So no, Daniel's kick was not an illegal move, even if Cobra Kai sort of seems to treat it as if it was (as the show is clearly buying into the fan debate over the years, but as I wrote recently, the show also retconned some of Johnny's tournament history past, as well, so it's not always the best authority on the ...
Based on the real-life rules (via the USA National Karate-do Federation), it does seem that the move was illegal — but not because Johnny was hit in the face. Strikes to the face and front kicks are actually permitted according to these rules, as long as the strike isn't open palmed.
The crane kick is a fictionalized version of the Mae tobi geri (Japanese: 前飛蹴). The move was created by Daryll Vidal for the classic film The Karate Kid (1984). The move is taught by the character Mr. Miyagi to Daniel LaRusso and eventually used in the final scene with his arch rival Johnny Lawrence.
b) Illegal Target Areas: Spine, back of neck, throat, sides of the neck, groin, legs, knees and back. c) Non-Target Areas: Hips, shoulders, buttocks, arms, and feet. a) LEGAL TECHNIQUES are all controlled sport karate techniques, except those listed as illegal.
A karate kick to the face is legal and more universal than a low-kick that is even banned in karate competitions, in case it appears to be too low. Kick to the face earns you the highest number of points, three, regarded as “ippon”.
An axe kick is often used by martial artists to target an opponent's head, clavicle, etc. This kicking technique is used in many martial arts such as Karate, Taekwondo, etc.
The kick, which is legal, has been a controversial one for some time. It is a technique that former UFC light heavyweight champion Jon Jones has become somewhat infamous for using. In 2013, Quinton “Rampage” Jackson let his thoughts be known about the kick after a loss to Jones.
Full contact karate is any format of karate where competitors spar (also called Kumite) full-contact and allow a knockout as winning criterion.
Some tournaments allowed sweeps only if there was an immediate follow-up technique. In this case the sweep was way beyond the rules of competition and had progressed into the realm of shear violence intended to hurt, injure, or maim the person. Useful on the street but illegal in a sport competition.
The Crane Technique, also known as the Crane Kick, is a Miyagi-Do Karate technique.
"His ability and technique created a seamless move and the blueprint for what Daniel-san needed to achieve." Macchio worked tirelessly with Darryl and martial arts choreographer Pat Johnson to learn the technique, ensuring that Macchio wouldn't need a stunt double to do the move for him.
When a fighting technique is done right it also means it has been timed right and your opponent can't defend against it for whatever reason - already committed to doing something else, completely misread the attack, defending another area. Any perfectly timed technique is indefensible.
During the fight, Bobby lands a kick to Daniel's knee, injuring his opponent. Bobby drops down and profusely apologizes to a pain-stricken Daniel, before being pulled off by the referee. Bobby is later disqualified for the unethical kick.
Some well known and respected traditional martial arts that use elbows are Karate, Hung Ga, Bajiquan,sanda/sanshou, Wing Chun, Silat, Lethwei and Muay boran.
A jab, perfectly executed and timed, can end a fight. But in most cases, the jab is used to gauge distance, break down and off-balance your opponent, and to set up your other strikes. If your jab doesn't land, it is unlikely that any of your other strikes will land.
The most common martial arts injuries are sprains, strains, cuts, and bruises. Broken bones also occur. These injuries frequently affect the knee, ankle, shoulder and elbow. Hands are particularly vulnerable to injury during striking martial arts.
Both of these martial arts are effective for self-defense. However, the power behind Kickboxing can't be disregarded. Therefore, it is a bit more potent than Karate when it comes to being able to defend yourself from any attack.
The Ultimate Fighting Championship allows stomps to be performed from the clinch, while stomping on a downed opponent is considered illegal. Although now defunct as a promotion, PRIDE FC rules allowed competitors to stomp on a downed opponent, either to the head or body.
Rules: Fighters are allowed to strike their opponent with punches and kicks including kicks below the waist, except for the groin. Elbows and knees are forbidden (with the exception of some competitions). Clinch fighting, throws and sweeps are allowed.
The basic kicking techniques in kickboxing include the roundhouse body kick, high kick, and leg/low kick. More advanced kicking techniques include the spinning back kick, axe kick, jump kick, flying kick and cartwheel kick.