventual self-mastery.

[@rtrilla]

Don’t forget Werdum vs Browne. That was a big flying side kick by a big fella

[@LightBender777]

Check out Ignacio Capllonch he did all this stuff and was extremely effective. Also, Did you forget about the flying sidekick Fabricio Werdum landed on Travis Brown to open the fight?

[@madthevillain]

The Saenchai cartwheel kick lol coming from Bboy/breakdance background I’d throw this to style on someone during playful sparring

[@sauhardyasarkar6427]

Behold! The truth is spoken! At last someone is talking about reality!

[@Zer01211]

These kicks are meant to be unpredictable, it's like a 1 in a million where you actually find them useful

[@bennyaruba3449]

Heard of Andy Hug, Francisco Filho, Mirko Cro-Cop or Kyokushin Karate?

[@Cuchulainncuchulainn]

Fabricio Werdum landed the jumping side kick in the face of Travis Browne

[@tontoeducadoeducatedfool.8800]

Gabriel, i think you are underestimating the potential of these kicks, i think these are situational kicks, what i mean with this is that these kicks are useful right at the start of a round or at the very end of it, they can be used to faint and make your opponent worry about it so you can use it as a psychological tool, if it lands it's gonna be awesome for your highlight reel and make you lots of money if it ends in a KO, but in general, can be mixed up with other techniques.

[@annonymous498]

I am new training Muay thai , the other guys are hitting me to hard sometimes. What can I do ?

[@444neptune9]

tell them to tone it down and focus on defense

[@michaelcluverius1296]

I've seen a big guy get knocked out by a crescent kick when the guy was using the heel from the outside in and it's executed slightly differently than a normal crescent kick, but he knocked the guy out cold, accidentally, and he was the smaller fighter. I found a new appreciation for the technique lol. But it starts down low and shoots at an angle up high usually masked by a jab and set up by a pump fake front kick and jab earlier. I still don't practice it, though lol.

[@stevenshar1233]

It's not that the flying side kick is "bad", it's just that there's a better version of that technique. A lead leg sliding teep with your foot in a side kick position is a very effective technique.

[@ElDrHouse2010]

I think a lot of Karate dojos teach the axe kick first because it helps you develop flexibility for the high kicks that you get taught later. Thats the only reasoning I can think of. Because I do use axe kicks to warm up before kicking the bag.

[@Jujitard69420]

similar too the scissor sweep from bjj for developing the ability to move correctly and base other techniques off of

[@dirtpoorchris]

This is true sometimes I kick and land my heel gently on top of my fridge as a stretch and this is basically an axe-kick.

[@camilopalma1223]

I think the tornado kick is effective when is used in a counter-attack, in the moment when the opponent is throwing the kick you can land it, i have see it in tkd tournaments btw but not in mma

[@USCaiden]

I think it’s effective for how much traffic you can make with and the distance you can take up with it. You can also use it for counters as you said. You Could also set them up very well!

[@ItsMeBatmanlol]

Look up MVP highlights, he has used it to a very high level

[@henrysevern]

I learnt these kicks practicing martial arts back in 1970’s, spent years doing them. Back then I had doubts that these kicks actually worked in a real combat situation and looking back I wish I done boxing instead and spent longer doing Judo.

[@brauliochavez2231]

you can practice them less, but more arsenal means more options, which isnt always good, you should definetly have a " to go " arsenal, but once you have your high levevk arsenal, you could implement something alse that may not be a knowout blow, but it may be the transitioning move you were lacking, or the psychological factor advantage you wanted etc. ( also axe kick can be great if you are good with frontal snap kicks )

[@ZombieJitsu]

Werdum’s jumping front kick was 🔥

[@Tuwanina19]

Alex pereira is owning calfs with the cresent kick. They say his low kick is deceptive cuz he doesnt rotate it. Cresent kicks can bust up the knee cap, i am keep it in my arsenal, but understand where you are coming from

[@joshuasi4599]

What do you think of the Kyokushin Heel Kick / Gedan Soto Kakato Geri ? Had a lot of success using it in the clinch during muay thai sparring striking the thigh, but I've almost never seen it used in any proffessional fights.

[@vanzabala7960]

Tornado kick is supposed to be a finisher kick, if the opponent is getting wobbly and about to knockdown theres a higher chance to put them in a cold sleep if executed properly, that extra spin before round kick is a boosting power.

[@dirtpoorchris]

Eh, if someone is wobbly I can throw 3 KO punches in 1 second :D But i seen some pretty damn good sucker-kicks with tornado. Its good to have in the back pocket just like a good spinning backfist that moves forward a bit to catch the sucker.

[@ramondiaz2851]

The Ax kick almost broke my knee using it!