5 Best Tae Kwon Do Kicks for Self-Defense
If you can hold off an attacker with a kick, you stand a good chance of getting away unhurt. Think about it. Ideally, the best way to win a fight is to run away. After all, if you aren’t there they can’t hurt you. But, sometimes you are forced to defend yourself. Keeping the threat in kicking range means they can’t get close. This prevents them from hitting or choking. To better explain, let’s take a look at the five best Tae Kwon Do kicks for
self-defense.
- Front Push Kick
- Side Kick
- Back Kick
- Roundhouse Kick
- Front Snap Kick
The Four Ranges of Combat
The four ranges of combat are kicking, punching, trapping, and grappling. Each one increases the amount of contact between opponents as they get progressively closer to each other. Ideally, you want to keep your attacker as far away as possible — in kicking range (or even further).
Tae Kwon Do focuses heavily on kicking. When you take a class at Vortexic, we teach you how to read your opponent’s intentions and use kicks to thwart their attacks. Even if you have no interest in pursuing Tae Kwon Do as a sport, you need to learn how these defensive moves can make you less of a target.
The Defensive Posture in Tae Kwon Do
We teach you to position your body with your weak side forward and your strong hand protecting your face. This position allows you to launch any of the five defensive kicks without repositioning your body.
For instance, the front push kick is one of our favorites. As a person comes at you, raise your front or back knee, and thrust out your leg. The leg is powerful and if you are well grounded, you can force them backward — AWAY FROM YOU. This might present you with the opportunity to run. At the very least, it will throw them off balance and in the best case scenario, it has them falling flat.
Equally powerful, and essentially the same is the side kick. From the exact same defensive posture, you can neutralize a threat coming in from the side. Pull up the knee, exactly as you did with the front push kick. Only this time, rotate the hip and thrust out sideways instead of to the front. Generally, you have a bit more flexibility when pushing to the side. You can aim for the leg, chest, or head. All make excellent targets.
Ok, so that takes care of the guy coming at your from the front and the one that’s attacking from the side. But, how about the guy behind you?
Well for that one, we teach you the back kick. Just like the others, you chamber that knee. Then you drive that leg straight back, and kick the stuffing out of the person attacking you from the rear. Connect with their midsection and you drive the wind right out of them.
Tae Kwon Do’s Best Defensive/Offensive Kicks
“Great” you say. “But that only knocks them down. What happens if I am trapped and I can’t run away? Aren’t they are just going to get back up and come again?”
Well, maybe, unless you got lucky with one of those side kicks to the head and manage to knock them out. But, don’t worry, Tae Kwon Do offers two good defensive kicks that are also quite offensive (well, offensive to the bad guys).
The roundhouse kick generates enough power to literally snap bones or knock someone out completely. As you face your opponent in your defensive position, pull up that knee (do you see a pattern here?) and open your hips. Then you turn your leg into a whip and snap it into their leg, side, or head.
A roundhouse kick is hard for them to see coming. The leg moves in from their periphery. Often, you have connected just as they begin to catch sight of your foot. We teach you how to deliver the kick without telegraphing your intent. There are times when a good offense is the best defense.
The #5 or Maybe the #1 Best Tae Kwon Do Kick for Self-Defense
I’ve saved the front snap kick for last, because it can be the most effective (against men). You guessed it, it’s a whipping kick straight up into the groin — or the face. Both hurt, but I honestly think some men would rather get kicked in the face.
Ladies, you need to come to class and learn these kicks (men too). Basic self-defense doesn’t require fancy spinning, acrobatics, or a lot of steps. It just requires a few basics, which we teach at Vortexic.
A Serious Word About Self-Defense
Unfortunately, in today’s world, people need to know how to defend themselves. Always, the best way to stay safe is to run away. Fighting should only be a last resort. If you are forced to fight, Tae Kwon Do kicks keep attackers at a safe range. At that distance, you have a better chance of getting away.
Everyone can learn these five basic kicks. We teach them to all our students, and right from the beginning. Come and take one of Vortexic’s complimentary classes. Call us or just get in the car and come over. Let us teach you how to defend yourself and stay safe.
from
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