The Spinning Hook Kick

Dramatic UFC Knockout
A few weeks ago at UFC 142 the first spinning hook kick knockout in UFC history was landed by Edson Barboza against Terry Etim. You can watch it here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qfa5hoacoPs

It wasn't the first spinning hook kick thrown in the UFC, I've seen a few and a couple have been semi-effective, but mostly they don't work and look like crap.

Complicated Technique
Not that the hook kick itself is ineffective. If it's thrown properly, it's one of the most powerful kicks a martial artist can have in his (or her) arsenal. The torque of winding up your body and then rapidly unwinding, swinging your leg and foot at full speed, like a rope with a rock tied to the end of it, leads to a devastating impact...but only if you can put it on target.

But there's the rub--since it's one of the most complicated kicks in martial arts, it takes a long time to perfect and I believe most practitioners in the UFC nowadays, unless they have a background in a kicking art, just don't take the time to make it a decent weapon.

The Beauty of the Art of Kicking 
Flexibility (in your torso as well as legs) is key to spinning kicks, as well as leg strength, core strength and, of course proper technique. It takes time and effort. I came from a Tae Kwon Do background so kicking was our thing and I loved the beauty of the art of kicking. I still do.

The argument against spinning kicks is that they weren't effective, just a flashy move meant more for showing off than actual fighting. I knew better, having fought in full contact Tae Kwon Do tournaments where guys were trying to take my head off with a spinning kick. And I've whacked more than a few fighters with a well-timed spin kick that took them off their feet.

UFC 142, for me, was a vindication of the effectiveness of well-timed, well-executed spinning kick in a real fighting situation.

To all those who thought differently: told ya so.

I'll be 59 years old in a few weeks but I still love and practice the art of kicking. The video below is a movie I made a couple days ago of me practicing one of my favorite kicks. Yep, that's right, the spinning hook kick!