Side Reaper Kick

 

This is a low kick aimed at the outside of an opponent's knee and delivered decisively. Because the practitioner kicks whilst lightly bending the upper body to the rear, this kick is devised to be effective with very little motion. Because of the distinctive kicking motion, this move is also called the Pendulum Kick. The area targeted by the kick is not directly vulnerable to a fatal blow, but when one of a person's legs can no longer be used, continued combat becomes effectively impossible.

Move Origins

The Side Reaper Kick is the classic low kick seen in many martial arts such as traditional/full-contact karate, muay thai, and many others. True to the description, kicking an opponent's legs is a very effective tactic in combat and many professional fights have been stopped due to leg kicks.

The knee being the target of choice for the Side Reaper Kick makes it a very high-risk, high reward maneuver. A low kick hitting the side of the knee from the outside can easily shear tendons and ligaments. For example, Nong-O stopped Liam Harrison in their rematch with a well-timed low kick to the side of the knee, causing Harrison to tear his ACL, MCL, and meniscus.

Nong-O vs Liam Harrison 2, ONE on Amazon Prime Muay Thai

However, it's also a double-edged sword. If the opponent performs a "check" by moving their leg into the path of the kick, it creates a bone-on-bone collision that often leads to the kicker injuring their leg on contact. No one knows this phenomenon better than former UFC middleweight champion Chris Weidman, who's been on both the giving and receiving end of a leg break from a checked leg kick.

Top: Anderson Silva vs Chris Weidman 2

Bottom: Chris Weidman vs Uriah Hall

Crescent Kick

In regular old-style Jujitsu, high kick moves were rarely used. In particular, kicking moves that come under the classification of roundhouse kicks were never used. This is because it is easy to lose one's balance when executing high kicks while dressed in a Japanese kimono. The characteristic feature of the Crescent Kick is that it is unleashed like an upward sword-stroke aimed at the opponent's head. Although this move wasn't used extensively because it was originally a move of last resort, Ryo favors it because of its effectiveness in street fights.

Abridged move description/video courtesy of Suka Pass.

The Crescent Kick is a roundhouse kick thrown at head level. The move is a staple in virtually every martial art that involves kicking. However, despite its ubiquity in martial arts today, high kicks were very rarely used in traditional Japanese martial arts. So how did high kicks become so common today?

Japanese high kick origins

High kicks were rare in Okinawan karate styles due to their self-defense focus. Any kick above the waist was considered risky not only due to the ease of losing one's balance (alluded to in the move description), but also because it exposed one's groin to strikes. High kicks were integrated into the art after karate had spread to Japan, but there is a surprising amount on competing theories on how this development occurred.

One popular theory is that they were developed by Gigō Funakoshi, son of Gichin Funakoshi (the founder of Shotokan karate). Gichin, considered the father of modern karate for popularizing it in Japan, initially studied Okinawan styles of karate and taught Shotokan with the same self-defense philosophy in mind. Gigō however took a heavier fighting-focused approach compared to his father's approach of predominantly kata and exercise. High roundhouse kicks were said to be one of the many techniques developed by Gigō through many sparring sessions and incorporated into the art. Some other speculation is that they The popularity of Shotokan spread these techniques to other karate styles and to Korean styles like Tae Kwon Do.

Chuck Norris demonstrating the high roundhouse kick

Another theory is that high kicks were imported from the French martial art of Savate. Many western advisors were brought in during Japan's Meiji era rush to modernization, including French military experts. Savate, used by the French soldiers for exercise and self defense, was said to have influenced local martial arts. The art of Savate does feature things like high kicks and synchronized drilling, features that are commonly associated with karate today.

Chasseurs Alpin practicing savate drills in 1898

Some other hypotheses include influence from Muay Thai/Muay Boran as there was historical trade between the Ryukyu Kingdom (Okinawa) and Siam (Thailand). It may also have come from Northern Chinese kung fu styles which feature more above-the-waist kicks compared to Southern Chinese kung fu styles (which were a primary influence on the development of Okinawan karate). Regardless of the origin, it remains a simple but devastating technique.

Mirko Cro Cop destroys Wanderlei Silva in their rematch with his signature high left roundhouse kick

Crawl Cyclone

With this move, the practitioner lowers his body, pins around rapidly on the pivot leg, and using his other leg, sweeps out the legs from under his opponent. Many similar moves can be found in Chinese martial arts and the move appears to have come from Kung Fu.

Abridged move description/video courtesy of Suka Pass.

True to the description, the move can be found in many styles of Kung Fu under various names such as "the iron broomstick" or "the tiger's tail". It is also commonly found in Southeast Asian styles such as Silat.

A classic kung fu demonstration.

While far from being a commonly used fighting technique, there is a surprising amount of footage of it being used successfully in full contact competition and the streets™.

Foot sweeps and leg sweeps in general work by catch your opponent shifting their balance from one leg to the other and pulling the rug from under them. It's a move that requires good timing and prediction which can't be brute forced unless there's a large size or strength disparity. In grappling arts (and striking arts that allow the clinch), the timing requirement can be eased somewhat as you can push and pull your opponent to get them to step in semi-predictable ways. To pull off the Crawl Cyclone where you have no hands on the opponent, there are 2 methods that can be used to set it up.

#1 - Getting your opponent to take a step

Fighters will often retreat linearly by rapidly backstepping away from the opponent. This happens particularly often in MMA for a medley of reasons that I won't go into here. A fighter going backwards naturally has to shift their weight backwards when taking a step back, which leaves them vulnerable to getting swept by the Crawl Cyclone if hit during this moment.

One example was used in the match between former BW UFC champion Cody Garbrandt and Raphael Assunção.

Cody Garbrandt vs Raphael Assunção

Garbrandt first uses a wrestling duckwalk to fake as if he's going to shoot a takedown. Assunção responds to the feint by moving backwards out of range of the expected shot. Garbrandt changes levels again as if he's going to shoot, but instead tries to sweep Assunção off his feet. His timing is a little off however as Assunção had managed to set his weight down, so it ends up being a hard leg kick instead of a sweep.

Here's another example from pseudo kickboxing organization Karate Combat.

Gabriele Cera using the move in sparring and against James Vick

Cera lunges forward as if he was going to blitz with punches. Ex-UFC veteran James Vick retreats out of the way of the expected blitz. Cera instead drops down and sweeps Vick off his feet.

It can also be executed when your opponent is coming forwards by timing when your opponent is about to plant their foot and sweeping them before they set their weight down. When strikes are on the table though, this is riskier as you run the risk of being over.

A subway cop sweeping the leg of a man of questionable sobriety

#2 - Kicking an opponent on one leg

Any time someone is on one leg, they are off-balancing themselves to some degree. A Crawl Cyclone can be used to great effect to take them the rest of the way down. 

First clip:  仲宗根武蔵 vs 関口祐冬

Second clip: Chris Clements vs Stephen Thompson

A common instance is when a person is throwing a standing kick as they have one leg planted by definition. In the first clip, the Crawl Cyclone is used in a Shooto MMA match. The victim is caught on one leg while throwing a leg kick and is toppled over. In the second clip, Chris Clements catches then-prospect (present day former UFC WW title challenger) Stephen "Wonderboy" Thompson with the Crawl Cyclone while Wonderboy is attempting a hook kick. This is especially effective on Wonderboy as he uses a more bladed side-on stance that leaves him more vulnerable to being swept in that horizontal plane.

Another instance is when a person is checking a kick. Checking is done by raising their shin into the path of a kick so that the kicker hits bone rather than softer muscle (and possibly hurting their leg in the process). 

Tony Ferguson vs Justin Gaethje for the interim UFC LW championship

In this clip, Ferguson changes levels, potentially faking a takedown, and instead goes for a Crawl Cyclone. Gaethje lifts his leg to check, but the kick lands low on his ankle rather than his shin, sending him toppling to his hands and knees.

Disadvantages

 

The Crawl Cyclone requires the opponent to be shifting their weight away or being off-balanced in some way. If the opponent is rooted in their stance, the kick won't do much damage and you won't be in a position to defend yourself.

As this poor kid who watches too much anime found out.

It also requires full commitment. If you don't spin all the way through, you won't generate enough torque to knock someone off their feet. Consequently, if someone avoids it by stepping out of the way, you're stuck having to make a full circle as you can't exactly stop yourself mid-spin. Even if your opponent doesn't take advantage of your vulnerability, you still end up looking silly.

Hugo vs Torres Caut on Dana White's Contender series. Hugo is the one looking silly.

Thunder Kick

 This kick begins as a high outside spin kick, but ends as a heel drop.

For an outside spin kick, the path of the kick is compact, and rather than obtaining power from the spin kick itself, the importance of this move lies in sweeping away the opponent's guard against hte main attack from the heel.

The name Thunder Kick is said to come from the High Thunder Sword stance of the Yagyu Shinkage Style of Kendo Swordsmanship. It is known from written records passed through time that at the end of the Warring States Era, the Hazuki Style and Yagyu Shinkage Style enjoyed close relations.

The Yagyu Hyogonosuke of the Yagyu Shinkage Style is known for devising the High Thunder Sword (also called Upright Body), which involves raising the sword high above the head and maintaining a straight posture, impossible when wearing armor. It was developed form the so-called Kaija Art of Swordsmanship whose practitioners wore the armor of the Warring States Era and maintained a low waist position. As a result of the change, the length of the stroke and its power increased dramatically.

It is probably a fact that, despite the differences between a sword stroke and a kick, because the concepts were similar, the Hazuki Style devised the Thunder Kick by making reference to the High Thunder Sword of the Yagyu Style.

When mastery is attained, it it possible to follow other kicking moves with the Thunder Kick.

Move description courtesy of Suka Pass

The Thunder Kick is more commonly known as an axe kick, or Kakato Otoshi Geri. This technique is common in martial arts such as Karate (particularly Kyokushin Karate) and Tae Kwon Do.

Kyokushin karateka Francisco Filho knocking down his opponent with an axe kick in competition.

This technique, though relatively common in Kyokushin and TKD competitions, is rarely seen in kickboxing and MMA. Axe kicks require an extraordinary level of flexibility and strength to land with any meaningful power and have a relatively short effective distance. If the axe kick falls short or is interrupted in its path, the user is open to a counter or takedown.

Former LHW UFC champion/division GOAT Jon Jones attempts an axe kick against former LHW UFC champion Glover Teixeira. Glover avoids the kick and catches Jones' leg on his shoulder, nearly leading to a takedown before the bell rang.

In spite of this, there are fighters who have been able to use axe kicks successfully at the highest levels of kickboxing and MMA. The most famous fighter to utilize the axe kick is the late Andy Hug. Coming from a Kyokushin background, Hug's unorthodox kicking style saw him winning a K1 World Grand Prix and 2 runner-up finishes. Though he never KO'd any of his opponents with the axe kick, the mere threat of his axe kick was enough to make his opponents respect it. To avoid Hug's axe kick, the opponent had to either create distance or move their hands out of their guard to defend against the kick. Hug capitalized on this reaction by feinting his axe kick setup. As his opponents raised their hands to block the axe kick, Hug flurried with punches at their now-unprotected face.

Andy Hug landing axe kicks on kickboxing greats Ernesto Hoost and Mirko Cro Cop.

The description for the move mentions that a master of the thunder kick can use it as a follow-up after other kicking techniques. In-game this is represented by Ryo throwing a roundhouse kick to the midsection, followed by the thunder kick. Strikeforce MW champion and Sanda World Champion Cung Le shows this exact setup in his book. Le throws a roundhouse kick to draw a leg check from his opponent. Le then throws the axe kick. As the axe kick's setup looks similar to the roundhouse kick, the opponent raises their leg to check, only for the axe kick to go around and crash down on their head.

A real-life example of this setup occurred in the rematch between Mark Hunt and Mirko Cro Cop. Cro Cop, infamous for his lethal roundhouse kicks to the head and midsection, had landed several hard body kicks against Hunt. Cro Cop then throws an axe kick instead of his trademark roundhouse. Hunt raises his leg to check the expected body kick, only to eat an axe kick instead.

Top: Cung Le detailing the setup for the axe kick. Bottom: Cro Cop lands the axe kick against the side of Mark Hunt's head.

While no fighter in MMA has used axe kicks to any great effect like Hug has in kickboxing, there have been some interestin g applications of the move. Kicks to a downed opponent are illegal in most MMA rulesets, but kicks to the body are still legal. MMA GOAT Georges St. Pierre utilized an axe kick to hurt a grounded Jason Miller. The idea clearly resonated with GSP as you can see him teaching Raymond Daniels the same move in order to exploit the "pit" used in the Karate Combat promotion.

GSP axe kicking Jason Miller, who was attempting to lure GSP to the mat so Miller could use his jiujitsu skills.


Yagyu Shinkage Style
The Yagyu Shinkage Style mentioned in the description is a real style of Japanese swordsmanship. I can't comment on how accurate the description of the tactics used in the Yagyu Shinkage-ryu are having never trained in it, but at a layman's glance, there seems to be some truth in it. Videos of the Yagyu Shinkage style seem to show its practitioners using a jodan (sword held upwards and used to strike high targets) stance. One of the reasons why axe kicks are effective and difficult to block is that they exploit the vertical ceiling-to-floor line. While strikes in the vertical axis are quite common in swordsmanship, they are rare in unarmed fighting as few attacks use this line.

A Yagyu Shinkage-ryu demonstration

Dark Moon

Abridged move description:

This is a so-called bombardment kick move, with the kick delivered while flipping forward in mid-air. This is one of the more unusual moves in the Hazuki style, considered heretical in ancient Jujitsu... The reason this type of move was developed is found in the training system of the Hazuki Style. Among the throwing moves to be mentioned later is one called the Darkside Hazuki which involves spinning the opponent 180 degrees and dropping him head first. ...the person on whom the move is being practiced adopts a defense of spinning in mid-air before landing. That move, with a kick added, is the Dark Moon.

Because the practitioner himself falls after executing the move it is easy to leave an opening for the opponent, but those who have mastered the move can quickly mount a defense to solve this problem.

This move does exist in real life and is known Do Mawashi Kaiten Geri in Japanese or
as the rolling thunder or Kyokushin wheel kick. This move is typically seen in Kyokushin Karate and kickboxing competitions (typically thrown by kickboxers with a Kyokushin background). It is a very powerful kick as the user is throwing their entire body into the move and usually stuns or knocks out the opponent even it connects.

Peter Graham knocking out Badr Hari with the rolling thunder in the last minute of a fight he was clearly losing.

In Kyokushin Karate and kickboxing competitions, there is little risk as strikes to a grounded opponent are illegal. This can even be gamed for an advantage. Young kickboxing phenom Tenshin Nasukawa rarely lands the rolling thunder in his professional kickboxing matches (most of his knockdowns with them have been against outclassed MMA fighters). However, as the referee halts the action to let Tenshin get back up after flopping on the ground from a missed kick, he can run out the clock and buy a few seconds as a breather before he stands back up

Tenshin knocking down the overmatched Yusaku Nakamura during a Rizin match

In MMA, missed or botched connections are much riskier as you are grounded while your opponent can easily score a free strike or can engage in grappling and secure top position. There are also few Kyokushin strikers who transition to MMA in comparison to the amount that end up competing in kickboxing, which may also explain the move's rareness in MMA competition.

Though it does still happen on occasion in MMA as former UFC veteran Ross Pearson found out the hard way

The description mentions the move being considered heretical in jiujitsu. Traditional Japanese jiujitsu is designed with the use of weapons and armored opponents in mind. In modern grappling competitions, not all positions on your back are considered bad--many submission grapplers even prefer to engage from their back rather than top position. However, in traditional Japanese Jiujitsu, being on the ground on your back is terrible as you're one step away from getting a knife shoved through your eye. It's logical that the move would be considered heretical in that context as you're purposely tossing yourself to the ground for little reward as the other guy is probably wearing armor, making most unarmed strikes ineffectual.

This picture courtesy of historical German fencing master Talhoffer depicts the concept of why being on the bottom = bad when weapons are involved.

I'm skeptical of the in-game logic of the Dark Moon originating as a by-product of safe practicing of the Darkside Hazuki move. If the kick was developed from the motion of the uke when thrown, then the Dark Moon should resemble the forward roll version of the rolling thunder rather the side roll version that Ryo uses (going off the in-game depiction of the Darkside Hazuki). Of course this could just be a simple continuity error between the description and the animation and not a lore problem or whatever. The connection between "roll-through to not get spiked on the head" to "hey what if I kick somebody really hard with this" is a bit dubious as well, but hey it wouldn't be the first move to be discovered via accident or messing around.

Darkside Hazuki, footage by Damp Macaroni

Forward roll variation of the rolling thunder demonstrated by Harold Howard during an early UFC match.

Big thanks to Suka Pass for allowing me to make a video of the move and get the description without having to download an emulator or buy a screen recorder.