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Kick
A Roundhouse kick to the head during Taekwondo Tournament.

In combat sports and hand-to-hand combat, a kick is a physical strike using the foot, leg, or knee (the latter is also known as a knee strike). This type of attack is used frequently, especially in stand-up fighting. Kicks play a significant role in many forms of martial arts, such as Taekwondo, Karate, Pankration, Kung fu, Vovinam, Kickboxing, Muay Thai, Capoeira, Silat, and Kalarippayattu.

History[link]

The English verb to kick appears only in the late 14th century, apparently as a loan from Old Norse, originally in the sense of a hooved animal delivering strikes with his hind legs; the oldest use is Biblical, in the metaphor of an ox kicking against the pricks.

The act of kicking in general is a universal form of human aggression. The same movement is also used in non-offensive contexts, e.g. a kick to propel an object such as a ball, or a kicking movement without touching anything, e.g. as a dance move.

Kicks as a form of attack are more typically directed against helpless or downed targets, because using a kick in a combat situation bears the significant disadvantage of losing stability of one's stance, as delivering a kick obviously requires lifting at least one foot off the ground.

Thus, any combat system involving kicks needs to take this into account, either by adapting the rules of combat, such as limiting the contest to stand-up fighting, reducing the penalty resulting from a failed attempt at delivering a kick, or an emphasis on training very efficient and technically perfected forms of kicks. The more elaborate kicks used in martial arts, especially high kicks aiming above the waist or to the head have long been a distinguishing feature of Asian martial arts. This feature was introduced in the west in the 19th century with early hybrid martial arts inspired by Asian styles such as Bartitsu and Savate. Practice of high kicks became more universal in the second half of the 20th century with the more widespread development of hybrid styles such as kickboxing and eventually mixed martial arts.

The history of the high kick in Asian martial arts is difficult to trace. It appears to be prevalent in all traditional forms of Indochinese kickboxing, but these cannot be traced with any technical detail to pre-modern times. For example, Muay Boran or "ancient boxing" in Thailand was developed under Rama V (r. 1868-1910). While it is known that earlier forms of "boxing" existed during the Ayutthaya Kingdom, it is difficult if not impossible^{[clarification needed]} to recover any detail regarding the techniques these involved. Some stances that look like low kicks, but not high kicks, are visible in the Shaolin temple frescoes, dated to the 17th century.^{[citation needed]} The Mahabharata (4.13), an Indian epic compiled at some point before the 5th century AD, describes an unarmed hand-to-hand battle, including the sentence "and they gave each other violent kicks" (without providing any further detail).

• 

  A kick delivered to a downed or falling enemy (a demon), Angkor period (ca. 13th century) bas-relief at Banteay Chhmar.

• 

  A kick used in armed combat as a means of displacing the opponent's shield in historical European martial arts (Hans Talhoffer 1459)

• 

  A kick to the knee as depicted in a Baroque Ringen treatise (Johann Georg Passchen 1659)

Practicality[link]

The usefulness of kicks in self-defense and actual combat has been debated. Some, like Bruce Lee, have commented that the leg, thanks to its size and weight, is a more powerful weapon than the arm. Because the leg is longer than the arm, kicks tend to keep an opponent at a distance and to surprise him or her with their range.

On the other hand, stance is very important in any combat system, and any attempt to deliver a kick will necessarily compromise one's stability of stance. The practicality of kicks is thus a question of the tradeoff between the power that can be delivered vs. the cost incurred to balance. Since combat situations are fluid, understanding this tradeoff and making the appropriate decision to adjust to each moment is key.

The high kicks practiced in modern martial arts or the flying/jumping kicks performed in synthesis styles are primarily performed for conditioning or aesthetic reasons. The proponents have viewed that some high front snap kicks are effective for striking the face or throat, particularly against charging opponents, and flying kicks can be effective to scare off attackers. Some contrasting views have stated that high kicks are completely ineffective as it would be much quicker and more probable to be able to strike the throat, nose or face with a palm strike for the face or a claw hand to strike at or choke the throat. It has been noted that high kicks (and other complicated kicks for that matter) can be almost impossible to perform in an actual confrontation due to the adrenal shock that one experiences in a stressful situation. This "adrenal dump" as it is called by some experts, causes the body to lose the ability of fine motor control, which is what many modern high kicks require to perform. Additionally, high kicks nearly always expose the groin, inviting a swift kick to the area from an agile opponent. As a result, the use of high kicks in defensive situations is considered risky at best for anyone but highly skilled martial artists. It should be further noted, that many styles use a more vulnerable stance (circular stance) that exposes the groin constantly (as noted by Bruce Lee for example in his defense manuals). Linear stance such as in Shotokan Karate, Wado Karate and most other original forms of Karate and Te fighting do not expose the groin. Taekwondo, Jeet Kune Do, and Shotokan Karate share nearly identical stances in terms of the initial attack and even after basic attacks (roundhouse, front kick, etc.). As with the varieties of kicks themselves, the choice of stance reflects a tradeoff between speed, commitment, power, range, balance, and maneuverability. Some self defence experts only condone the use of kicks as an intimidation or distraction tool, scaring off the attacker or distracting them so other techniques can be used. ( see Geoff Thompsons "real kicking" and "the fence" ) and even then only advocate the use of kicks to the lower abdomen at the highest.

The general consensus is that for most defense and combat applications, simple kicks aimed at vulnerable targets below the chest (self defence experts such as author and teacher Marc Macyoung claim that kicks should be aimed no higher than the waist/stomach) may be highly efficient, but should be executed with a degree of care. Thus, the fighter should not compromise their balance while delivering a kick, and retract the leg properly to avoid grappling. The front kick could be aimed at the groin/pelvis area when attacking, or to the waist/stomach area when being used defensively, knees and shins, inflicting respectable damage. The defensive side kick is a great move for stopping a blitzing opponent. The roundhouse kick performed at low level may be effective due to its power, and the vulnerability of many of its targets ( knees, ribs etc.) since attacking leg muscles will often cripple opponent's mobility, however the technique still throws a fighter's balance off and leaves them vulnerable. It is often recommended to build and drill simple combinations that involve attacking different levels of opponents. A common example would be distracting an opponent's focus via a fake jab, following up with a powerful attack at the opponent's legs and punching. Further, since low kicks are inherently quicker and harder to see and dodge in general they are often emphasized in a street fight scenario.

Basic kicks[link]

Front kick[link]

Tae kwon do front snap kick

Delivering a front kick involves raising the knee and foot of the striking leg to the desired height and extending the leg to contact the target. The actual strike is usually delivered by the ball of the foot for a forward kick or the top of the toes for an upward kick. Taekwondo practitioners utilize both the heel and ball of the foot for striking. Various combat systems teach 'general' front kick using the heel or whole foot when footwear is on. Depending of fighter's tactical needs, a front kick may involve more or less body motion. Thrusting one's hips is a common method of increasing both reach and power of the kick. The front kick is typically executed with the upper body straight and balanced. Front kicks are typically aimed at targets below the chest: stomach, thighs, groin, knees or lower. Highly skilled martial artists are often capable of striking head-level targets with front kick.

Roundhouse kick[link]

Also referred to as a round kick or turning kick, this is the most commonly used kick in kickboxing due to its power and ease of use. In most styles, the instep is used to strike, though most Karate styles would allow the shin as official technique for a street fight. To execute, the attacker swings their leg sideways in a circular motion, kicking the opponent's side with the front of the leg, usually with the instep, ball of the foot, toe, or shin. Also performable is a 360-degree kick in which the attacker performs a full circle with their leg, in which the striking surface is generally either the instep, shin or ball of the foot.

There are many variations of the roundhouse kick based on various chambering of the cocked leg (small, or full, or universal or no chambering) or various footwork possibilities (rear-leg, front-leg, hopping, switch, oblique, dropping, ground spin-back or full 360 spin-back). An important variation is the downward roundhouse kick, nicknamed the Brazilian Kick from recent MMA use: A more pronounced twist of the hips allows for a downward end of the trajectory of the kick that is very deceiving.^[1]

This particular kick was made famous by actor and martial artist Chuck Norris.

Side kick[link]

The side kick refers to a kick that is delivered sideways in relation to the body of the person kicking. There are two areas that are commonly used as impact points in sidekicks: the heel of the foot or the outer edge of the foot. The heel is more suited to hard targets such as the ribs, stomach, jaw, temple and chest. However, when executing a side kick with one's heel one should pull their toes back so that they only make contact with your heel and not with the whole foot. If a person hits with the arch or the ball of the foot, then that can injure the foot or break an ankle. A standard sidekick is performed by first chambering the kicking leg diagonally across the body, then extending the leg in a linear fashion toward the target, while flexing the abdominals.

Another way of doing the side kick is to make it an end result of a faked roundhouse. This technique is considered antequated, and used only after an opponent is persuaded to believe it is a roundhouse, and then led to believe that closing the distance is best for an upper body attack, which plays into the tactical position and relative requirement of this version of the side kick. In Korean, yeop chagi. In Okinawan te fighting, it is sometimes called a dragon kick. Some have called this side kick a "twist kick" due to its roundhouse like origins. This side kick begins as would a roundhouse kick however the practitioner allows the heel to move towards the center of the body. The kick is then directed outward from a cross-leg chamber so that the final destination of the kick is a target to the side, rather than one that is directly ahead.

Traditional Back kick (reverse side kick)[link]

Tae kwon do back kick.

Also referred to as a donkey kick, mule kick, or turning back kick. This kick is directed backwards, keeping the kicking leg close to the standing leg and using the heel as a striking surface.

Advanced kicks[link]

These are often complicated variations of basic kicks, either with a different target or combined with another move, such as jumping.

Axe kick[link]

Axe-kick by Christine Theiss vs. Marina Zueva

In Japanese, kakato-geri; in Korean, doki bal chagi or naeryeo chagi or "chikka chagi".

An axe kick, also known as a hammer kick or stretch kick, is characterized by a straightened leg descending onto an opponent like the blade of an axe. It begins with one foot rising upward as in a crescent kick. The upward arc motion is stopped, and then the attacking foot is lowered so as to strike the target from above. The arc can be performed in either an inward (counter-clockwise) or outward (clockwise) fashion.

A well-known proponent of the axe kick was the late Andy Hug, the Swiss Kyokushinkai Karateka who won the 1996 K-1 Grand Prix.

Butterfly kick[link]

The butterfly kick is done by doing a large circular motion with both feet in succession, making the combatant airborne. There are many variations of this kick. The kick may look like a slanted aerial cartwheel, and at the same time, the body spins horizontally in a circle. It begins as a jump with one leg while kicking with the other, then move the kicking leg down and the jumping leg up into a kick, landing with the first kicking leg, all while spinning. It may also resemble a jumping spin roundhouse kick (developed by James 'Two Screens' Perkins) into a spinning hook kick, all in one jump and one spin.^[2]

First practiced in Chinese martial arts, the butterfly kick, or "xuan zi", is widely viewed as ineffective for actual combat. Attempting to use this technique to actually attack an opponent could result in leg injuries. However, its original purpose was to evade an opponent's floor sweep and flip to the antagonist's exposed side.

Calf kick[link]

This kick strikes with the backside of the calf. A variation which is known as the jumping calf kick is when the user jumps before performing the kick. This attack often takes the form of a sweep in clinching situations and is most often seen in Judo matches or MMA.

Crescent kick[link]

In Japanese, mikazuki Geri; in Korean, bandal chagi (반달 차기).

The crescent kick, also referred to as a 'swing' kick, has some similarities to a hook kick, and is sometimes practised as an off-target front snap kick. The leg is bent like the front kick, but the knee is pointed at a target to the left or right of the true target. The energy from the snap is then redirected, whipping the leg into an arc and hitting the target from the side. This is useful for getting inside defenses and striking the side of the head or for knocking down hands to follow up with a close attack. In many styles of T'ai chi ch'uan, crescent kicks are taught as tripping techniques. When training for crescent kicks, it is common to keep the knee extended to increase the difficulty. This also increases the momentum of the foot and can generate more force, though it takes longer to build up the speed.

The inward/inner/inside crescent hits with the inside edge of the foot. Its arch is clockwise for the left leg and counter-clockwise for the right leg. Force is generated by both legs' hip adduction. The inward variant has also been called a hangetsu geri (Crescent moon kick) in karate and is employed to "wipe" an opponents hand off of one's wrist. It can quickly be followed up by a low side-blade kick to the knee of the offender.

The outward/outer/outside crescent hits with the 'blade', the outside edge of the foot. Its path is counter-clockwise for the left leg and clockwise for the right leg, and force is generated by both legs' hip abduction. This is similar to a rising side kick, only with the kicking leg's hip flexed so that the line of force travels parallel to the ground from front to side rather than straight up, beginning and ending at the side.

Hook kick[link]

In Korean, huryeo chagi (후려 차기) or golcho chagi.

Steven Ho executing a Jump Spin Hook kick

The hook kick strikes with the heel from the side (or flat of the foot in sparring). It is executed similar to a side kick. However, the kick is intentionally aimed slightly off target in the direction of the kicking foot's toes. At full extension, the knee is bent and the foot snapped to the side, impacting the target with the heel. In Taekwondo it is often used at the resulting miss of a short slide side kick to the head, but is considered a very high level technique in said circumstance. Practitioners of jeet kune do frequently use the term heel hook kick or sweep kick.^[3] It is known as Gancho in Capoeira.

There are many variations of the hook kick, generally based on different footworks: rear- or front-leg, oblique or half-pivot, dropping, spin-back and more. The hook kick can be delivered with a near-straight leg at impact, or with a hooked finish (Kake in Japanese Karate) where the leg bends before impact to catch the target from behind. An important variation is the downward hook kick, delivered as a regular or a spin-back kick, in which the end of the trajectory is diagonally downwards for a surprise effect or following an evading opponent.

Spinning hook kicks can be seen used by Bruce Lee in Fists of Fury (The Chinese Connection in America). Lee also used the move in Enter the Dragon, where he used it several times to knock out opponents. Bill Wallace was also a great user of this kick, as seen in his fight with Bill Briggs, where he KO'd his opponent with the clocked 60 mph kick. The Jump Spin Hook Kick was popularized in the mid-eighties by Steven Ho in open martial art competitions. The hook kick is mainly used to strike the jaw area of an opponent,but is also highly effective in the temple region.

Reverse roundhouse/heel kick[link]

In Japanese, ushiro mawashi geri (後ろ回し蹴り^?); in Korean, bandae dollyo chagi (반대 돌려 차기), dwit hu ryo chagi, nakkio mom dollyo chagi or parryo chagi.

This kick is also known as a heel kick, reverse turning kick, reverse round kick, spinning hook kick, or spin kick. A low reverse roundhouse is also known as a Sweep Kick. This kick traditionally uses the heel to strike with. The kicking leg comes from around the kicker's back and remains straight, unlike a reverse hooking kick. See above for more on hook kicks. Variations exist for low, middle and high height. Spinning and leaping variations of the kick are also popular, and are often showcased in film and television media.

A different kick that is similarly named also exists. It is literally a roundhouse kick performed by turning as if for a back straight kick and executing a roundhouse kick. It is known as a Reverse Roundhouse Kick because the kicker turns in the opposite, or "reverse", direction before the kick is executed. This kick strikes with the ball of the foot for power or the top of the foot for range. The kick was exhibited by Bruce Lee on numerous occasions in his films Enter the Dragon and The Big Boss.

In Olympic format (sport) taekwondo, this technique is performed using the balls of the feet, and in a manner similar to a back thrust, rather than the circular technique adopted in other styles/Martial Arts.

Spinning back heel kick[link]

This is a spinning kick to the back of the head of the opponent. This move was made famous by Yoshiko.

Flying kicks[link]

A flying kick, in martial arts, is a general description of kicks that involve a running start, jump, then a kick in mid-air. Compared to a regular kick, the user is able to achieve greater momentum from the run at the start. Flying kicks are not to be mistaken for jumping kicks, which are similar maneuvers. A jumping kick is very similar to a flying kick, except that it lacks the running start and the user simply jumps and kicks from a stationary position. Flying kicks are often derived from the basic kicks. Some of the more commonly known flying kicks are the: flying side kick, flying back kick and the flying roundhouse kick, as well as the flying reverse roundhouse kick. Flying kicks are commonly practiced in Tae Kwon Do, Karate, Wushu, and Muay Thai for fitness, exhibitions, competition, as well as self defense. It is known as tobi geri in Japanese martial arts, and twimyo chagi in Taekwondo.

Scissor kick[link]

Several kicks may be called a scissor kick, involving swinging out the legs to kick multiple targets or using the legs to take down an opponent.

The popularized version of a scissor kick is, while lying down, or jumping, the kicker brings both legs to both sides of the opponent's legs or to their body and head, then brings both in as a take down (as the name states, leg motions are like that of a pair of scissors).

The scissor kick in Taekwondo is called kawi chagi. In Capoeira it is called tesoura (scissors).

Scissor kicks and other variants are also commonly applied in Vovinam.

Vertical kick (thrust kick/push kick/side kick)[link]

The vertical kick involves bringing the knee forward and across the chest, then swinging the hip while extending the kicking leg outward, striking with the outside ("sword") edge of the foot. It can deliver a considerable amount of power. This is called a yoko geri keage in karate.

In Taekwondo, the vertical kick is called sewo chagi, and can be performed as either an inward (anuro) or outward (bakuro) kick.

Multiple kick[link]

In Japanese karate, the term ren geri is used for several kicks performed in succession. Old karate did not promote the use of the legs for weapons as much as modern karate does, seeing them as being too open for countering. However, in modern competitions, the ability to use multiple kicks without setting the foot down has become a viable option, not only for effectiveness but also for stylish aesthetics.

In Taekwon-Do, three types of multiple kick are distinguished:

Double kick (i-jung chagi) - two kicks of the same type executed in succession by the same foot in the same direction.

Consecutive kick (yonsok chagi) - two or more kicks executed in succession by the same foot but in different directions, or with different attacking tools.

Combination kick (honhap chagi) - two or more kicks executed in succession by both feet.

One such Multiple Kick commonly seen in Taekwondo, is a slightly complex Side Kick where a High Side Kick is followed by a Low Side Kick which is in turn followed by a more powerful Side Kick. This combination is done rapidly and is meant not for multiple targets but for a single one. The Multiple Kick usually targets the face, thigh, and chest, but in turn can be a multiple chest attack which is useful for knocking the breath out of an attacker. The Multiple Kick is usually done in the "second" style described in the Side Kick article which "involves shooting the leg forward as in a front kick and then pivoting and turning so" to actually deliver a side kick. That style "has far less power but is much faster and more deceptive", which is what the Multiple Kick was designed for. The Multiple Kick, unlike some Side Kicks or "side blade kicks", never uses the outer edge of the foot; it is intended solely for the heel to be used as the impact point. Depending on the strength and skill of the attacker and the attacked, the combination can be highly effective or highly ineffective when compared to more pragmatic attacks. In some encounters with highly trained and conditioned fighters, multiple side-kicks have seen disastrous results against the abs of their targets.

See also[link]

• Dynamic stretching
• Stomp

References[link]

External links[link]

• Examples of basic kicks at Exershare.com
• Kicking books and resources

Anthony Pettis
Anthony "Showtime" Pettis
Born	(1987-01-27) January 27, 1987 (age 25) Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Other names	Showtime
Nationality	American
Height	5 ft 10 in (1.78 m)
Weight	154.5 lb (70 kg; 11 st 1 lb)
Division	Lightweight (155 lb)
Reach	72 in (183 cm)
Style	Taekwondo, Muay Thai, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu
Fighting out of	Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Team	Roufusport
Rank	3rd degree black belt in Taekwondo      purple belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu
Years active	2007 - present
Mixed martial arts record
Total	17
Wins	15
By knockout	6
By submission	6
By decision	3
Losses	2
By decision	2
Amateur career
Total	1
Wins	1
By submission	1
Other information
Website	Official UFC Profile
Mixed martial arts record from Sherdog

Anthony Pettis (born January 27, 1987) is an American mixed martial artist who competes in the lightweight division and is currently signed with the Ultimate Fighting Championship. A professional MMA competitor since 2007, Pettis has made a name for himself mainly fighting in his home state of Wisconsin. He is a former fighter for the World Extreme Cagefighting (WEC), where he was the last WEC Lightweight Champion before merging the promotion into the UFC.

Early life[link]

Born to Eugene Pettis Jr. and Annette Garcia, Anthony Pettis grew up in the south side of Milwaukee, Wisconsin along with his older brother Ray Pettis and younger brother Sergio "Lil' Showtime" Pettis.^[1] Pettis is of Mexican and Puerto Rican ancestry, his grandfather Anglicized the family name from Perez to Pettis, to avoid discrimination. Pettis attended Dominican High School.^[2][3]

Career[link]

Anthony "Showtime" Pettis made his professional MMA debut in December 2007. He compiled an undefeated record of 8-0 in shows all based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin before debuting with the WEC. Pettis also has a professional kickboxing background.

Pettis is coached by legendary Kickboxer and MMA trainer Duke Roufus and is a member of Roufusport where he trains with fighters Alan Belcher, Erik Koch, Ben Rothwell, Ben Askren and Danny Downes.^[4]

World Extreme Cagefighting[link]

Pettis made his WEC debut at WEC 41, where he defeated Mike Campbell via triangle choke.

He was then expected to fight Rob McCullough at WEC 44 on November 18, 2009, but was pulled off the card with an undisclosed injury.^[5]

Pettis suffered his first professional loss on December 19, 2009 at WEC 45, dropping a close, decision to Bart Palaszewski.^[6]

Pettis rebounded from the loss with a victory over Danny Castillo on March 6, 2010 at WEC 47, earning Knockout of the Night.^[7] Training for the fight, as well as Pettis' family life, were both documented on an episode of the MTV show, World of Jenks.^[1]

Pettis suffered virtually no damage in the bout with Castillo and made a quick return at WEC 48 against Alex Karalexis.^[8] He won the fight via submission in the second round.

Pettis faced Shane Roller on August 18, 2010 at WEC 50.^[9] Pettis surprised many by taking down Roller multiple times and frustrating him with fast paced scrambles. Pettis displayed a diversity of striking not seen in professional mixed martial arts competition, namely two Capoeira kicks. The martelo as well as the aú batido.^[10][11][12] After several submission attempts, Pettis finally secured a fight ending triangle choke in the closing moments of the fight, earning a Submission of the Night bonus.

His last WEC fight came against Ben Henderson on December 16, 2010 at WEC 53 for the WEC Lightweight Championship.^[13] The fight was closely contested throughout, providing back and forth action, both standing and on the ground. In the fifth round, Pettis combined Parkour with a Savate Fouette to create what is now called the Showtime Kick by springing off of the cage with his right foot, making a shearing movement with his left leg, then kicking Henderson in the face with his right foot.^[14][15] Pettis won the fight via unanimous decision (48-47, 49-46, 48-47) to become the final WEC Lightweight Champion. The fight was also awarded as Fight of the Night which won Henderson and Pettis an extra $10,000.^[16]

Ultimate Fighting Championship[link]

In October 2010, World Extreme Cagefighting merged with the Ultimate Fighting Championship. As part of the merger, a majority of the WEC fighters were transferred to the UFC.^[17]

Pettis was expected to face the winner of Frankie Edgar and Gray Maynard, which took place at UFC 125.^[18] However, the bout was declared a draw, and Edgar/Maynard 3 was scheduled for UFC 130, but both fighters received sustained injuries before the fight, which was postponed.^[19]

Instead of waiting for the winner of Edgar/Maynard 3, Pettis faced Clay Guida on June 4, 2011 at The Ultimate Fighter 13 Finale.^[20] Despite repeatedly getting taken down by Guida, Pettis showed good defense off his back, controlling Guida's wrists and making multiple submission attempts, while taking little damage, even securing Guida's back but Guida was able to escape and in return secured Pettis's back to end the third round ultimately giving Guida the victory via unanimous decision.^[21][22]

Pettis defeated Jeremy Stephens via split decision on October 8, 2011 at UFC 136 in a closely contested bout. Pettis used superior wrestling which was showcased in round 2, where he was able to take Stephens down three times.^[23]

Pettis faced Joe Lauzon on February 25, 2012 at UFC 144.^[24] He won the fight via first round KO, with a head kick followed by punches. His performance earned Knockout of the Night honors.

Showtime Sports Bar[link]

Along with Duke Roufus, Pettis owns the Showtime Sports Bar in Milwaukee.^[25][26]

Commercials[link]

Pettis along with Jon Jones, Urijah Faber, Joseph Benavidez, Mark Muñoz, Chad Mendes, and Scott Jorgensen starred in a Form Athletics (now owned by K-Swiss) commercial.^[27]

Championships and Accomplishments[link]

Mixed Martial Arts[link]

• Ultimate Fighting Championship
  • Knockout of the Night (One Time)
• World Extreme Cagefighting
  • WEC Lightweight Championship (One time, final)
  • Knockout of the Night (One time)
  • Submission of the Night (One time)
  • Fight of the Night (One time)
• Gladiators Fighting Series
  • Gladiators Fighting Series Lighweight Championship
• Sherdog
  • 2010 Breakthrough Fighter of the Year^[28]
• MMA Live
  • 2010 Breakout Star of the Year^[29]

Mixed martial arts record[link]

Television[link]

Pettis appeared on episode 4 of World of Jenks, where documentary maker Andrew Jenks lived with Pettis for a week before his fight against Danny Castillo at WEC 47.^[1] The episode gave an inside look into Pettis' fight preparations as well as giving insights into his family life.^[1]

References[link]

External links[link]

• Professional MMA record for Anthony Pettis from Sherdog

Biography portal

• Official UFC Profile
• Professional MMA record for Anthony Pettis from Sherdog
• WEC Bio

"Pumped Up Kicks" is a song by American indie pop band Foster the People. It was released as the group's debut single in September 2010, and the following year was included on their EP Foster the People and their debut album Torches. "Pumped Up Kicks" became the group's breakthrough hit and was one of the most popular songs of 2011. The song was written and recorded by frontman Mark Foster while he was working as a commercial jingle writer. Contrasting with the upbeat musical composition, the lyrics describe the homicidal thoughts of a troubled youth.

The track received considerable attention after it was posted online in 2010 as a free download, and it helped the group garner a multi-album record deal with Columbia Records imprint Startime International before they had issued a commercial release. The song became both a crossover hit and a sleeper hit in 2011, as it received significant airplay on modern rock and contemporary hit radio stations. The song spent eight consecutive weeks at number three on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in the United States, making it the first Billboard Alternative Songs number-one single to crack the U.S. top 5 since Kings of Leon's "Use Somebody" in 2009. The song was widely praised by critics, and it has been licensed for use in a wide range of popular media since its release. "Pumped Up Kicks" received a Grammy Award nomination for Best Pop Duo/Group Performance.

Recording[link]

Soon after Mark Foster formed Foster the People in 2009, he wrote and recorded "Pumped Up Kicks" in five hours while working as a commercial jingle writer at Mophonics in Los Angeles.^[1][2] Thinking that he was just recording a demo, he played all of the instruments on the song. Ultimately, Foster's original version of the song is what ended up being released.^[3]

Composition and inspiration[link]

The lyrics to "Pumped Up Kicks" are written from the perspective of a troubled and delusional youth with homicidal thoughts.^[3] The lines in the chorus warn potential victims to "outrun my gun" and that they "better run, better run, faster than my bullet". Foster said, "I was trying to get inside the head of an isolated, psychotic kid."^[3] He wrote the lyrics in order to "bring awareness" to the issue of gun violence amongst youth, which he feels is an epidemic perpetuated by "lack of family, lack of love, and isolation".^[5][6] The song's title refers to shoes that the narrator's peers wear as a status symbol.^[7] The issue of youth violence is a matter close to the group. Foster was bullied in high school, while bassist Cubbie Fink has a cousin who survived the Columbine High School massacre in 1999. Fink said of his cousin's experience, "She was actually in the library when everything went down, so I actually flew out to be with her the day after it happened and experienced the trauma surrounding it and saw how affected she was by it. She is as close as a sister, so obviously, it affected me deeply. So to be able to have a song to create a platform to talk about this stuff has been good for us."^[4]

Contrasting with the dark lyrics of the song, the music, which was written first, is upbeat. Foster said, "It's a 'fuck you' song to the hipsters in a way—but it's a song the hipsters are going to want to dance to."^[3] Jeffery Berg of Frontier Psychiatrist said, "I was so engrossed with the cheery melody of its chorus that it took me a few listens to discover that the lyrics suggest dark, Columbine revenge."^[8]

Due to the opening lyrics, "Robert's got a quick hand," many have speculated that the song is a reference to Robert Hawkins, perpetrator of Omaha's Westroads Mall shooting. The band's publicist refutes this with "This is completely false. The character name in the song is just a coincidence."^[9] For play on the television channels MTV and MTVu, the words "gun" and "bullet" were removed from the song's chorus.^[10] Foster believes many have misinterpreted the song's meaning, and he has written letters to his record label and called radio stations to complain. He explained, "The song is not about condoning violence at all. It's the complete opposite. The song is an amazing platform to have a conversation with your kids about something that shouldn't be ignored, to talk about it in a loving way."^[2]

Release and promotion[link]

Initial attention[link]

"Pumped Up Kicks" was written by Mark Foster (pictured) while he was working as a jingle writer. Initially posted on his website as a free download, the song grew in popularity through viral outlets and earned the band a record deal.

"Pumped Up Kicks" drew considerable attention online after Foster posted the song on his website as a free download in early 2010; Nylon magazine used the track in an online advertising campaign,^[11] and through various blogs, it went viral.^[12] Foster the People first performed the song live at the Stand Up Charity Benefit in Venice in February.^[13] The group, yet to be signed, reached additional audiences with performances at the South by Southwest music festival in March 2010.^[14] Foster was emailed by many people about the song, and needing professional guidance, he contacted artist manager Brent Kredel at Monotone, Inc., saying, "Everyone is calling me and emailing me—what do I do? Who are the good guys, who are the bad guys?" Kredel recalled that "He went from the guy who couldn't get a hold of anyone to being the guy who had hundreds of emails in his inbox." Kredel and Brett Williams were subsequently hired to co-manage Foster the People, and they helped the group get a multi-album record deal with Columbia Records imprint Startime International in May 2010.^[11]

"Pumped Up Kicks" was licensed for use in a July 2010 episode of the TV series Entourage, the first of many instances in which Foster the People's music was licensed in popular media.^[11] Wishing to release a record that would back up the song's success, the group wrote new material between July–September 2010.^[11] The song received its first widespread radio play in July 2010 on Sirius XM's Alt Nation channel and the Australian radio station Triple J.^[15] The song was released as their debut single on September 14, 2010.^{[citation needed]} In November, the University of Maryland's radio station WMUC played the song, marking its debut on US terrestrial radio.^[16] The song placed at number 32 in the Triple J's Hottest 100 for 2010,^[17] a big achievement due to the band being relatively unknown in Australia. Still, the group was inexperienced as a live act, and as a result, their booking agent Tom Windish secured them several club shows "to help them get their sea legs." Foster the People promoted these concerts in January 2011 by emailing fans who had downloaded "Pumped Up Kicks" from their website, notifying them of the shows. The group continued to grow its fanbase with a month-long residency of concerts in January at The Echo nightclub in Los Angeles. By the group's third show at the venue, according to Windish, "there were hundreds of people trying to get in outside... It was an obvious turning point that could be measured in numbers." The residency also drew the attention of music supervisors in attendance who would later help the group license their music.^[11]

Commercial breakthrough[link]

In January 2011, the band issued their first commercial non-single release, a self-titled EP on which "Pumped Up Kicks" appeared. Around the same time, many alternative radio stations began playing "Pumped Up Kicks", including Los Angeles terrestrial stations KROQ-FM and KYSR, and it continued to gain popularity on Alt Nation.^[11] Mark Foster credits Sirius XM's airplay with the song's success, saying, "Alt Nation played our music before any other radio outlet in the country."^[18] On January 29, the song debuted on Billboard's Rock Songs chart and a week later, it debuted on the Alternative Songs chart. In May, the track debuted at number 96 on the Billboard Hot 100, and later that month, the group released their first full-length studio album, Torches, on which "Pumped Up Kicks" appears.^[11] On May 23, 2011, BBC Radio 1 DJ Greg James selected the song as his Record of the Week, which ran until May 27. During this time, James released an accompanying video of him dancing to the song which he entitled and promoted "The Bum Dance".^[19]

The song proved to be a crossover hit, peaking at number three on the Rock Songs chart in July and number one on the Alternative Songs chart in June, while breaking into the top 40 of the Hot 100 in late July and appearing on the Adult Top 40 and Mainstream Top 40 charts. Columbia senior VP of promotion Lee Leipsner said, "It was one of the only alternative bands I remember in a while that you could actually dance to. And the fact that the record has a groove and rhythmic feel to it—not heavy guitar-based at all—gave us a wide opportunity to cross the record." He credits the song's crossover success and push into the top 40 to a June presentation of new music by Clear Channel president of national programming platforms Tom Poleman. According to Leipsner, "After we showed our presentation, we had so many Clear Channel major-market programmers come up to us and say, 'The record I want to play besides Adele is Foster the People.'" "Pumped Up Kicks" peaked at number three on the Hot 100, spending eight consecutive weeks at the position.^[11] It has been certified 3× platinum in the US, Canada,^[20][21] and Australia,^[22] while receiving a gold certification in Germany.^[23] The song ranked as the sixth-best-selling digital song of 2011, selling 3.61 million copies.^[24]

Music video[link]

The music video, directed by Josef Geiger, was filmed at multiple locations in Los Angeles with insert footage from San Francisco^{[citation needed]} and features the band playing a show. There are also cuts to band members doing other activities, such as playing frisbee and surfing. The video peaked at #21 on the MuchMusic Countdown in Canada.^[25] The video has received over 83 million views on YouTube.^[2]

Reception[link]

Critical reaction[link]

"Pumped Up Kicks" received positive reviews from critics. Barry Walters of Spin said that with the song as their debut single, Foster the People "announce themselves as major players".^[26] Jon Dolan of Rolling Stone described the song as having a "slinky groove, misty guitar flange and delicious astral-wimp vocals".^[27] Rob Webb of NME drew some parallels between the song and other indie pop hits like "Young Folks", "Paris", and "Kids" describing its rise in popularity as thus: "artist writes (undeniably brilliant) pop song, makes it catchy as hell, but quirky enough for the 'cool' crowd, song subsequently gets some big pimping from every blog/radio station/Hype Machine user on the planet and, seemingly overnight, becomes utterly, irritatingly inescapable."^[28] August Brown of the Los Angeles Times called it a "reputation-making single" that "cakes Foster in Strokes-y vocal distortion atop a loping synth bass".^[29] Jon Pareles of The New York Times called it a "pop ditty with dazed, dweeby vocals and a handclapping chorus that warns, 'You better run, better run, outrun my gun'".^[30] BBC Music's Mark Beaumont called the song a "psychedelic block party skipping tune". Reflecting on the song's fusion of various musical elements, Beaumont said the song is a prime example of how they "adapt Animal Collective's art-tronic adventurousness to incorporate the funky danceability of Scissor Sisters, the fuzzy pop catchiness of 'Kids' and the knack of throwing in deceptively downbeat twists akin to Girls, Sleigh Bells or Smith Westerns".^[31] Matt Collar of Allmusic said the song, like other tracks from the album, is "catchy, electro-lite dance-pop that fits nicely next to such contemporaries as MGMT and Phoenix".^[32] The Guardian's Michael Hann was less receptive, saying it "amounts to little more than a bassline and a chorus" and that "It's as irresistible as it is infuriating".^[33]

Accolades[link]

A Rolling Stone readers poll named it the second-best song of summer 2011.^[34] Claire Suddath of Time magazine named "Pumped Up Kicks" one of the Top 10 Songs of 2011.^[35] In end-of-year polls, writers for Rolling Stone selected "Pumped Up Kicks" as the 11th-best song of 2011,^[36] while the publication's readers voted it the year's sixth-best song.^[37] A listeners poll by Toronto radio station CFNY-FM (102.1 The Edge) voted it #1 in a list of the top 102 new rock songs of 2011.^[38] Entertainment Weekly selected the song as the second-best single of 2011.^[39] NME ranked it number 21 on its list of the "50 Best Tracks of 2011", writing, "Unusually for a song so omnipresent, listening to its hyper-upbeat melodies about a psycho high-school kid-killer is still an enjoyable experience."^[40] The magazine's readers voted "Pumped Up Kicks" the year's eighth-best song.^[41] At the end of 2011, the song received a Grammy Award nomination for Best Pop Duo/Group Performance.^[42]

Impact[link]

In an article for The Huffington Post, DJ Louie XIV singled out "Pumped Up Kicks" as one of several popular songs that helped usher in the return of commercially successful indie music. In discussing the growing acceptance of fringe cultures, he wrote, "It seems only fitting, then, that the soundtrack to this time period should be music that was itself once viewed as fringe culture."^[43] Reflecting on the song's success, Gary Trust, the associate director of charts/radio for Billboard, said, "They're walking a tightrope very well in terms of eras, formats and styles. When you mix all that together, it becomes a very good recipe for a hit that works on so many levels. It's the perfect song." Foster said of the song, "There's a spirit there and that's what people resonate with. 'Pumped Up Kicks' wasn't an accident."^[2]

Use in popular media[link]

The song was used in TV series such as Entourage,^[44] Gossip Girl, CSI:NY, Cougar Town, Homeland, Warehouse 13 and The Vampire Diaries and also in the 2011 films Friends with Benefits^[11] and Fright Night, as well as sampled in Shawn Chrystopher's song "All the Other Kids", from his 2010 hip-hop album You, and Only You. The whistling part of the song is part of the rotation of bumper music played on the Michael Medved syndicated radio program. The song is also used on the BBC programme Match of the Day. On October 8, 2011, Foster the People performed the song on Saturday Night Live. The song was also used in Australian beer XXXX's "XXXX Summer Bright Lager" television commercial.^[45]

Cover versions and remixes[link]

The official remix of the single was released by New York City-duo The Knocks in April 2011, under the name "Pumped Up Kicks (The Knocks Speeding Bullet Remix)", and was made available to subscribers to the band's email list. The song was covered by Weezer during their 2011 North American Tour, at the Orange County Fair on August 4, 2011. Weezer also played the song during their grandstand performance at the Minnesota State Fair on September 3, 2011.^[46] Mark Foster said in reaction, "Nine years ago, I met Rivers Cuomo at a party, and I had my acoustic guitar with me. He taught me how to play 'Say It Ain't So'. So nine years later, to watch him play one of my songs - it was wild. I can't wait to meet him and remind him of that story."^[47]

In 2011, The Kooks covered song in BBC Radio 1's Live Lounge.^[48] Australian musician Owl Eyes performed a version of "Pumped Up Kicks" for Triple J's Like a Version. In the Triple J Hottest 100, 2011, Owl Eyes' version came in at 28, four positions higher than the original did the previous year. Singer-songwriters Dani Shay and Justin Chase covered the song in a theatrical music video October 2011^[49] and released the single in November 2011.^[50] A parody of the song was performed by Taylor Swift and Zac Efron on The Ellen DeGeneres Show, as a serenade to the host. Its lyrics were about how they felt weird when Ellen used to put them as a couple when they were not.^[51] On March 12, 2012 singers Lex Land and Charlotte Sometimes performed the song during the second "Battle Round" episode of The Voice.^[52]

Track listing[link]

Charts[link]

Release history[link]

See also[link]

• List of number-one Billboard Alternative Songs of 2011
• List of number-one dance airplay hits of 2011 (U.S.)
• List of number-one singles of 2012 (Australia)

References[link]