Scissor kick (strike)

A scissor kick in martial arts is used to describe certain kicking techniques that resemble a pair of scissors. It may describe a mid-air kick in which both legs are swung or kicked out in different directions, to strike two opponents simultaneously or in rapid succession. This is particularly common in some schools of Taekwondo, Vovinam, and some Chinese martial arts, also in Silat and Pencak Silat where it is referred to as Gunting (in Malay Language). In san shou, the scissor kick is used as a mid air take down where one leg presses on the opponent's chest while the other leg positioned behind the opponent's knees, and is delivered with enough symmetrical force to knock the opponent down; the scissor leg take down is one of the more advanced take downs in san shou and is an effective tool used in many matches.

This move is also well-known in the professional wrestling world among many wrestlers and fans, however the move is done differently compared to the versions above. The attacker jumps (from a standing or running position) using one leg for momentum and drives the other leg into the back of the head and the neck of the opponent, forcing them face first into the ground. Throughout his career, Booker T, a former superstar in WWE and currently wrestling in TNA, is credited to having popularizing the move in the United States. Various other wrestlers who uses this technique, such as former WWE superstar Bull Buchanan and former TNA wrestler and current WWE superstar Ron Killings, have adopted it as finishers as well.

References

External links

* [http://tkdtutor.com/09Techniques/Kicks/KickTechniques.htm tkdtutor.com - Kick techniques]
* [http://library.thinkquest.org/16082/techniques/kick.html library.thinkquest.org - Kicks]
* [http://kicktechnique.syuriken.jp/ various kick tecniques]