Soccer kick
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/94/Pentagon_Combat_2.png/220px-Pentagon_Combat_2.png)
A soccer kick, also known as a soccer ball kick or PK (penalty kick) in
Description
A soccer kick is performed when a fighter is standing to the side or in front of an opponent on the ground and kicks the grounded opponent's head. This is done in a style similar to an association football player kicking a football.[2] Most practitioners aim to use their shins for the point of impact rather than the foot. While soccer kicks are usually delivered to the head, kicks to other parts of the body in a similar style are also referred to as soccer kicks.[3]
In mixed martial arts
Dr. Johnny Benjamin stated his belief that soccer kicks could cause serious injury, based on the assumption that an MMA fighter would be able to generate the same amount of force in a soccer kick as a professional association football player.[4] Some MMA fans argue that no-one has ever been seriously injured from a soccer kick and stated that there were already equally dangerous moves allowed in MMA.[1][5] Dr. Johnny Benjamin argued that soccer kicks could result in broken necks and paralysis if performed with the wrong positioning and high velocity.[4]
In 2000, the Unified Rules of Mixed Martial Arts were written with the intention of making the sport of MMA appear more acceptable in a wider society.
Although a soccer kick is a foul when delivered to the head in the Unified Rules of Mixed Martial Arts which prevail in North America, the technique was commonly employed in Pride Fighting Championships in Japan. Fighters Wanderlei Silva and Mauricio Rua were notable practitioners of the soccer kick in MMA.[8] Under the Unified Rules, some MMA fighters attempted to use tactics with the "kicking the head of a grounded opponent" rule, which defined a fighter as grounded if they had any part of their body apart from their feet on the ground. This meant that fighters, such as Jon Jones, would often try to provoke illegal soccer kicks by putting their hand on the ground or as a way to avoid strikes such as the soccer kick after a failed takedown.[6] However, in 2013, referees were encouraged to interpret the rules that if a fighter is deliberately intending to provoke an illegal soccer kick and one was used, then the referee could decide that it was a legal move.[15]
There are still MMA organizations such as Japanese-based
In professional wrestling
In
In video games
In the 2010 video game, EA Sports MMA, soccer kicks were included in the game.[24] In the 2012 video game UFC Undisputed 3, soccer kicks are included in the game in the Pride mode. This mode was intended to replicate Pride Fighting Championships. This was different compared with the normal UFC mode which does not include soccer kicks due to UFC following the Unified Rules.[25]
The soccer kick has also been used in professional wrestling video games. It was used in the 1999 Nintendo 64 game, WWF WrestleMania 2000.[26]
See also
References
- ^ a b "UFC Rule Changes: Why There Is NOTHING Wrong with Soccer Kicks". Bleacher Report. 2012-06-25. Retrieved 2014-06-11.
- ISBN 0595600484.
- ISBN 1884654312.
- ^ a b Marrocco, Steven (2012-06-25). "Ask the Fight Doc: Why are you so vocal about Roger Huerta's soccer-kick KO?". MMAjunkie. Retrieved 2014-06-11.
- ^ Mata, Leon. "The case for Soccer kicks in MMA". MixedMartialArts.com. Retrieved 2015-01-15.
- ^ a b "Fighter tries to take advantage of No Soccer Kick rule. Doesn't work out". Mixed Martial Arts News. Retrieved 2014-06-11.
- ^ "Pro v Amateur rules chart" (PDF) (Press release). Government of Massachusetts. Retrieved 2014-06-11.
- ^ a b c "Two Days Late for Andrei Arlovski, ONE FC Adopts Full PRIDE Rules for Soccer Kicks". MMA Fighting. Retrieved 2014-06-11.
- ^ "SUMMARY REPORT, Discussion and Review of UNIFIED RULES OF MIXED MARTIAL ARTS". ABC Boxing. 2009-07-30. Archived from the original on 2014-06-17. Retrieved 2014-06-11.
- ^ "Are Soccer Kicks Detrimental To The Growth Of MMA?". MMA Latest News. 2014-12-12. Retrieved 2015-01-17.
- ^ Ziemba, Autumn. "Are Soccer Kicks and Stomps Safer than Elbows? 'Shogun' Rua Thinks So". SciFighting. Retrieved 2014-06-11.
- ^ Marrocco, Steven (2013-11-29). "'Shogun' Rua wants UFC to go back to PRIDE rules, says elbows are worse than soccer kicks". MMAjunkie. Retrieved 2014-06-11.
- ^ a b "Doctor says that knees are no more dangerous than fists". Fox Sports. 2014-06-06. Retrieved 2014-06-11.
- ^ "UFC President Dana White: 'I Consider John McCain the Guy Who Started the UFC'". MMA Fighting. Retrieved 2014-06-11.
- ^ "Knees and Kicks to a Downed Fighter Rule Reinterpreted by Athletic Commissions and Referees". MMA Weekly. 2013-09-12. Retrieved 2014-06-11.
- ^ "ONE FC Adopts PRIDE Style Rules Regarding Soccer Kicks". MMA Weekly. 2012-09-03. Retrieved 2014-06-11.
- ^ "ONE Championship Clarify Soccer Kick Ban". Flocombat. 2016-09-18. Retrieved 2022-04-17.
- ^ "CM Punk Describes Soccer-Kicking Fan in Head During Stint on Indy Wrestling Circuit". Sherdog. 2014-12-17. Retrieved 2015-01-12.
- ^ "7/27 NJPW G-1 Climax Day 4 Recap (Tanahashi/Shibata)". wrestleview.com. Retrieved 10 January 2015.
- ^ "Radican's G1 Climax 24: Night 8 report 8/3 - show of the year contender, Honma-Shibata, Styles-Archer, Tanahashi-Nakamura". pwtorch.com. Retrieved 10 January 2015.
- ^ "Orton-HHH steal No Mercy - twice". Slam! Sports. 2007-10-08. Archived from the original on June 10, 2014. Retrieved 2014-06-11.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link) - ^ "Wrestling's Greatest Shoots, Volume 3: Antonio Inoki vs. the Great Antonio". Grantland. Retrieved 2014-06-11.
- ^ "WWE: The 15 Worst Kayfabe-Breaking Moments in WWE History". Bleacher Report. 2011-05-17. Retrieved 2015-01-21.
- ^ "EA Games: Bringing Soccer Kicks Back to MMA". Thegarv.com. 2010-07-27. Retrieved 2014-06-11.
- ^ Robinson, Jon. "'UFC Undisputed 3' Roster Reveal: Pride". ESPN. Retrieved 2014-06-11.
- ^ "Ken Shamrock". IGN. 1999-11-16. Retrieved 2014-06-11.