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Last Updated on July 19, 2024 by Paul Clayton
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How to Choose the Best Kick for a Street Fight
Kicking can be helpful in a street fight. It allows for a more extended attack range and is much more effective and powerful than traditional punches.
But I also want to disclaim that you shouldn’t kick in a street fight without formal martial training. The untrained person wants both feet squarely rested on the ground, and attempting to kick will likely cause you to wind up on the ground.
On the other hand, if you have some self-defense training, you can quickly end a fight and effortlessly disable the opponent using a kick (s).
This brings us to the question: what’s the best kick in a street fight?
Key Takeaways
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- Kicking in Street Fights: Kicking can provide an extended attack range and more power, but formal martial training is essential to avoid self-harm.
- Situational Dependency: The best kick varies based on the fight’s context, your fighting style, and your goal (immobilization or intimidation).
- Techniques and Power: Use techniques you are well-versed in and can execute quickly and powerfully. Low kicks are generally safer and more practical in street fights.
- Targeting: Understanding anatomy can enhance the effectiveness of kicks by targeting vulnerable areas like the groin, knees, and tibias.
Best Kick in a Street Fight
Based on my martial experience and self-defense knowledge, I can authoritatively say 
there’s no “best” kick for street fighting.
Let me explain.
Street fighting is situational-dependent. The best kick will depend on the situation and your
fighting style. Your choice of a kick will also depend on your motive. Do you want to immobilize the opponent or intimidate them?
You also need to understand that a street fight setting is entirely different from the training space in your local dojo.
First, street fights aren’t fair. There are no referees to regulate the match. There are also no rules, meaning you’re allowed to use any means or illegal techniques that would otherwise earn you a suspension from your martial arts school.
More importantly, the street fight setting is nowhere near your dojo’s. There are no cushy mats, a ring, or a hardwood floor. Instead, you get grass, sand, hard floors, and rocky, uneven ground on the street. And then add that you’re not wearing your traditional karate gi. Instead, you’ve oversized boots, tight-fitting jeans, and a T-shirt.
You’ll find that most techniques you consider will lose their importance and efficacy in a street fight. You could use them, but there will be severe limitations to your traditional fighting style.
How to Choose the Best Kick for a Street Fight
In this section, we’ll dig deeper and look at how to select the best kick that will suit your street-fighting circumstances.
Situation
Consider the context and situation when selecting a kick technique for a street fight. This usually depends on each encounter and the persons involved.
Generally speaking, a street fight doesn’t give you much opportunity to prepare or do much anyway. Unlike in the ring, where two people square off and throw kicks, most street fights are usually explosive and unpredictable.
Ultimately, depending on your situation, the key to selecting an effective kick is training on different techniques and adapting them to the situation.
For example, a sidekick is a great technique when pushing your attacker away, while the front kick is perfect when your opponent is far from you. Meanwhile, a roundhouse kick may be helpful when the opponent is close enough.
Technique
The best kick is one in which you’re conversant with its kicking technique. I understand power and speed are essential for any technique, as are good technique and proper form.
Whether it’s a front, roundhouse, or sidekick, the best kick has much to do with what you’ve trained and are comfortable throwing quickly, accurately, and consistently.
Therefore, when selecting the best kick to use in a street fight, consider one you’re well versed with. It might not be the best martial art, but it’ll work for you because technique multiplies strength.
A weak kick, but with proper movement execution, will cause as much damage as a powerful kick.
In particular, I’d suggest you consider kicks that use explosive strength. But rather than hitting your opponent with strength, try to hit through them. That’s technique. Kicking about six inches behind your target is an excellent way. It’ll inflict maximum damage.
Power
As much as technique is important when selecting the best kick, it’s also essential to consider the kick’s strength. A technique without strength is beautiful but ineffective.
In my mind, it’s pointless to kick your opponent if you can’t kick the shit out of them.
The best kick for self-defense should have power. It should also be easy to deliver with speed. A powerful kick, delivered quickly, is much more efficient than a weak and slow kick.
*Kicker: The most potent kick is the one you give on your first attempt. The element the body uses to deliver the maximum power kick only lasts 10 seconds. After that, the body uses considerably less strength. Every kick after that is exponentially weaker until the fifth minute when the element is regenerated.
Therefore, your first kick should be, ideally, the last. It should be powerful enough to deliver a blow that will make your opponent think twice about getting back at you.
Low Kick
The best type of kick for a street fight is a low kick. The perfect kick should not go higher than the hip joint level.
A cleanly high kick is impressive and may intimidate your opponent into backing off. However, I’d only recommend a high kick in street fighting if you’re sure of your ability to pull it off and recover if it doesn’t come off cleanly.
The danger with a high kick is that most are generally slower since they have a lot of distance to cover. High kicks also leave you exposed and vulnerable during delivery and retraction. Environmental factors such as crowds and obstacles may make it harder to execute a high kick.
On the other hand, the low kicks are usually the safest best. A low kick is faster, leaves your feet more stable, and is safer to execute, especially in street fights.
Of course, this doesn’t mean you should never train or use high kicks, but you shouldn’t prioritize them in most fighting scenarios.
Not a Telegraphed Movement
The best kick in a street fight should not be telegraphed or have the least amount of telegraphing. Your opponent should not see it coming.
A turning kick is hard to see coming, while the bicycle kick has a dummy element, which works well to surprise and suppress an opponent.
Anatomy
Finally, the target is just as important as the kick. It gets easier to inflict damage on an opponent if you take the time to learn anatomy. Depending on the situation, a “less powerful” technique could give you results if you know where to use it for your target.
For example, the groin is usually sensitive for everyone. Just because women lack balls doesn’t mean they can’t get hurt down there. A good kick to the groin will hurt anyone.
You must also learn other weak points in your body to target with your kicks. Joints and bones can be weak; the easiest joint is the knees. A powerful, hard kick to the side of the knee can tear your opponent’s ligaments. The tibias and interior of the legs are also some of the body’s weak points.
Best Kicks
There’s a lot to consider when selecting the best type of kick. But from experience, several kicks tick on most of the boxes mentioned above.
Oblique Kick
The Oblique kick, also known as the Jon Jones, is powerful and efficient. It’s a stomp kick to the knee and hurts enough to stop the aggressor in their tracks.
If done at a good angle, the oblique kick can dislocate a knee, and because knees a fragile, you should be overly cautious because you could ruin someone’s knees and fuck up their lives.
Muay Thai Roundhouse
If I suggested only one kick, I’d vouch for the Muay. That Style is low roundhouse to the inside &outside of the legs and shin areas. It’s a power kick that can whittle your opponent’s ability to throw a kick or even stand.
Of course, Muay That Roundhouse requires a lot of practice and shin conditioning. However, it’s a potent technique, especially for the opponent who doesn’t know how to defend.
This video has been included to clarify the topic. Credit goes to fightTIPS
Wrap Up
Choosing the best kick for a street fight requires careful consideration and preparation. To make an informed decision, assess your skills and proficiency in different kicking techniques. Consider your training, experience, and comfort level with various kicks.
Analyze the situation by considering space, environment, and the number of opponents you may face. Opt for kicks that offer versatility in different situations, allowing for quick execution, adequate power, and minimal exposure. Focus on kicks that deliver significant impact and are more likely to disable or incapacitate your opponent, targeting vulnerable areas like the groin, knees, or head.
Balance power with control and accuracy, striking with force while maintaining balance and the ability to recover quickly. Regularly practice different kicking techniques, seeking professional guidance from experienced martial arts instructors or self-defense experts. They can provide valuable insights, training, and guidance tailored to selecting the most suitable kicks for street fights.
Prioritize your safety, effectiveness, and legal considerations while staying aware of local laws and self-defense regulations. By considering these factors and engaging in regular training, you can make an informed decision and choose the best kick for a street fight.
The Roundhouse and Oblique kicks are, in my opinion, the best kicks in a street fight, but they’re not magical bullets. Street fighting is dynamic, unpredictable, and unfair, so you can’t always rely on these kicks.
You also need to train in other self-defense techniques, which will allow you to adapt your fight to the situation.
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