feet — heuristicmaps.com

小戳脚 xiăo chuō jiăo — little poking feet

see-ou chew jee-ou (pronounce “ou” as in “how” or “now”)

A) overarching goal

for me, like everything self-defense, its all about grinding, not quick wins.  at the start, i would have zero knowledge of opponent health, strength, speed, endurance, and skills.  i can only test, study, and adapt.

in all martial arts, the most important and typically neglected element is stance and footwork -- often referred to as your "root".  if i can disrupt your root and/or rhythm, my odds of winning go way up.

therefore, my full kicking focus is on constant and continuous poking, harassing, unsettling, slowing, overwhelming, and maintaining distance.  and, integrating seamlessly back into my footwork.

above all, i want to delay, deter, ward-off, and survive; not hurt someone.  measured actions only.  only what i must, nothing more.  as i said, all about caution and grinding.

B) general thoughts

kicks are a trade-off.  in current use, they are powerful, but slower, telegraph more, have a higher training and health requirement, often require a lot of room, and leave you balancing on one leg.  some arts use them often in controlled fights (mma, kickboxing, muay thai), but many seem much more cautious in less controlled environments.  i think both choices are right, for their environments.

it appears most fighting arts (mma, kickboxing, ...), recommend setting up a kick with punches to disguise it.  other than specific situations, it seems kicks rarely begin a combo.  and, most kicks appear to be from the rear leg, switching stances is common to allow this.  i am an older, retired dude; not a beacon of athleticism ;)  i need a kicking game not tuned for professionals under perfect conditions.

i do not aim to be a kick master, prodigy, or celebrated assassin ;)  my objective is to be ready to outfight my attacker on that one day (hopefully never).  i won't ever be a standout boxer, a great elbow fighter, or video-game martial artist.  but, a decent boxer that can kick as if using two more hands -- meaning quick, grinding, varied, and continually mixed in.  that just may give me a chance.

C) specific focus

my target environment is a 3 to 3 1/2' wide house hallway, a restaurant floor between tables, a narrow alley, maybe a jail cell, or next to a car in a lot.  then, add uneven, loose, and/or unforgiving footing.  i expect to be hurting, muscles a little tight, and tired, but want a consistent, mma/diagonal stance, on my toes, +95% of the time.  every technique needs to be possible in this situation.

i want more offensive options, but also limited risk, steady, high tempo, low space requirements, hard to defend, and very low telegraphing.  i want right-left, low-mid-high built into my grind.  i plan to keep my body level controlled (defensive movement focus) and not all over as most kicking requires.  high is boxing and elbows, mid is knees, kicks will focus exclusively on low (waist down).

also, focus on energy efficiency, like boxing.  kicks should be simple and quick.  most kicks are like jabs, not fight enders.  they must be quick, easy, high tempo, frequent, and low commitment.  safety first.  in fighting, adrenaline soars and people can unknowingly continue to fight with broken bones and torn muscles.  always play the longer, safer game.  brutal injuries are not always fight stoppers.

D) source materials

given this, i researched low kicking arts and found several that are explicit about it, not just say they have them.  i will use them for the base and add japanese front kick, thai leg kicks, and wing chun/jkd kicks.  my philosophical base will be chinese art of chuō jiăo (leg kicks for soldiers fighting in armor), translated as "poking feet" (chew-jyow) -- created in 1000-1100ad, northern song dynasty.

my kicks will primarily be root-breakers.  their job is to distract, frighten, unbalance, and weaken.  also, i must make opponents fear the middle, like a mean jab does.  so, my front snap, oblique tap, side tap, and chuō jiăo hammer must be well trained, fast, and hurt like a mf.  low torso and/or hip movement.  and, fast in combinations.  hard to spot, harder to block, near impossible to catch.

chuō jiăo started with 18 kicks as the base and built combinations.  given all the muay thai, kickboxing, and mma innovation, my base is 32 when technique and target are combined.  i did this because an oblique rake (on the shin) is very different than a chambered oblique (to knee joint) in actual use and practice.  i will add feinting and defense so almost every foot move could be a kick.

second great source, tán tuǐ (tahn too-ee) "springing legs" is a foundation for many northern martial arts.  possibly created by chinese hui muslims from xīnjīang (shin jong) and became a gateway form for students across arts -- shaolin, praying mantis, changquan, cha boxing, etc.  it teaches movement, foundational kicking, and balance.

E) hip engagement vs integration

most of the kicks chosen here have little hip turn/twisting !  only front snap, some side kicks, and thai calf kicks turn hips much.  the rest keep hips nearly neutral -- perfect for foot movement, joining previous techniques, defense, and the follow-up techniques.  they are say 60% power, but 100% integration with everything else.  most arts, kicks are more disconnected while power focused.

F) weapons of the foot (aligning 32 kicks)

ball              ball of foot                  7      (front snap/shuffle, chuō jiăo hammer/spike, tántuǐ spring, pin, inner crescent)
toe-cap     front of a shoe           2      (poke, chisel)
laces           top of foot                  5      (english, dutch, tántuǐ crook, thai calf/knee)
sole             underside of foot      2      (chuō jiăo mandarin duck, back stop/donkey)
heel             bottom of heel          3      (oblique stomp, side stomp, back stomp)
heel-cap    back of heel              4       (inside heel, back heel, axe, back hammer)
instep         inside of foot              4      (tap, stop, rake obliques, pereira calf kicks)
blade          outside of foot           5      (tap, stop, rake, snap side kicks, back tap)

in harsh circumstances where you must do either more or quicker damage, use the “ball of the foot” for english, dutch, and thai inside knee kicks.

G) targets of kicks (aligning 32 kicks)

bladder           3        (front snap, front shuffling, side snap)
groin                2        (english, chuō jiăo mandarin duck)
thigh inner      1        (dutch)
knee top          1        (axe)
knee inside     3        (tántuǐ crook, heel, inner crescent)
knee outside   1        (thai snap)
knee front       2        (poke, tántuǐ spring)
shin high         6        (oblique/side/back tap/stop)
shin low           2        (chuō jiăo hammer, back hammer)
shin all             2        (oblique/side rake)
calf sides        3        (thai snap, pereira-calf, back heel)
foot sides        1        (chisel)
foot laces       5        (chuō jiăo spike, oblique/side/back stomp, front pin)

H) ranges of kicks (aligning 32 kicks)

ranges are expressed here as distances between my center-mass to my oppnent’s center-mass. for instance, my stance is 24” x 24”, so the 24” range is called “ 2) toe-to-toe” as our toes are both 12” forward of our center-mass, i.e. touching. the longest boxing range (for me) is “4) long” at 36” range for a jab to still hit my opponenf from a stable stance.

our kicking ranges are from 2) toe-to-toe @ 24” to 8) poke @ 60”. that means most of these kicks (and the non-athletic, bread-and-butter ones) are 6” to 24” outside long boxing range. for reference muay thai calf kicks done with the shin are typically inside boxing ranges. this chuo jiao range advantage is very, very strategic and to be ruthlessly exploited.

8 x 60"   poke               really-far         poke and spring
7 x 54"   side                 far-far              side tap/stop
6 x 48"   oblique           far                    side snap, and oblique tap/stop, hammer, ball of foot thai knee
5 x 42"   front                normal            front lead snap, crescents, axes, ball of foot thai calf, inner heel
4 x 36"   long                close                chisels, dutch
3 x 30"   boxing            close-close    english, true muay thai thigh/calf kicks with shin
2 x 24"   toe-to-toe    really-close    stomps, rakes

I) kick inventory (32)

remember, these kicks are not meant simply for lightly dressed fighters in professional sparring rings; chuō jiăo was designed for armored opponents, so we kept the idea that they may be in steel reinforced work boots, heavy garb, shin guards, cup, or any other protection -- doesn't matter.  only a few strategic kicks benefit from light protection, most will get someone's undivided attention even armored up ;)

english              (1) groin with laces
dutch                (1) inner thigh 45° upward
front                  (6) snap, shuffling, poke, chuō jiăo hammer, tántuǐ spring, pin
oblique             (4) tap, stop, rake, stomp                 (toe out) aka chop/wedge/soccer
side                   (5) tap, stop, rake, stomp, snap      (toe in) don't require full side turn
thai                    (4) calf, knee, side of foot (chisel), chuō jiăo spike         prefer inside leg targets
axe                    (1) to knee (descending heel)
crescent           (3) to calf (horz with toe up) pereira-style, tántuǐ crook, inner crescent
back                  (4) tap, stomp, chuō jiăo mandarin duck to groin, stop/donkey
heel                   (3) to inner knee, heel to calf of someone behind you, back hammer

start with deepest foundation (2) the basis for true kicking (offense and defense)

- oblique tap (to upper shin) un-chambered swinging of leg

- side tap (to upper shin) un-chambered swinging of leg

then add, solid base (8) good variety of angles and distances

- front stab kick (semi-chambered) - to bladder/groin.  fast, powerful, and violent at long range.

- poke - un-chambered, flicking front kick to low knee; ranging and distracting.  john wick.

- hammer -- harsh, painful front kick using ball of foot to lower shin.  signature chuō jiăo move.

- inside dutch -- 45° upward kick to inner thigh.  very sensitive, very unsettling.  dutch kickboxers.

- thai calf kick -- quick, snapping-style, to upper calf.  both to inside and outside.  mma.

- english -- flicking, rising kick using laces to groin.  scary even if it misses.

- oblique stop (side chambered tap)

- side stop (side chambered tap)

J) target and height (85% knee height and lower)

only the front snap, side snap, english, and chuō jiăo mandarin duck kicks go above the thigh.  the inside dutch is the next highest at the inner thigh.  all the remaining 27 kicks are knee height and lower.  in a fight, the knee is almost always the closest target.  knees are strong, but people really, really fear knee strikes.  use that fear relentlessly.

K) individual kicks

english (1)
- english -- swing extended leg vertically upward, uses laces/top to strike target, like groin

dutch (1) this angle is used in dutch kickboxing (safe, harder to catch)
- inside dutch -- upward at 45° to inner thigh, kicking with laces (very sensitive)

front (6) high power, hard to defend
- karate stab -- front snap kick to bladder/groin (slower, but scary)
- shuffling stab -- front snap with a quick shuffle step (rhythm different enough to be unique)
- chuō jiăo hammer -- front swinging kick to low shin level that hits with ball of foot (big power)
- wick poke -- fast swinging leg kick to patella (knee) that hits with ball of foot (toecap if in shoes)
- tántuǐ spring -- fast and hard kick (ball of foot) like a poke but much harder
- pin -- step on their foot do it can not move quickly (setup in combos)

oblique (4) all with toes outward (all can be while pulling)
- oblique tap -- swing leg like a post, torso and leg inline, target high shin; no chamber (savate)
- oblique stop -- same general motion and target as tap, but chambered for maximum impact
- oblique stomp -- chamber and crush foot with heel
- oblique rake -- press instep against high shin, drag down shin

side (5) all with toes inward (all can be while pulling) forward or to actual side
- side tap -- swing leg like a post, target high shin; no chamber (savate)
- side stop -- same general motion and target as tap, but chambered for maximum impact
- side stomp -- chamber and crush foot with heel
- side rake -- press blade against high shin, drag down shin
- side snap -- more traditional side kick to bladder/groin

thai (4) roundhouse style kicks, with laces, snap not spinning (all can be while pulling)
- thai calf kick (inside scarier and hurts more)
- thai knee kick (inside scarier and hurts more)
- chisel -- kick to instep/blade with toes/ball of foot, would be a nasty destabilizer
- chuō jiăo spike -- twisted to drive ball of foot down right on laces -- signature chuō jiăo move

axe (1) coming down vertically, hitting with heel
- axe -- coming down on knee

crescent (3) arcing upward across body
- pereira calf -- raised to outside, sweeping across with toes up, hitting calf with instep
- tántuǐ crook -- raised to inside, sweeping across with toes turned out, catching behind knee
- inner crescent -- leg swings inward then out, kicking inner knee with ball of foot

back (4) target is behind you
- back tap -- short, chambered kick with heel to knee behind you (oblique with toes out?)
- mandarin duck -- kick/up sole or heel to rear, target is groin
- back stomp -- to opponents foot with heel
- back stop/donkey -- longer kick with heel to rear (oblique, toes out) to stand off, goal is reach (STOP KICK)

heel (3) using heel-cap not heel, but never turn back towards opponent
- inside heel -- horizontal to inside knee
- back heel -- calf kick to rear
- back hammer -- heel-cap to lower shin of person behind you

L) adjustments for sparring

all sparring can be dangerous.  its about control.  it takes significant time and practice for boxers to learn to control their speed and force.  its completely unnatural to moderate under pressure.  feet are worse as people use them far, far less.   end result, kicks don't get enough sparring time.  so we must adjust the kicks slightly to help limit damage and make sparring more survivable ;)
   --  no english
   --  light flick on the dutch (needs practice for angle and openings)
   --  front poke, just flicking the hammer, and teeping the front snap (never lock out)
   --  oblique tap (not stop) and oblique pin (vs stomp)
   --  side tap (not stop) and side pin (vs stomp)
   --  thai calf kicks as snaps and calf only (not knee)
   --  definitely use chisels and pereira crescent kicks
   --  front pin