Kicks to Opponents Elbows

[tkdman]

this is very comical to me.... after practicing TKD(wtf) for over 25 years. for all the suggestions how to prevent kicking elbow.... I wonder where the true martial artsist are? no matter what style you practice there are risks with different techniques. The low roundhouse in olympic style TKD competion is thrown as often as a jab in boxing.... the kick when executed properly should be thrown to hit below the floating rib.... which if you put your elbow at your side and put you hands up in a fighting position..(the only way an elbow hurts when you kick it because point is exposed) the elbow is higher than your target area.... now given the fact few people deliver a roundhouse correctly.. as some here have indicated if you fully pivot ........ you will come at the target at a 90 and the point will not be exposed.... when you break down what your trying to accomplish with this technique you want to hit the body at a slight up angle to drive the wind up and out of the lungs... the reasons for the target area being below the floating rib......... anyway I could go all down on a roundhouse in sparring application.... If I had a $ for every elbow I have hit I would be able to pay off the national debt...LOL now what I do I tape your feet before sparring and lots of ice afterwards (if hitting an elbow)..... hurting your feet in a kicking martial art is the same as hurting your hand in a boxing match.... BOTTOM POINT Sh*t happens suck it up and be a True Martial artist................just my 2 cents

[MichiganTKD]

Suck it up

To a point. Granted, accidents happen. However, speaking for myself, I hate contacting elbows. Given a choice I will learn from my mistakes or the other guy's strategy and adapt to that. Some people will use their elbows to block your kick, either middle or high kicks. The best response to that is to adjust your step, technique, and reaction time so that even if he throws his elbow out, it doesn't work.
Best example of this I can think of: in some sparring matches, a fighter will turn his body with his elbow sticking out so that when you execute a roundhouse, you not only contact his back but nail his elbow as well. A good response to this is to fake a kick as a step. Then, when he turns to nail your foot, hit him in his stomach with the real roundhouse. You have to be fast so that he can't nail you on the second kick.

[osopardo]

.... I wonder where the true martial artsist are? no matter what style you practice there are risks with different techniques. ..... hurting your feet in a kicking martial art is the same as hurting your hand in a boxing match.... BOTTOM POINT Sh*t happens suck it up and be a True Martial artist................just my 2 cents

"This public service announcement has been brought to you by the Joe Frazier School of Punch-Drunk fighting. Remember, kids, don't bother trying to perfect your techniques to avoid getting hurt. Just hunker down and get in there and accept as much punishment as you can possibly handle"

Dude, the topic of discussion is (or should be) how to avoid the elbow block when you're throwing the roundhouse to the ribs, not how prove your toughness by taking the block.

Yes, I throw it below the floating ribs in an upward angle.
Yes, I sometimes catch the elbow.
No I don't accept that as inevitable. I try to develop, and am always interested in hearing from others, ways to getting my kick in without getting countered.

BTW - The correct treatment for soft tissue impact traumas of this type is to alternate ice with warm packs every 20 minutes. If you use only ice you will restrict blood flow to the affected area and your body will respond by infusing the area with clear serum and inflammation.