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Zach Zinn
Zach Zinn's picture
How do you do knee strikes?

Curious about this. I originally learned two knee strikes that I remember. One the basic hiza-geri, usually aimed around groin level, maybe to the abdomen, then a kind of roundhouse knee that ends up going to the inside and outside of the legs, like a close-in version of a low roundhouse. This is pretty much what I've always trained, as I can do them as I age, and they seem the most practical choices to me. With an actual partner/opponent I have awlays favored head and arm control and kind of kneeing from the side angle, rather than the plum clinch type use.

However,  recently I've been watching instructionals recently to pick up the Muay Thai style knees and clinching for fun on the heavy bag, I'm wondering how people incorporate knee strikes into their curriculum, do you use Muay Thai style attacks coming off of the plum clinch, as well as that kind of stirking, do you do something else, or do you do a combation of the two with your students?

Wastelander
Wastelander's picture

My Sensei liked to mix in all kinds of knee strikes--rising knees, thrusting knees, roundhouse knees, knees that "flap" in from the side, even dropping knees--so I tend to work a wide variety, as well. As for the clinching aspect, I tend to mix that up, as well, since you never know for sure how exactly you'll end up tying up with an opponent. Plus, sometimes it's fun to just blitz knees into the bag :P

Jeb Chiles
Jeb Chiles's picture

These are some of the Clinch/Knee drills from last night.

All the best

Jeb

sarflondonboydo...
sarflondonboydonewell's picture

I have used them when very close in to the inside of the upper leg by the knee cap to buckle the balance, with only a slight strike with the knee. I am not keen on how the knee. tends to be used that of kneeing into the body during a clinch, the body area can be quiet tough especially if someone is wearing a heavy coat.into the groin. If you get it right one is game on but can hit the lower stomach, in the chaos of combat is difficult

Zach Zinn
Zach Zinn's picture

Thanks Jeb, that's good stuff. When I had an in person class that was much how we would approach handfighting and kneeing. I really enjoy your videos.

Sarflon: I agree completely. Lower line knees don't look cool, but I am fairly convinced they are a more practical choice for people who are trying to tilt their training in the direction of self defense.

I view it sort of like high kicks though, there is a benefit in terms of overall martial development to learning different athletic ways of doing things sometimes, even if they are less practical overall for one's purposes.