It's been awhile since I last added to my Fighting Arts playlist, so here's the newest installation of the Death From Above miniseries: the Flying Knee. This video clip shows Kid Yamamoto taking out Kazuyuki Miyata with a flying knee at the four second mark in an MMA match (K-1 Hero's 5). This is further proof that yes, sometimes flashy jumping attacks do work in MMA, provided you're a badass.

The flying knee (also called the jumping knee or hanuman thayarn in Muay Thai) is, in my opinion, the scariest attack that can be legally used in MMA. Catching a flying knee to the stomach will knock the wind out of you. Catching a flying knee to the torso could easily break some ribs. And eating a flying knee...well, don't eat a flying knee.

Generally any knee strike in which the attacker leaves the ground completely to land the strike is called a flying knee, but I personally use the term "flying knee" to describe a strike when the attacker does it from a running jump, generally from out of the striking range. This is to differentiate that type of strike from what I call the "jumping knee", a strike when the attacker attacks from clinch distance or closer, a strike that is more akin technique-wise to the rising knee from the clinch.

The flying knee (the running kind) is thrown when the attacker makes a sprint start, pushes off his right foot, launches himself into the air off his left foot, and shoots his hips and right knee forward while letting his upper body come back very slightly. This strike is dangerous because it brings the attacker's body into the strike, giving it that much more momentum and power.

The trick to defending a flying knee, as with all bum rush attacks, is timing and lateral movement. The incoming momentum of the attacker is so strong, and the attack so unpredictable, that it is generally a bad idea to move forward to try to stuff the knee (you'll just end up taking the knee lower on the body), or backwards to avoid it (you can't move backwards fast enough to get out of the way). Instead, a good idea is to step circle or jump out to your power side as quickly as possible. Make it a large movement, not like a slip, or else you run the risk of your opponent adjusting his flight plan and consequently rearranging your face. As soon as the guy misses, he'll be off-balance, so you can pivot, step laterally to your weak side, and start throwing bombs. There was an old UFC fight that had just this happen, where some MT guy threw a flying knee once the bell rang, his opponent sidestepped and clocked him solid, then proceeded to GnP him for his insolence. Wish I could find the video of that...

In defending, it is also imperative that you never be caught off-guard or flat-footed, as it becomes much more difficult to dodge a quick strike if you're not prepared. So keep your hands up and your chin tucked and stay on the balls of your feet even if your opponent isn't in striking range.

Slow motion of a flying knee hit
Lots of scary MT jumping knees