Dealing with an attacker who kicks...

Korean styles are very popular in the U.S. these days. The main characteristic of Korean styles is their frequent use of kicks. The logic is that the legs are stronger than the arms and longer. If you have ever been kicked hard you know that you want to avoid it if possible. For years I have watched others training. One thing is clear. Most defenders will back up when facing a kicking attack. Either they back up and block or the try to back out of range. It is human nature to move away from such an attack. On the practical side it is not the best course of action. When we are faced with a powerful kick we should move closer to the attacker. If you are are the correct distance when the kick makes contact you will receive the maximum power from it. By moving inside the kick you are able to deflect the kick, or jamb it so it does not develop its full power. Not only that you are in range to control the fight and end it quickly. A good example of such a situation is this. The attacker tries to execute a spinning back kick or spinning axe kick. As soon as the attacker starts to spin you should move in quickly. One effective method is to move in quickly and bump the attacker with your hip. Because you are inside the circle you are not going to get kicked. By bumping the attacker, you cause him to loose his balance. Now you can control the fight and end it quickly. To learn to do this is easy. It only takes an little practice. You do however have to be close enough to the attacker when he starts to kick. you also have to get inside quickly. If by chance you should make a mistake you will not get hit with the full power of the kick. Try it you'll like it. Don't be afraid of kicks. Learn to stop them before they can hurt you. By the way I love to work out with martial artist that kick a lot. It is really fun to watch the look on their face when I continually defeat every kick that they try. Most can't believe how fast they end up no the floor. After all if they have been training a while they are use to the defender being afraid of the kicks and trying to back away.