What's Up With Justin Gaethje's Nasty Calf Kicks

[@GabrielVargaOfficial]

How do you like that calf kick to slip combo??? That's super unique 🤓 If you'd like to work on improving your own technique book your virtual 1-on-1 training session with me. For the next few weeks I am offering a limited number of privates to work on your techniques, weaknesses and to help you improve your overall fight game. Book here: GabrielVarga.as.me/

[@char4s]

Great breakdown. Certain thai styles teach that you always want to lean in to your kicks, knees, etc.., never away from them in order to maximize power via usuage of your own bodyweight - so that lessens the need for a pivot, which can also leave you out of position. :)

[@logandwyer8727]

Some things I’ve noticed about good calf kicking. Gaethje is incredibly good at timing is kick as people step in. Leading to all the damage and stumbles from opponents. Not pivoting makes it faster. He also doesn’t snap his kick till he makes contact. A lot like your close range body kick you thought a week or 2 ago. Also when defending calf kicks it seems that stepping out into it even with your shin is quite ineffective. Pulling your leg back or stepping and turning your shin is preferred way (Aldo). Calf kick range also kinda depends on height as well. Shorter fighters don’t have to lean down as much. And the calf is a closer target then the thigh making a better range weapon for them. Also love seeing gaethje use his calf kick slip to lord a left hook. So cool and weird.

[@angeljimenez9909]

Amazing expert analysis of high level technique in a professional environment. Love these analysis episodes!

[@GabrielVargaOfficial]

Glad you like them!

[@coopermarion547]

It reminds me of Icy Mike's shrimp kick, I think that's the name, focuses a lot more on placement and using the kick in super close/to get into close range vs how he blasts them at the thigh. Cedric Doumbe kicks sorta like this also on his low kicks and it let's him get off a lot more than the average and keep targeting the same areas which tends to add up better than less but more powerful ones

[@AhesTheDre]

Gaethje kicks, with his lean forward and to the side, and underpivot, reminds me of a soccer kick. Another interesting example of unorthodox kicking style, is Fedor. He describe himself as underpivoting on purpose, and instead kicking with a forward motion of the hip, and not a rotation. He was trained under Ernesto Hoost. Great break-down.👍

[@elijahantony4300]

5:58, he doesnt pivot on the foot because he switches the position of the foot itself and follows through with the kick instead of pivoting the foot. So when he hops into the kick motion, the standing leg before landing into the hop switches from toes facing the opponent to a 9 o clock position.

[@rylewmma553]

Definitely looking forward to Marlon Vera vs. Sandhagen

[@amaanz8933]

This is the best Justin Gaethje calf kick breakdown. Keep up the good work man!

[@ShiftyBTW]

i preferred this to his fight breakdown. thanks

[@seanhysong1223]

I love gaethje's style. Thanks for the vid!

[@danielcreed8520]

Nice breakdown, Gabriel! Here's a topic I often wonder about: Do you have any "A-ha!" moments during training? I love to hear about students who feel they haven't been making progress for a few months, but then, one tip totally levels up their game! I often feel that way too. Any ideas?

[@gerym341]

Gabriel, thank you for this very informative breakdown. Excellent video.

[@fatcat3211]

As a kickboxing guy I do enjoy watching Gaethje's striking. It'd be interesting to see him in a K1 style kb match.

[@fernandoruiz5794]

Hey gabriel, what is most interesting for me is your opinion on why don't muay thai/kickboxers use this weapon. I've heard many reasons but I think is mainly cultural, the same way leg locks were not used in jiu jitsu until recently because they were considered dirty

[@borgy7085]

Some muay thai guy said, because of muay stance, for them, it is much more ez to block that

[@judgegerald1275]

They also don't score that high in muay thai

[@buckets3628]

@@borgy7085 this sounds most plausible because mma usually stand further and are more often on their front foot, for obvious reason.

[@canismajoris6733]

​@@borgy7085 it is easier to block naked low kicks but more sneaky ones will still be hard to block 😊

[@Pinpadprompts]

I just think that they have so many fights that the shin damage would just accumulate too quickly and for that reason they are culturally frowned upon. There is a reason Gaethje only fights twice a year.

[@jacknorton839]

Loving this new content Gabriel! Thank you!

[@PHATT_TV]

Excellent breakdown! Makes me appreciate the techniques even more

[@stevenshar1233]

Can you go a series on fighting in open stance and close stance?

[@Nergal123]

You mention “underpivoting” which is true but this is not an uncommon technique amongst dutch kickboxers like Ramon Dekkers to just step at an outside 90 degree angle with their lead foot to add more power to their rear foot without pivoting, and I believe this is what gaethje is doing with his “no pivot” kick.

[@hectoralpucheruz7095]

Yup because it's not a pivot it's a step they step Dekkers was little more subtle about this like Gaethje but if you look at Ernesto Hoost he did the same but he stepped harder and even more on an angle to target sometimes more the backside of the leg

[@AleksandrsBrodie]

Awesome as usual

[@maniblondelly]

Example 42069 that there are no hard and fast rules in fighting, only what works for you and that theres a time and a place for everything. Fantastic breakdown thanks

[@Bozzenheim]

Wonderful breakdown as always! Gaethje's leg kicks remind me a lot of Ramon Dekkers'/Ernesto Hoost's leg kicks back when they were in their primes. Those two absolutely demolished people with just kicks. And I think it all makes sense that Gaethje kicks like that, because Pat Barry kicks the same way, and Barry himself was a student of Hoost in his K1 days. Interesting to see the coaching/technique lineages going in time.

[@huwhitecavebeast1972]

They don't look anything like Hoost's kicks.

[@smashonlamez]

I heard that these kicks hurt so much but are also so dangerous for the user that the rotation is not necessary Bc you might shatter your shin if you miss or they check it.

[@derschutz4737]

Do you think not pivoting can be advantageous for longer fighters? Izzy was saying that Pereira not pivoting meant he had no telegraph to go off of compared to a normal person's technique and he just couldn't see the leg kicks coming.

[@adrianbiersack8544]

Between round 1 and 2 trevor wittmann told gaethje to control fizievs feet, can you do a Video on this also please? Great work keep it coming please!!!

[@__azzzul__]

Thank you 🔥 🔥🔥🔥

[@alexanderhermes6408]

Thank you!

[@aaronamour6101]

8:10 Gabriel forgot to place a cut there I think. Holy wow that was a cute way of reminding yourself to place a cut though.

[@andrewf6111]

He hits like a ford escort going 40 mph.

[@51dodoc]

And the moment he will leave the UFC for a better pay we will hear: "Justin is scared to fight" -Dana

[@1smg346]

​@@51dodoc nah not with justin he is a dog he's fought all the dangerous fighters and damaged them he must be respected!

[@badwerds]

I find even though the foot doesn't turn the bit of extra momentum from going forward and dropping will add some power. Also what some other guy said in the comments about the dutch kickboxing thing

[@huwhitecavebeast1972]

I wonder why we don't see the move from Muay Thai/Muay Boran called "Virun counter attack" used. It's an excellent counter to any level of round kick. I've done it in stick fighting, works well.

[@bigdaddygucciabg836]

If you are learning this do we not pivot as beginners or S beginners you learn the correct way and change it later for your own style

[@sshy153]

Somebody should send a link for this video to Dusting Poirie.

[@remyhavoc4463]

Why? Poirier mauled Justin Gaethje Wasn't even close 😂

[@sshy153]

@@remyhavoc4463 conor has knocked out Dustin in the first round and then lost twice. Usman vs leon is 1-2. That's why Khabib was afraid of rematches.

[@remyhavoc4463]

@@sshy153 bro what 😭 what does this have to do with anything I thought we were talking about Dustin vs Justin 😂

[@sshy153]

@@remyhavoc4463 i mean that the fact that Dustin has won the first fight doesn't mean he'll win the second one.

[@remyhavoc4463]

@@sshy153 ahhh but tbh the Usman Leon thing wasn't really necessary 😂 I disagree tho but we'll see Dustin is good and while he did fight a younger less developed (skill wise) Gaethje I think Dustin evolved a little more than Gaethje But it all depends on whether Justin has one of his dumb moments Like throwin an overhand to Oliveirs and falling 💀 Or his lack of grappling

[@NicholasGeschke]

Even Khabib said Gaethje's kicks were like getting hit by a truck. I can now see why.

[@bartangel4867]

interesting video

[@rayfurinkazan483]

Gaethje counters orthodox by being unorthodox. 😎😎😎 I think Gaethje uses the spring from his back leg to drive the low legkick instead of the rotation of his standing leg. Sometimes we use a low driving kick. Instead of "kicking"with the shin, we drive the shin onto the leg. The body weight and the explosiveness of the lunge forward gives the heavy damage. I have received the end of it in sparring and even in like 20% of the max drive of my partner, it still freakingly hurts! I think the concept is similar with Gaethje's springing low legkick.

[@pyro3446]

Gaethje's Kickball Calf Kick is his jab, he uses it or the threat of it to back up his opponent. Force the jab that he will be off line for to start his rear and lead hook combo hook same thing or he backs off to admire the results

[@PBas-qq4uh]

I noticed Liam harrison got his leg picked apart by calf kicks from Nong O, they are so lethal. It baffles me how they've only been bought about in the last 3 years, Id' be really interested to know if these were ever used before this because I've never seen it done and I've watched hundreds of hours of muay thai & K1

[@NA-oo4ls]

Nong-O took advantage of Liam’s tendency to rhythm step. It’s a bad habit.

[@PBas-qq4uh]

@@NA-oo4ls but how comes it's not been used before? Kickboxing, sanda, savate , muay thai has 8 styles historically.... How on earth all the years of combat sports and fight, attacking the calf has only just came about. It utterly baffles me.... i honestly dont think theres a single bit of footage pre 2020 of a calf kick, if there is someone show me please.

[@NA-oo4ls]

@@PBas-qq4uh MMA is the first combat sport with kicks where the best stance is understood to be fairly wide, so that there is weight on the front leg and where the front foot is the closest target. Muay Thai stance is strong against calf kicks with a relatively light front leg. In Muay Thai and kickboxing body kicks and leg kicks are the most direct line of attack, you have to get in punching range to kick that low.

[@PBas-qq4uh]

@@NA-oo4ls I was thinking that regarding the stance, but then I think its the same principal chopping the thigh. Be interesting to see if the calf was ever considered to be a target at any point in any of the other arts historically

[@raymondzellar5523]

Calf kicks just sound like they should be so easily punished by good checking. I'm sure it's more complicated than that but my check was often one of my most damaging techniques for my opponent.

[@KeyserSoze23]

Is it fair to say from a kickboxing standpoint Gathje seems quite raw?

[@cherryb0ng]

Really interesting. I'm not very knowledgeable because I never sparred in my life (yet) but maybe if fighters used wrestling or if strikers used Muay Thai stance they could be able to take advantage of the fact that he mever attempts the takedown. A killer technique that I've seen Muay Thai tuber Sylvie von Douglas talk about is blocking with the knee which definitely beats even the hardest shins. The only problem there would be that the height is super awkward.

[@cherryb0ng]

The knee as a blocking mechanism destroys shins but it's only deadly if it connects which is why it's more designed for protecting the hips and thighs, not the calfs.

[@ynghuch]

Are people still winning fights with calf kicks or are they just apart of the arsenal?

[@SprayNpreyT]

08:10 CUT!

[@dirtpoorchris]

Those duck n dive kicks are possible because he is effectively juggling his opponent, when he duck kicks he's stealing his opponents lead leg balance so it give him time to add that duck to his lean.

[@miteshsharma3865]

Alexander Volkanovski plz cover this topic

[@kevingray4980]

Someone missed editing out your cue clap😅

[@SprayNpreyT]

Twip! Style to counter kicks

[@chapulinski58]

another banger video gah dam

[@nobevjohnson5582]

I think the pivoting during kicks really is dealers choice. If you can generate nasty power without having to pivot much than why pivot too much and compromise your strong stance. Even a guy like Alex Periera, doesn’t pivot much but has power in everything he throws

[@insuchaway]

Had his fight with Khabib gone two more rounds, those Calf kicks may have caused real damage.

[@hifta7]

👌👌🙏

[@BigPoppaSufi]

His calf kicks are sexy

[@dirtpoorchris]

Lol those aren't kicks those are sledgehammers disguised as legs.