subject: Three Street Fighting Martial Arts Tricks That Don't Work Too Well! [print this page] I've taught for over forty years, and I've seen street fighting martial arts moves that work, and martial arts moves that don't work. Of course, I haven't seen everything that isn't going to work. It seems like there is always some idjut that will invent a new move that doesn't work.
To start with an odd one, I don't recommend a front kick or side kick to the head. People dodge that one and throw you just by flailing their arms. On the other hand, if you do a flying kick to the head, or a spinning kick to the head, it can actually work.
I've actually seen it happen on the street, and the reason it worked was because it shocked the crap out of the guy being kicked. He honestly was confused by all the body motion happening. Of course, he obviously didn't know martial arts, but still, if you practice it hard enough, you might be able to make it work when the guy doesn't know what he is doing.
I don't recommend footstomps not because they don't work, but because a kick to the knee is better. It's easier to pull the foot out of the way than it is to move the knee if you're standing on that leg. One has to lift the knee and shift the weight, and that tells a person what is coming.
On the other hand, you must learn how to do a knee stomp effectively if you're going to make it work. Don't lift the foot (your knee) too high, because, again, the fellow will see it coming. Try doing it old style, lifting the knee just high enough, then slamming it out.
I don't recommend take downs if you're not experienced. Too many people see the MMA and want to do the body slam, but those guys in the ring have many years of experience, they know what they are doing. They know what to do if the takedown turns into a rassle down.
They know what tricks to do when they try this technique on the street. And, they know enough to get away from the takedown if the situation isn't working for them. Really, though slamming the body is so outrageous, those guys in the ring only use it when they can get away with it, or when that is the only strategy that that will work in a situation.
Okay, I know there will be fellows with arguments against what I've said here, and there should be. After all, everybody comes from different styles and have different martial arts training. Still, you can use what I've said here as a basis for figuring out what works for you when it comes to using street fighting martial arts techniques.
