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Black Tiger
Black Tiger's picture
Anderson Silva - Leg Break

Viewer Discretion needed.

Many many "reasons" why this happened, even Bas Rutten has said its due to him kicking wrong.

What are your thoughts on this?

For me its Career End, once fit to concentrate on training NEW champs into the Cage of UFC etc.

there's Loads of comments and opinions of Facebook etc about it but would love to know what you guys think

mike23
mike23's picture

I believe Bas when he explains the kick technique and Anderson did probably miss his kick- we know he has been kicking peoples shins for years with no injury So what else could have contributed to the injury? His opponent used his knee to block the kick! Weidman said Anderson blocks opponents shin kicks with his knee so Weidman took a page from the Silva book and pourposely blocked with his knee! A devistating block!

Tau
Tau's picture

I haven't watched the YouTube video or seen Bas Butten's comments but I did stop up to watch the UFC live.

Weidman has said that he worked on that block due to how effective Anderson's leg kicks were in their first fight. He says it's down to anticipating the kick and lifting your shin up with it, so that the attacker's shin catches the defender's knee. It's largely about accuracy. He also sys his coach has already broken one leg using this method.

Recall also Corey Hill's horrific leg break that happened in much the same way.

As an aside, yes this is likely the end of Anderson's career. He was talking about retirement anyway and he's, what, 38 now? They talk about recovery time of 3-6 months but realistically how long would it take Anderson to get to his peak again?

Also, Weidman still has doubters as to his credibility as champion. My personal view is that Anderson's "baiting" is a perfectly valid technique in the same way as faking or drawing. He's done it many times and lured opponents into strikes. Weidman is the first person to have an answer to that technique. In the rematch he clearly won the first round. Weidman's as true a champion as anyone.

Back on topic, I was taught shin blocking in Kickboxing many years ago but my Taekwondo school frowned upon it almost to the point of almost banning my use of it. Several of my peers hated me using it. That just made me want to use it more!

jeffc
jeffc's picture

So many pundits are jumping on this incident and using it as a vehicle to debate whether low kicks are valid and the merits or otherwise of checking leg kicks.

First of all, leg kicks have been used thousands and thousands of times without the shin bones snapping in two, as in Silva's case.  Second off all, these same kicks have been blocked with shins thousands of times without the leg snapping in two as well.

Sports injuries such as these have happened many times before, in circumstances such as landing into a long-jump pit, jumping to catch a rugby ball and being impacted by another player, football players on the receiving end of tackles and sometimes just as a freak result of putting your foot down (I am thinking specifically of Djibril Cisse's second lower leg break that happened just as he was running on the football pitch.)

Usually these breaks are caused by a build up of tiny stress fractures of the shin that are not even noticed by the person and all of a sudden, as a result of some force put through the leg, the shin snaps.

As much a contributing factor to the leg break as the actual kick and the shin block, would have been all of the running, pad sessions and heavy bag sessions that would have undoubtedly caused stress fractures to the shin that were never allowed to heal properly, thus weakening the shin bone.

In summary, the actual cause of the break is due to a number of factors.  What is most important is the recovery of Silva.  I would like to send my best wishes to Anderson Silva, a quality fighter and martial artist, and I hope you have a successful and speedy recovery.

Jeff

Black Tiger
Black Tiger's picture

Jeff

I applaude you, that is exactly what I was thinking, a big OSU from me