Superlek vs Takeru - Getting to the Leg

Superlek versus Takeru was a terrific fight atop a farcical card, but it gives us an excuse to quickly reiterate one of the basic principles of low kicking.

The priority in low kicking is to avoid striking shin-to-shin on a check. Kicking a check is not the end of the world and will not always end with an Anderson Silva type shin snap, but it does nothing to further the kicker’s goals. Therefore the low kicker focuses on attacking the two moments when his opponent will have the most trouble checking: when they plant their lead leg, or when they are giving ground.

Even in a fight between Superlek and Takeru—two great world champions—each of Superlek’s successful low kicks fell into one of these two categories.

As an opponent retreats, his lead leg becomes light and his leg can be knocked violently across him with a low kick. While unweighting the opponent’s lead leg does create the opportunity for him to check, the fact that he is already retreating means that his lead leg is often occupied in that task. Through use of the one-two and particularly the double jab, Superlek repeatedly backed Takeru up and hammered the lead leg as it trailed Takeru out of range.

Figure 1 shows Superlek pumping a jab, slapping a hook around the side and then jabbing again, just to get Takeru retreating and expose the lead leg to the low kick.

Fig. 1

The significance of the double and triple jab, instead of a simple jab-to-low-kick, was that Superlek could keep pushing. If Takeru did pick up his lead leg at any point, Superlek could jab again and push him back. Figure 2 shows an instance where Takeru tried to check, got hit and pushed back by the second jab while on one leg, and had to plant his lead leg just in time for Superlek to bash it with the low kick.

Fig. 2

A second important technique in this bout was Superlek’s hip feint. At many points he would use this to wrongfoot Takeru and continue punching. Figure 3 shows Superlek throwing a one-two, and Takeru preparing to check the low kick. Instead, Superlek pump fakes the kick, holding it back (d), and starting the sequence over again with a jab. He was able to chase Takeru to the ropes in this way a couple of times.

Fig. 3

This brings us to the other type of low kick: those landed on a planted leg. Even in this match between world champions at the height of their powers, the low kick as a straight counter to a jabbing step was a major feature. Figure 4 shows a textbook example as Takeru steps in to jab and Superlek times the low kick.

Fig. 4

Timing the planted leg became more important in the latter half of the fight. Takeru landed a sharp triangle kick to the liver in the third round and was able to storm forward with his buzzsaw left-and-right punching combinations. From that point the K-1 great had much more confidence forcing his way onto the front foot, and Superlek had to adapt to this.

Superlek’s teep was a key counter to Takeru’s aggression in the later rounds. He threw a number of different teeps—he threatened them to the face, he used the flat of the foot on Takeru’s inner thigh when Takeru stepped out to swing an overhand—but the basic, needling teep to the gut was pivotal.

Fig. 5

As Takeru pursued Superlek across the ring he was met with these teeps to the midsection and began to plant his feet in anticipation. Figure 6 shows how Superlek used this to regain his low kicking momentum.

Takeru marches forwards (c), and as Superlek’s knee comes up to teep, Takeru sets his feet and drops his hands to parry the teep (d). Superlek jabs as he drops his feet back into his stance (e), and slams in the low kick (g).

Fig. 6

Superlek’s knees were also crucial in punishing Takeru’s forward march. Where Takeru is a three weapon fighter—lead leg kicks and two handed flurries—Superlek was comfortably kicking and kneeing with both legs and working both hands. Superlek’s defensive jab (Figure 7) was important in setting up knees at many points.

Fig. 7

I have seen taught as a “tortoise jab” and it was very successful for Buakaw in his kickboxing career. The key is the exaggerated dowager’s hump, with the head curled down into the chest. It is difficult to blade the body and make full use of the reach in this way, but it keeps the fighter down behind his shoulders.

Notice that when Takeru threw his overhand across the top of the jab, Superlek was able to stay safe. Allowing his jabbing hand to pass over Takeru’s shoulder in this sequence would allow him to close distance and knee, which he did several times in this fight.

Knees are a crowded weapon, while low kicks are often one of the longest weapons available to the fighter. But the intercepting knee will often turn the momentum of the fight or steal the initiative. Figure 8 shows a terrific example from round four.

Superlek is circling along the ropes as Takeru chases (a). He pops a quick jab (b) and covers Takeru’s hands as he steps forward with his right foot to attack a left knee (c). Takeru rapidly changes direction and backs away from the knee (d), which allows Superlek to plant his left foot and hammer in the low kick on a retreating opponent once again (e).