Martial Arts & legs . A friend of mine told me that 70% of martial arts , use legs to fight . Why ?

Question

Any reason ?

Answer 1

Unless you're legless, 100% of martial arts and martial artists use their legs...

Not to be a smart alec, but you did not specify as to what capacity. Being a practitioner of southern methods of Chinese boxing, I seldom kick, but there is a HUGE amount of emphasis placed on proper stance and rooting.

Answer 2

I don't know about other martial arts, but since I spend a lot more time using my legs for evading attacks and running away from danger the first chance I get, I'd say any martial art that doesn't use legs in a fight will lead to a lot of dead martial artists in a real fight : P

Answer 3

This is only true to some extent: of that 70%, only a few, like TKD, TSD, long fist styles, etc., use them extensively. Other striking arts, like most karate forms, use kicks sparringly, and almost all grappling styles use no strikes at all.

There are two reasons for this: while slow and telegraphic, a kick can generate four or more times the amount of force a punch can. Second, many styles use them in sportative competition because they are awarded more points, not necessarily because kicking is practical.

Answer 4

All martial arts use the legs heavily, as the majority of ther power for throws and punches comes from the hips.

Answer 5

It's not that martial artists fight only or even mostly with thier legs like some brawling riverdancer. Yes most martial arts involve some forms of kicking, though that will differ based on the style and where it originated. However, that sort of statement usually refers to the amount of conditioning done with the legs for posture and stances as having the right posture can make the difference between fighting and flailing.

Answer 6

Well firs of all your friend is wrong. Theres no way of telling but if you look at the size of the muscles in your leg and then in you arm and comapre the reach it does make lots of sense to use your kicks although you use your arms too. I dont think there are too many martial arts that only use their legs.

Answer 7

the leg is longer and has more muscle than the average man/woman arm.

most if not all martial art use legs some how.

taekwondo uses arm techniques but about 60% leg and 99% legs in competition. but most school focus on competition so the probably only train basic arm blocks. my taekwondo school it traditional and every self defence more is with arm because my teacher says no matter what arms are quicker than legs

Answer 8

Your friend is wrong. 100% of martial arts use legs to fight. Whether it's kicking, grappling with them, or just footwork.

You ask why? Because they're there, and it would be stupid not to..

Answer 9

Because without legs you can't move very well.

If you have legs you use them!
Martial Arts is a whole body activity. Legs are used in balance, movement and leverage.
Legs are huge factor in striking as well as grappling!

Answer 10

Because he must be taking Tae Kwon Do and that is their philosophy.

In real life, MOST Martial Arts DO NOT use 70% of their legs...that is a TKD thing and what makes them predictable in my eyes. I have never lost to a TKD person in my life career that spanned from 1978-1997.

So that is why he more than likely said that. He would be correct for TKD but not for my style and many other's here.