I was curious as to why we even bother with high kicks? In most sparring head shots are illegal and, from what I've read, you all pretty much agree that high kicks are useless in a street fight. So except as flexibility increasing exercises, exactly what are they good for?

balance.
if you can do high kicks well...then you can do even better low kicks.
just good exercise.

In some sparring (not the majority) hand shots to the head are illegal (I don't think ive ever heard of head kicks being illegal).

Head kicks are not useless in a street fight. Go to www.geoffthompson.com (thanks guys for showing me this great site) and read the free chapter of watch my back. A head kick was used (with steel caps) and pretty much finished off the opponent straight away. Head kicks can be used in a street fight as long as thir is adequate space and you are at adequate range.

'Cos you can look flash and they are bloody good fun.

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Ok, but when should you ever use a high kick as an alternative to a body shot?

[QUOTE]Originally posted by Colly:
Ok, but when should you ever use a high kick as an alternative to a body shot?[/QUOTE]

Colly, you would very rarely use a high kick instead of a body shot in a street altercation. If you miss a punch, you leave yourself open but you can still pull your guard up very quickly. If you miss a kick there is so much that can go wrong. You may be off balance, you could slip (depending on the surface), the opponenet could rush you and cause you to fall, the opponent could catch your leg (unlikely but a possibility), the list goes on.

More experienced fighters will go into more detail i am sure.Colly Before you think that i'm bashing kicking as an art, i must tell you that i study tae kwon do, but as Kempo_jujitsu pointed out, high kicking in the dojang helps develope your low kicks as well (but there isn't anything better than improving your low kicks than low kicking).

Big Bear

Incidentally, thanks for recommending the sie Kiwi. I ordered the book immediately after reading the chapter.

Big Bear: "Colly, you would very rarely use a high kick instead of a body shot in a street altercation"

So when would you use it, and what is the point of practising it as an alternative to low kicks? I'm not trying to be vindictive or argumentative mind you, i'm just curious.

head kicks are great!.........after you knock them down....you stomp on their head.
or maybe after you daze them enough, but even then there are techniques i think are better suited.