defence against gedan mawashi geri

[dethhead]

hi everyone, gedan mawashi geri is a very effective and common technique in sparring but i was wondering how i block effectively against it and what are some good counters?

i always block by raising my knee but some people in my dojo block with their arm (usually an open palm block) but i think thats wrong as i dont kick as hard as i should and a real kick would hurt the hell out of their hands.

opinions?

[seienchin]

I initially started out blocking gedan mawashi by the "lift the knee into the kick" technique. This is OK when teh person isn't kicking hard, but with a well-timed kick you can get a very bruised knee.

Over time, as I got sick of being hammered, I actually found that the best defence against gedan mawashi is to just get the leg out of the way. If you are light on your feet (and we must all strive to be), you can switchfoot or slip away almost as quickly. The knee block then becomes the second line of defence.

I would never recommend using a hand to block or parry gedan mawashi. 2 reasons:

1. You are likely to hurt your hand
2. You may well get baited into dropping your hand by a more skilled fighter, who then actually delivers a jodan and knocks you outl.

So my advice is keep mobile, and just don't be there. Nothing wears an opponent out more than having to keep throwing kicks that simply don't connect with anything.

[Satori]

Originally Posted by dethhead

i always block by raising my knee but some people in my dojo block with their arm (usually an open palm block) but i think thats wrong as i dont kick as hard as i should and a real kick would hurt the hell out of their hands.

Not only could blocking a kick as powerful as a gedan mawashi geri with the hand lead, in extreme cases, to the arm breaking, it also opens up the possibility of feigning a gedan mawashi so that the opponent drops their guard, then exploiting the opening and landing a more valuable technique.

Checking the leg is a good idea, but try not to do it all the time as you can set yourself up for sweeps.

A good counter is to kick the supporting leg during or immediately after the opponent launches the gedan mawashi. This is best done when your kick comes from the inside.



This will make your opponent fall on their back if executed well with correct timing. I hope my diagram makes what I'm talking about a little clearer.

[nzproud]

Nice Satori san.

1
Well it depends on the situations but try to keep your hands up even if you are recieving Gedan geris. Because some fighters can alternate the height of where he kicks. So one can kick to middle then he can drop it or kick to Jodan.

So have your hands up and lift your leg up to block the gedan with your shin or something. But also be aware of getting your body sweeped by the Gedan geri. If your opponent decides to kick under your blocking leg his kick will connect to your other leg, which will make you fall on the ground.

2
Also try out what Satori san said. That is an advanced technique.

3
You can take the gedan geris on purpose by tightening your thigh muscle, this way you can minimize the damage of the kick. But in exchange try giving your opponent shitazuki or something.

osu.

[nzproud]

Originally Posted by dethhead

i always block by raising my knee but some people in my dojo block with their arm (usually an open palm block) but i think thats wrong as i dont kick as hard as i should and a real kick would hurt the hell out of their hands.

I wouldn't recommend it as some fighters can flick their kicks to the head while you are trying to block their kick(supposedly gedan geri). You know what will happen.

[eamoncramb]

i think what satori said about kicking the supportingleg is the best way but it takes sum time to get used to it and is hard at first butis very effective once mastered

[boldbhoy]

Sometimes it's hard to kick the supporting leg, depends on the weight you have on your targeted leg.
Using the hands as a block? Not me anyway, I like playing golf too much!!
One guy I know just keeps going forward punching like hell, he doesn't even
block the gedans! He actually wins almost all his fights. Admittedly he trains like a beast, perhaps that may have a bearing on the outcome? lol.
Just a really good example of "playing to your strengths"

[DKKC]

Depending on the gedan mawashi and the person delivering it, I sometimes just keep my foot where it is and just pivot to take the thigh out of range or more into the rage of the kick, basically just changing the impact point. Pivoting out of the range of the kick means that even if contact is made this is very weak and pivoting inside the range means that the contact happens sooner than expected by the attacker and this can throw them out of ballance and makes them take a longer step back while my bodyweight is moving forward (hope this makes sense). Again - depends on the kick and on the attacker.

[eamoncramb]

ive also seen a very advanced technique tht francisco folho used alot


the front leg that is getting the kick comes up does a yokogerie

so the oponet is also of balance from missing the target then gets wacked in the face luvely

OSU

[eamoncramb]

Originally Posted by boldbhoy

Sometimes it's hard to kick the supporting leg, depends on the weight you have on your targeted leg.
Using the hands as a block? Not me anyway, I like playing golf too much!!
One guy I know just keeps going forward punching like hell, he doesn't even
block the gedans! He actually wins almost all his fights. Admittedly he trains like a beast, perhaps that may have a bearing on the outcome? lol.
Just a really good example of "playing to your strengths"

who is this tommy ian shihanmartin who ?

[kakatootoshi]

Some people also step-in and punch to the opponent's suigetsu just before the gedan mawashi is gathering its power.

OSU!

[eamoncramb]

i dont think my last post was clear i ment who keeps comin in and doesent block is it shihan ,ian,...........who


OSU

[boldbhoy]

Osu Eamon, it's wee Derek from Newburgh. Not sure if you remember him? Osu!

[eamoncramb]

is he really built i think ive seen him ionce hes pritty gd

[boldbhoy]

Small in height, but absolute dynamite!!

[Martin H]

Originally Posted by dethhead

i always block by raising my knee but some people in my dojo block with their arm (usually an open palm block) but i think thats wrong as i dont kick as hard as i should and a real kick would hurt the hell out of their hands.

Never EVER block a gedan mawashi geri with your arm or hand. (especially seiken gedan barai). That is a very good way of getting your hand/arm broken.
I learned that the hard way.

Low kicks are blocked by leg blocks. or by stepping into the kick, robbing it of its power. Its not perfect, but is better than ignoring the kick entirely as it comes
Sune uke (shin block), mae or soto/uchi sune uke are prefered. Always block as high up on the opponents kicking leg as possible, above the knee if possible.
Ashi-Dome, basically checking the opponents incoming leg with a yoko geri or mae geri (once again preferably just over the knee if possible), works fine if you can time it well. I cant, so I stick with sune uke .

[bushido spirit]

for ma self i would block it by rasing my knee but not high that he might kick the leg in which am standing on that will cause me falling all over >_< , i know its kinda pain full when u spar hard but come one ppl !!! thats the reson why we all joined full contact karate isnt it ^_* besides i just like it when i bruse my chin or any part of ma body i just feel like i did sumthn i realy spared .................. KIAAA !!!

[seienchin]

Another technique that I have been taught, and have used selectively is to deliver a gedan punch into the thigh of the kicking leg, using the opposite arm.

What I mean by this is - they are kicking migi gedan mawashi - aiming to hit iether of your legs.

Basic rule of fighting - whenever their migi leg is off the ground, your hidari hand MUST be covering your head...leaving your migi hand for whatever you want.

In the technique I am describing, you punch downwards using that migi hand, while the hidari hand keeps covering the head. You aim to impac about 6 inchnes above the knee while they are midway through the kick...it corks the thigh, and can even hyperextend their knee. Because you are meeting the force of their leg as it moves, it combines their force with the force of your punch. It is a bit safer than blocking, because you are above the knee, so the speed of the leg (hence the damaging capacity) is lower. It takes a lot of practice, and I would not recommend this as a primary defence. However, it is a good little extra to have in your back pocket (Hmmm Gi's don't have pockets, but you know what I mean) when you are finding yourself hammereed, or they are reading all your other moves. It is also not suitable for a very tall fighter to use on a muich shorter fighter - as they will be stooping to get to the leg. it works best with those people who lift their knee high to drop the gedan mawashi onto the top of your leg. It doesn't work so well with people who come up from below, because you can't reach their leg.

I found it was a good technique to use against taller people (where the top of their leg was at about my chudan height!!)_, but you have to be a bit choosy.

(It also works at other levels of kick, and then the height differential is less important).

[Bloke]

Sune Uke and the blocking leg should come out to meet the attacking leg thus minimising the risk of the sweep follow through.

[boldbhoy]

Osu seienchin,
The guy I referred to earlier in this thread sometimes uses punches to the legs to great effect. Thanks for reminding me. Osu!