Taking out knees

[Rakyat]

Hi,
How hard do you need to kick a knee to take it out ? Is kicking the knees a practical self-defense technique that a woman can effectively use?

[BaguaMonk]

Depends on your positioning, and theirs, as well as the leverage you have. The Side kick, Thrust kick, and the "shin kick" (depending on the style there are many names for it), in which your foot comes out forward at a 45 degree angle while your body twists is a common method in gong fu. As for women, they shouldn't try it, a shin kick would be better to stun an attacker while she goes for groin, eyes, throat or runs away.

[zipwolf]

As for women, they shouldn't try it, a shin kick would be better to stun an attacker while she goes for groin, eyes, throat or runs away.

That sounds appropriate regardless of sex.

[scramasax57]

kicking the shin is painful and distracting and is a good way to open up more vital targets such as the eyes or throat, but not nearly as crippling as a knee kick. if you have the strength to successfully kick someone's knee, its an excellent choice. a good strong heel kick will rip the tendons horribly.

[John Noonan]

As for women, they shouldn't try it, a shin kick would be better to stun an attacker while she goes for groin, eyes, throat or runs away.

A solid kick to the knee is a solid kick to the knee.

I would train a good knee kick. If you catch an attacker with his leg extended, even a weaker hit can hyper-extend the leg and leave someone hobbling for a few seconds. If they have a decent sense of distance and/or timing, you may have to wait for an opening (them stepping forward to attack). The fact is that a leg (even a women's leg) is longer than an arm (unless it's Yao Ming trying to throw down). If you lean your upper body back a bit, and throw out a knee kick that connects with a front leg, you're about 99% safe from a simple punch.

[BaguaMonk]

I said it because I don't know many women who have the strength, flexibility, timing, and awareness to break another's knees. But then again I don't see many women seriously training in gong fu these days, I wouldn't know.

Also, that kick is also good for hitting the vital point on the inside of the calves, towards the middle of the bottom part of the leg (below knee) with your heel. I have never felt so much pain as when I was stomped there.

[scramasax57]

flexibility? most women i know are considerably more flexible than men who have been training the same amount of time. i can think of several female students at my school that could crush a knee easily.

[BaguaMonk]

Well I didn't mean flexibility as if in like "do the splits" flexibility. I think that is awesome, I don't seem many women martial artists with that type of strength these days. At least not around here, so kudos to them.

[scramasax57]

what kind of flexibilty were you referring to?