Creative Leg Kick Setups With MMA Duane Ludwig
Kicking the back leg is almost rare. As most fighters can't find the range for it. It's the farthest target away from you. However, since not too many fighters use it, it makes it tricky to defend as well. Especially if someone has to balance themselves to check. So the elite level strikers will have it on their arsenal to combat people who have this weakness.
The trick to landing the back leg low kick is in the footwork prior to the kick and in keeping the opponent busy enough to off balance them. You have to make sure to get close without being countered and without being too jammed up and being nullified. The back leg on some fighters is also more tender and easier to damage.
Who is Duane Ludwig?
Duane Bang Ludwig is an American mixed martial arts coach, retired professional kickboxer and mixed martial artist and owner of Bang Muay Thai system. He is a Bas Rutten Black Belt and has coached TJ Dillashaw to UFC World Title twice. He owns one of the fastest knockouts in UFC history and is the only K1 MAX fighter to compete in the UFC
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The Technique Breakdown
The video starts with Duane Ludwig saying you need to hit them with a good jab and get them to respect the jab. That's your ticket. That's your key into the back leg. Duane Ludwig says he likes to jab and pendulum at the same time which takes a lot of coordination. You push off the back foot to throw the pendulum jab then you land the kick on the opponent's back foot.
This technique is quick and takes speed to pull it off fluidly. If you think about it too much you are going to mess it up as it is hard to pull it off slowly. Pick up the lead foot and push off the back leg to jab. So pushing off that back foot is like going for a penetration shot; it's an explosive blitz to get you close. As the jab hand retracts at the same time, the left low kick hits the back leg. So you are attacking on the half beat. The jab gets you close which lets you know you are in range to throw that kick right away on that beat. Even if the jab doesn't land, throwing it very hard will make the opponent respect it and become occupied with it, especially if it's a good stiff jab then the kick is easier to land. Make sure it's powerful on both strikes and the jab carries the leg kick with it.
You can touch jab and blind them and kick the leg but the most important thing whether it is a hard or touch jab is the pendulum step, the second the jab lands you take your legs with you. So you shuffle your balance and weight on the lead leg then cross step forward with the back leg like a pendulum. So you are transferring the weight forward and hiding that transfer of weight and the kick behind if with the jab.
Technique Summary
- Jab by pushing off the back foot and lifting mead foot
- On the half beat pendulum step as you jab
- Back leg low kick lands right off the jab
Duane Ludwig's Instructional
Leg Kicks For Muay Thai Volume 2 from Duane Ludwig is a 2-part series dedicated to attacking the rear leg of opponents. Chop down the opposition with Duane Ludwig!