Hand-Trapping: Creating Angles & Openings in MMA
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Hand-on-the-Floor Hook Kick·fightTIPS
Trapping your opponent's hands during a fight is a great way to safely close off the distance, create angles, knock your…
Hand-on-the-Floor Hook Kick
SubFamilyハンド・オン・ザ・フロア・フック・キック(Hando on za Furoa Fukku Kikku)
Translation: Hand-on-the-floor hook kick
Overview
History & Origin
Effectiveness
Offers specific tactical advantages over the standard hook kick in appropriate situations. [1]
Lineage
Cross-style martial arts kicking tradition; documented in kick compendiums. [1]
Competition Record
An acrobatic kick variation primarily seen in demonstrations and point-fighting tournaments. Not practical in full-contact competition due to the ground recovery time required. [1]
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Biomechanical Mechanism
Primary Action — Hook Kick mechanics modified for hand-on-the-floor hook kick variant
Joints Involved — Hip, knee, ankle — specific to hook kick trajectory
Force Vector — Modified hook kick trajectory
Leverage Principle — Hip rotation and leg extension generate force along the hook kick arc
Position & Entry
From fighting stance — Chamber and execute the hand-on-the-floor hook kick
From close range — Adapted version for tight distance
Variants
High variant
Mid variant
Low variant
Videos
1 video
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Ratings
Risk of injury to the person this technique is applied to
6
High6/10
Hook Kick variant with standard striking power
Skill level needed to execute this technique reliably
Advanced
Whether this technique is allowed under major competition rule sets
Illegal
WBC/Boxing — All kicks prohibited in boxing {src— WBC Rules of Boxing}
Legal
— Unified MMA — Legal striking technique
Unified Rules of MMA, August 2025PDFKyokushin — Legal at full power to body and head {src— IKO Kyokushin Tournament Rules}
— WT — Legal, body kick 2 points, head kick 3 points, spinn...
WT Competition Rules 2024PDF— WAKO — Legal in Full Contact and Low Kick formats
WAKO Competition RulesPDFK-1/GLORY — Legal {src— K-1/GLORY Kickboxing Rules}
— IFMA — Legal — kicks are a core Muay Thai technique
IFMA Muay Thai RulesPDFTraining Notes
✓Master the standard hook kick before attempting the hand-on-the-floor hook kick (De Bremaeker & Faige, 2010)
✓Practise with pad work for targeting accuracy
Common Mistakes
!Attempting without solid hook kick foundation
!Poor balance
!Insufficient power generation
Related Techniques
Counter Techniques
Setup Chain
1Feint → Hand-on-the-Floor Hook Kick → Follow-up combination
Sources & References
Primary Source
Essential Book of Martial Arts Kicks (De Bremaeker & Faige, 2010)
1Book[1] De Bremaeker, M. and Faige, R. (2010). Essential Book of Martial Arts Kicks: 89 Kicks from Karate, Taekwondo, Muay Thai, Jeet Kune Do, and Others. Tuttle Publishing. ISBN 978-1-4629-0558-4.
2Citation[1] De Bremaeker, M. and Faige, R. (2010). Essential Book of Martial Arts Kicks: 89 Kicks from Karate, Taekwondo, Muay Thai, Jeet Kune Do, and Others. Tuttle Publishing. ISBN 978-1-4629-0558-4.
[1] De Bremaeker & Faige, Essential Book of Martial Arts Kicks (2010)
Community
Athletics
Requires solid hook kick foundation
Good balance and coordination
Notes
Documented in De Bremaeker & Faige, Section 5.14. The kicker places one hand on the floor for balance while delivering the hook kick — an acrobatic variant from capoeira-influenced kicking. (De Bremaeker & Faige, Essential Book of Martial Arts Kicks, 2010)
Frequently Asked Questions
When is the best time to attempt a hand-on-the-floor hook kick in a fight?
According to fightTIPS, the best opportunity comes when your opponent starts to shell up defensively—this is the perfect moment to close distance and control their positioning before executing the technique.
How can I set up a hand-on-the-floor hook kick after trapping my opponent's hands?
fightTIPS demonstrates that after controlling your opponent's wrists and breaking their balance through hand traps and redirects, you can use a small push to create the opening needed for the hook kick to land.
How does the Hand-on-the-Floor Hook Kick work?
The Hand-on-the-Floor Hook Kick uses one hand on the ground for support and balance while delivering a hook kick. The hand support allows the practitioner to kick from an extremely low position with maximum reach.
Where does the Hand-on-the-Floor Hook Kick come from?
The Hand-on-the-Floor Hook Kick is a specialised variant documented in cross-style kicking methodology. It represents an advanced development of the standard hook kick.
Is the Hand-on-the-Floor Hook Kick legal in competition?
Unified MMA: legal — Legal striking technique; WBC/Boxing: banned — All kicks prohibited in boxing; WKF: legal — Legal, chudan (body) kick scores 2 points, jodan (head) kick scores 3 points; Kyokushin: legal — Legal at full power to body and head; WT: legal — Legal, body kick 2 points, head kick 3 points, spinning body 4 points, spinni…; WAKO: legal — Legal in Full Contact and Low Kick formats; K: legal — 1/GLORY — Legal; IFMA: legal — Legal — kicks are a core Muay Thai technique
How dangerous is the Hand-on-the-Floor Hook Kick?
Danger rating 6/10. Hook Kick variant with standard striking power
How do I set up the Hand-on-the-Floor Hook Kick?
The standard setup chain: Feint → Hand-on-the-Floor Hook Kick → Follow-up combination.
How do I defend against the Hand-on-the-Floor Hook Kick?
Standard counters include: Step inside range / Block and counter / Low kick to support leg.
What are the variants of the Hand-on-the-Floor Hook Kick?
Common variants: High variant; Mid variant; Low variant.
How effective is the Hand-on-the-Floor Hook Kick in competition?
An acrobatic kick variation primarily seen in demonstrations and point-fighting tournaments. Not practical in full-contact competition due to the ground recovery time required.
What are common mistakes when doing the Hand-on-the-Floor Hook Kick?
Top errors to watch for: Attempting without solid hook kick foundation / Poor balance / Insufficient power generation.
What are other names for the Hand-on-the-Floor Hook Kick?
The Hand-on-the-Floor Hook Kick is also known as Hando on za Furoa Fukku Kikku, Ground-Supported Hook Kick.