kicks to the balls

[Jimbo]

There is being kicked in the balls and then there is BEING KICKED IN THE BALLS !!

I've been kicked in the balls in the middle of fights and it wasn't enough to stop me and other times a tap is enough to knock me on my ass.

Now, a good kick that gets it done regardless of anything is the kind the injures pubic bone, now THAT is a kick !

This is the truth.

A lot really depends on the situation and the strike itself. No two situations are exactly alike.

I've been kicked/kneed in the nuts now and then over the years, on purpose and by accident, with various results. Most often, I've fought through it. Oddly enough, the absolute worst ball shot I ever took was while playing tennis; I was running to my right to hit the ball underhanded when I completely miscalculated its position and missed it. Instead, it shot right into my nuts. That one put my @ss on the ground, and I couldn't get up for what seemed like a long time. Obviously, at that time, my fighting adrenalin was not active, as I was neither fighting nor sparring. But it hit so perfectly that I probably would've gone down anyway, though.

[Kellen Bassette]

But, seriously, a lot of times...way too many...I wear a cup whenever I train with a partner these days...

[jimbob]

how much getting kicked in the nuts hurts depends on how strong you are mentally.

Holy Christ at this. Sign me up for the mental midget's class.

I've been hit in the nuts on occasion - 2 times with full on power shots. Once a kyokushinkai teacher missed my inner thigh with a leg kick and caught me in the nads instead. That was it for me that day. I was in too much shock to even puke.

Each time it hurt a lot. A lot. Maybe I've just got big sensitive stones, i don't know. I don't think I ever want to get hit there so often I stop noticing the pain.

[Kellen Bassette]

That was it for me that day. I was in too much shock to even puke.

Adrenaline plays a big roll, but there are times when the body just crashes...

Worst pain I ever experienced, I was about 18, and sparring with a much larger man. He punched me, knocking me down and dropped all his weight on one knee, punching me in the chest while I was on the ground. The knee came down on the frank, not the beans....I was still consciousness, but I couldn't see or hear, it took about 15 minutes before my hearing and vision were back to normal...

[Pete]

I don't have nuts but birthed three kids...beat that pain!

i just woke up...took me a few minutes to work that out, almost like an early morning riddle i'm sure a kick to the shins is more painful! just doesn't last as long lol

I wear a cup whenever I train with a partner these days...

i was considering just wearing a cup at all times from now on as i never know when it's going to happen! usually wear one in sparring but hardly get kicked there then

interesting points about different situations and reactions, i'm confident i wouldn't drop like a sack of **** if it was in a life or death situation, at least from a light tap!

how much getting kicked in the nuts hurts depends on how strong you are mentally.

Those who are most prepared mentally are the ones who have faced such adversity and proven to themselves that they can push through it. Prepare for the worst, hope for the best. Knowhatimsayin!

maybe i'll work on creating my first child before incorporating that kind of 'mental' conditioning into training

[GoldenBrain]

Ball shots can definitely hurt but as it's been said most of the time you can push through the pain and keep fighting. I've been kicked there a bunch and have a little boy genius so I don't think there's much to worry about after your stones heal.

I'd like to point out one thing that hasn't been mentioned. Most men grow up protecting their balls so even the amateurs who don't know how to fight will block that area pretty well. It's just natural. With that in mind I don't think it should be the first place to target in a fight.

[Syn7]

maybe i'll work on creating my first child before incorporating that kind of 'mental' conditioning into training

lol... I didn't mean to insinuate that it was something to be done on purpose. I'm just sayin... It happens. When it does you should try to get through it rather than just drop and give up. Anyone who has sparred has been accidentally kicked in the nuts. If you haven't, how hard could you be sparring? Inside leg kicks miss their target, it happens. If you call a time out every time you get fouled, then how prepared are you for a real confrontation or a sport fight, really? In sports, some fouls get by the ref. What are you gonna do? Give up? You should at least try to push passed it. Knowhatimsayin?

[-N-]

I'd like to point out one thing that hasn't been mentioned. Most men grow up protecting their balls so even the amateurs who don't know how to fight will block that area pretty well. It's just natural. With that in mind I don't think it should be the first place to target in a fight.

Many years ago, when I did Kenpo, it was mandatory for us to wear cups at all times in class. Groin shots were a common and even preferred target in sparring.

We made contact there in sparring and in partner exercises. Everybody knew when you hit the target because the cup would make a popping sound. Even if you knew you could get kicked, you couldn't always defend from it. One guy passed out from getting kicked so hard that his cup broke.

A few years ago, a Karate school I was working out with went to visit a Kenpo school for friendly sparring. The Karate guys all got dropped with groin shots, even the blackbelts. They grew up protecting their balls, but they still got dropped. The Kenpo guys trained for that target. The Karate guys didn't.

I had an adult student get dropped by a groin kick from a six year old during practice.

[Pete]

Knowhatimsayin?

yeah i get ya

although i was just play fighting with my shifu after class so not really a good test if i would drop 'on the street' or not but next time i hope i'll take it better lol

hmm thinking about nutshots i may have a few vids i can upload from sparring

I had an adult student get dropped by a groin kick from a six year old during practice.

lol!

[GoldenBrain]

One guy passed out from getting kicked so hard that his cup broke.

Ouch! It takes a lot to break a cup so I imagine that did hurt a bit.

Cups were mandatory in everything I've studied. In my last school it was a valid target as well, but we normally only use a kick to the groin as one of the counters for certain kicks such as roundhouse, side and spin kicks. The preferred kick to use for that counter is what we call a snake kick which is something like a front kick and crescent kick combined with the toe or top of the foot being the striking point. It's a pretty fast kick that sort of comes out of nowhere.

[Jimbo]

Many years ago, when I did Kenpo, it was mandatory for us to wear cups at all times in class. Groin shots were a common and even preferred target in sparring.

We made contact there in sparring and in partner exercises. Everybody knew when you hit the target because the cup would make a popping sound. Even if you knew you could get kicked, you couldn't always defend from it. One guy passed out from getting kicked so hard that his cup broke.

A few years ago, a Karate school I was working out with went to visit a Kenpo school for friendly sparring. The Karate guys all got dropped with groin shots, even the blackbelts. They grew up protecting their balls, but they still got dropped. The Kenpo guys trained for that target. The Karate guys didn't.

I had an adult student get dropped by a groin kick from a six year old during practice.

Back when I studied Kenpo, we also used groin attacks. My teacher not only used kicks, but also hand strikes (hard slaps from different angles, back fists, etc.).

Common counters to mid-or-high kicks included 'lift kicks', which were similar to low front or side leg raises coming up from underneath; a back heel snap by simply whipping your heel up with the knee down; if you parried his kick so his back's to you, a 'scoop' kick, which you extended underneath then sharply pulled back and upwards, using the instep and toes to hook his groin. To initiate, most common was the lead-leg round kick. The 'flip' kick could be either initiating or countering...keeping the knee down and flipping the lower leg to hit with the outside edge of your foot.

Often, when stylists from styles like TKD, TSD, Shotokan, etc., came in to spar, they would quickly realize how open they're groins were. Many of those other stylists were used to sparring without any thought to protecting their groins. Yes, cups were always a mandatory thing in our Kenpo school.

[GoldenBrain]

Common counters to mid-or-high kicks included 'lift kicks', which were similar to low front or side leg raises coming up from underneath; a back heel snap by simply whipping your heel up with the knee down.

Heel snap, or as I call it, slap kick works well to counter mid to high kicks. I like to use front kicks or snake kick from the center line in front and slap kick from the 45's to the outside.

Often, when stylists from styles like TKD, TSD, Shotokan, etc., came in to spar, they would quickly realize how open they're groins were.

This was my experience as well. It's kinda funny to watch that realization flash across their face.

Something I noticed TKD guys doing when they would come to our school is bouncing up and down just before they kick. It's a huge telegraph. I'm not sure if it's particular to TKD but I've seen it a lot so I just assume it is.

[-N-]

The preferred kick to use for that counter is what we call a snake kick which is something like a front kick and crescent kick combined with the toe or top of the foot being the striking point. It's a pretty fast kick that sort of comes out of nowhere.

Brendan Lai called that a side cutting kick.

[-N-]

Common counters to mid-or-high kicks included 'lift kicks', which were similar to low front or side leg raises coming up from underneath

First tournament I went to, I used that kick to catch a guy coming at me with a tornado kick.

[-N-]

Something I noticed TKD guys doing when they would come to our school is bouncing up and down just before they kick. It's a huge telegraph.

Another one is tilting up the lead side hip.