Cung Le's Lethal Scissor Kick Cuts 'Em Down!

by Cung Le

One of the most spectacular moves in kungfu is the scissor kick, and few people in the world perform it more dazzlingly than Cung Le. He has used it in countless sanshou matches, world championships and televised fights, much to the delight of cheering crowds. As its name implies, this sweeping "scissor" is a powerful technique to cut down an opponent, and none know it better than Le.

"Nobody taught me how to do it," Le recalls, thinking back to how he first got inspired. "I was watching Best of the Best on TV and I saw them do a scissor kick. I thought, I could do that too. So I started working on it during training and sparring, and I started getting it. I first used it in competition in 95, twice, with some pretty serious results. I knocked one guy out with it, and shattered one opponent's cheekbone, which resulted in $30,000 of surgery to repair it."

This was a time in Le's burgeoning career where he was still learning to control his power. They were important lessons. The first casualty was a Chinese fighter from the Wu Jing military team, who had come to fight a USA v. China match at Shawn Liu's U.S. Open. As Le and the Chinese fighter sparred, things got fast and heated. "I tried the scissor," says Le, "and it went up high and caught him in the cheekbone. Then at the '95 team trials it happened again, with a guy from Philadelphia. He stepped into the power point of my heel, and it grazed him, but shattered his cheekbone." Although this all was part of the game, Le had no intention of hurting anyone badly, especially in friendly competitions, and it made him look long and hard at controlling this power.

Controlling power is one of the most difficult things in martial arts, a skill that takes long training, mental focus, and self-knowledge. The scissor kick is especially hard to control because of the velocity needed to make it effective. However, as it was perhaps the most crowd-pleasing technique in Le's arsenal, he dedicated himself to honing it to perfection.

The Essence of the Scissor Kick
The dynamics of the scissor kick are best described by Cung Le himself. "When I first started sanshou I was good at the wheel kick," he recalls, "and I just improved on that, adding my own twist. You go step by step, slide in, closing the gap. One leg goes through the body, the other leg whips up and knocks them over. Velocity and power make it effective. It's all about speed, the spring of the body, timing. Great focus."

He continues, "Slide in like throwing a sidekick, as one foot passes along the back, and the other leg catches the opponent in a scissor action. Whipping, your body spins, you glide into them. When your leg penetrates, the other leg whips through and they wind up flipping over. You end up in a T, they're laying flat, your legs around them." Not a comfortable place, if you're on the receiving end of that kick, as many a fighter has found out.

Although Le makes it look easy, putting all the elements together for a perfect scissor kick is difficult. "My students try it on me," he notes, smiling, "but I'm just standing there like a tree. In competition, no one's ever tried it on me. My throws are a strong defense, and I can throw from any angle, so it's hard to catch me with a scissor kick."

Aside from learning the mechanics of the kick, the key to the scissor is repetition. You can practice on the bag, says Le, but the bag doesn't move. This is one technique you really need to practice with a partner, to get the feel of the motion, of the velocity, of the weight and movement of an opponent. Le cautions, "You must try it in sparring, but be careful with your partner. Their foot can get caught and broken." Remember, there's also a limit to your partner's patience and endurance for getting knocked down time after time.

In a Fight
For Le's followers, the scissor kick is the martial icing on the kungfu cake. All his techniques are executed beautifully, cleanly, and with his own personal flair, but the scissor has become a particular signature. And it's guaranteed to make the crowd roar, every time.

"When I go into a fight," says Le, "I like to say I'll do a scissor kick, but often it ends up in a KO, and I don't get to use it. In K1 in Vegas, he knew it was coming, and he avoided it, stayed by the ropes. But if the scissor kick doesn't get him, the souffle will - if that doesn't work, something else will.

"If you're trying too hard, you don't let it come naturally. When I go in, I try to blank out my mind, not think about doing it, and that's when I perform the best. I pressure them, doing all kinds of techniques; then they feel the heat and don't know what to expect. That's when the scissor kick surprises them and works the best.

Le's strategy in fighting is to go into a fight and slowly pick them apart. "If it's there, I'll take it," he says, "if not, something else will work for me. If I'm way up in points, then I'll go for it especially. I'm more of a smart fighter -- I'll take the risks, but I won't take such a big risk where it will cost me the fight."

Le's losses have been few and far between, enough to keep him humble, and hungry, and ever improving his fighting -- evolving, like every real champion must.

Family First
Cung Le is now at his peak, but although he is famous in the full-contact world, he has also been noticed by Hollywood, and perhaps before long we'll be seeing Le up on the big screen. (We'll keep you updated on that one.) But many of his fighting fans want to know why Le would leave fighting at the peak of his career. He has a ready answer. "I love to fight, but it's all about family first. The fight game doesn't pay, and it is about the money. You have to put food on the table. How I'm going to use the money is the question, how I'm going to make a difference with the money.

"If I'm an actor instead of a fighter I can reach more people, more kids, with a positive message. I can say, hey kids, don't try these moves you see in the movie. This is also the time that martial arts movies are getting nominated, so now's the time to jump. If I keep fighting, in four years that window might not be open. I've been on the circuit, I've proved myself. All action stars look for legitimacy; I don't have to, I've delivered that. It's been a hard road, but at the same time it's been a good road. I thank the Lord for it all. If you didn't see me in my prime in the ring, you'll see me in my prime on the big screen."

Training the Next Generation
Cung Le's new baby son, Cung Jr., is one good reason Le is looking to the future, and not accepting boundaries. He sees the potential of a new generation, one whose future he can contribute to positively. And although little Cung is too young to get out in the ring (yet!), Le has his own generation of students and fighters that he is busy passing his knowledge on to. He has recently moved and expanded his school in San Jose, the Cung Le Martial Arts Training Center, to include a full size boxing ring, full size weight room, and all sizes of bags. "It's my dream gym," he says, grinning. This 4800 square foot martial arts palace is home to roughly 500 students, and this is in addition to Le's other school in Santa Clara, run successfully by Ed and Jane Carpio.

Cung Le's success is a result not only of his talent, but also of his hard work. He still teaches classes in his school seven days a week, and trains his stable of fighters for both amateur and professional fights. But Le is anything but predictable. You might think he likes best training and grooming fellow-champions like Rudi Ott or Chinu Ly, but he actually says his favorite thing is teaching his Level I classes. Why? Because he gets to turn a whole lot of people on to martial arts.

"A lot of people come train for fitness," he says, "knowing nothing about fighting or martial arts. I like to educate them in the techniques of punching and kicking, and takedowns. They come to understand more about sanshou and what martial arts is all about. They are average people, getting educated about the art, becoming martial arts fans. I see people getting healthier, fitter, and that makes me smile. I see by getting up every day I can make a difference in people's lives. I enjoy that the most. I do enjoy training my fighters too, and watching them excel, but it's hard, nerve-wracking to see them out in the ring. It's a lot of emotional wear and tear."

So now, with his family, his schools, his fighting and film careers, Cung Le has found what so many martial artists strive for - balance. He has built a strong foundation, but the future is still wide open. And when he gets back in the ring, watch out for that scissor kick.

About Cung Le:
Cung Le can be reached at Cung Le's Martial Arts Training Center at (408) 729-4468. Check out Cung Le's Instructional Video series. Go to www.MartialArtsMart.com and search for "Cung Le".