The crescent kick

Do you remember in Billy Jack when he and the older man were standing in the middle of town and they said something like this? “Why are you smiling?”

Billy Jack’s reply was, “Because I’m going to take my left foot and put it up side your face and there’s not a damn thing you can do about it.” With those words (I was paraphrasing) Billy Jack proceeded to do just that. He brought his foot up off of the ground brought it around in a circle and passed it through the target. In other words he slapped the old guy upside the head with a crescent kick.

This kick is circular in nature, hence the name crescent kick and it comes in two varieties, the inner and outer crescent. Lets go over how we throw these kicks. Well start by throwing the inner crescent kick from a forward stance off of the back leg.

The forward stance is a deep stance and if executed properly it’s hard for your opponent to pull you off balance. To get into a left forward stance from a ready stance, take the left leg straightforward the distance of two shoulder widths. The right leg should be straight, the feet pointed forward, the left knee is bent and directly over the heel almost as if there were a steel rod driven through the knee and out the heel, the hips and shoulders are square with one another, the back is straight. The left arm comes up in front of you with its fist closed. This fist will be held just below the eyes and parallel to the left shoulder. The right arm comes up held horizontally across the body the right hand held in a fist touching the left elbow. The arms change positions when walking the line and we do not use this guard during a fight. Its purpose is to help the beginner to hold their balance and get them used to switching their guards.

To check your stance, simply place your right knee on the ground make two fist with your hands. From your right knee to your left heel should be four fist widths distance. Another name for this stance in certain martial arts styles is the walking stance.

Now that you’ve assumed the left forward stance; your going to be striking the target with the inside area of your right foot. Bring your back foot up and around to the right in a full circle as if you were attempting to kick someone in the head but trying to avoid their guard. Bring your foot thru the target and place the foot in the same spot as before. Speed is the key to power on this kick and the only way that you will develop the speed is through regular practice and stretching.

With the outer crescent kick you will again assume the left forward stance. This time we will be striking with the outside or “blade edge” of the right foot. As before we will throw the kick to the shadow warrior’s head. Bring the kick up again but this time in a full clockwise circle and carry it through the target and place the foot back on the deck in the same spot from which it came.

In some styles you will be taught to keep the knee straight when you throw this kick, and in others to bring the knee up bent until you have the knee at the correct elevation and then to straighten the leg in route to the target as you sweep the leg to the side. You will have to try it and see which is most comfortable to you. Remember though, whichever method you decide to employee will not produce satisfactory results unless you practice repeatedly until it becomes second nature.

Most beginners are headhunters who almost always want to throw the kick at their opponent’s head. They never even consider other targets such as the guard so they ignore a splendid way to open an opponent up to a hand technique. This is done by knocking the opponent’s hands to the side with one of the variations of this kick.

A few of these variations are the forward inside or outside crescent, which comes off the front leg while in a fighting stance. Since it comes from a shorter distance, it is a faster technique than the original crescents.

Another popular variation is the hoping crescent. It also comes off of the front leg but is preceded by a small slide or “hop” towards the opponent. The kick can often take out the opponent’s guard and allow you to then attack with either a series of hand or foot techniques. This is especially effective if you have made a couple feigns to the head before hand.

The crescent kick is a versatile foot technique that makes a great addition to any martial artist’s arsenal. It kick can be thrown from the front or rear leg with equal results but each way has its own distinct advantages. When it comes off of the front leg is faster while the rear leg will have more power. Both types can be used as an actual strike or as a set up to an attack.

As with any technique, pick your targets carefully and remember don’t be a single shooter. Learn to throw not only more than just one technique but also to remember that you have two hands and feet. Many beginners will only use their stronger side, which is usually the side closest to their opponent and leave the backhand or foot just being there for decoration.

When sparring, plan your attack and set your kicks up. Disguise and deception along with a healthy dose of speed are the keys to delivering a kick to the opponent. Train hard as if your life depended on the technique, as it very well may be some day.