“I fear not the man who has practiced 10,000 kicks once, but I fear the man who has practiced one kick 10,000 times.” – Bruce Lee.
In a sport that involves rigid systems, especially in the defensive department, unpredictability usually takes precedence over the tried and tested. But at the same time, mastering a move can reap enormous benefits.
Over the course of four seasons of Pro Kabaddi League, we’ve seen a handful of talented players attempt and perfect certain moves, which in the long run have turned into money spinners. Let’s take a look at some of these moves.
#1 The spear
Whether it’s the pundits, the coaches or the players, the spear has rarely been talked about and understandably so. Till date, only two defenders in the league have been efficient with the spear – Former U Mumba man, Jeeva Kumar, now plying this trade at Uttar Pradesh and Iranian, Fazel Atrachali, who will play for Gujarat this season.
Both these defenders have extremely wide torsos and a low centre of gravity – an essential prerequisite for anyone attempting this move. More often than not, it’s usually executed in a 1v1 situation when your teammates fail to tackle the raider and you’re the only player he has to get past.
In such an instance, Jeeva and Fazel dive in head first towards the raider, using their shoulders they target the hips and take the raider down using sheer brute force.
#2 Toe touch
In terms of risk, the toe touch is by far the least risky move in the game. But it’s the wisest player in the league who uses it the most – Anup Kumar. Since the past four seasons, U Mumba’s captain may have adapted his game as age catches up with him. But the toe touch remains a constant weapon in his arsenal.
It speaks volumes about the benefits of the move, if executed well. A safe bet when the team is in need of a quick point. On any given day, Anup steadily wanders towards the right corner to begin the move. He lowers himself, using his outstretched right foot, Kumar attempts to touch the opposition defenders using his toe.
He makes sure he maintains balance while executing the toe touch, since essentially, he’s standing on one foot as he implements it.
#3 Running hand touch
Not to be confused with the stationery hand touch, which in comparison holds far less danger. Tactically speaking, the running hand touch is an extremely high-risk move. The attacker completely exposes himself to all seven defenders. A raider needs to get N number of variables right and at the end of it all, he may pick up just a point or 0. Ajay Thakur, Deepak Niwas Hooda and Kashiling Adake are considered to be the holy trinity of this move.
A common factor which makes them the best in the business. They’re all extremely agile and quick on the mat. The move starts off when the raider runs across the entire width of the mat, parallel to the defensive line.
When he senses a defender in a vulnerable position, with his outstretched hand, he manages to get the faintest of touches. Which is why most successful running hand touches are reviewed by the third umpire.
#4 The dubki
By far the highest rewarding move in the sport, the dubki is executed at a time when the raider has practically nothing to lose. He’s cornered from all sides and as the defenders attempt to get on top of the attacker, he suddenly changes trajectory and stoops down, sliding through the gap created by the overzealous defenders under them.
Patna’s star man, Pardeep Narwal holds the crown for successfully executing the most number of dubkis. There were numerous times when the Pirates were trailing by more than 5 points when Narwal stepped up and scored a super raid using the dubki.
It’s a confidence shattering move. Veteran, Manjeet Chillar (Jaipur) and U Mumba’s Shabeer Bapu try it from time to time but Narwal’s presence of mind and nimble feet separate him from the pack.
#5 Scorpion Kick
There’s no other way to put it, the scorpion kick was invented for the flashing cameras. Jaipur’s, Jasvir Singh, who attempts it the most, may beg to differ but the fact remains that the scorpion kick is rarely executed successfully. Even an effort invokes a thunderous applause from the crowd.
Raising his stronger foot, the raider initially looks like he’s about to touch the defender to his right. But he doesn’t. Within a split second, he catches the defender behind him off guard and kicks him, usually on his head or shoulder.
The process and execution of the scorpion kick, reeks of confidence and conviction. A high risk move which can leave a raider hanging, literally, if the defenders manage to get hold of his leg.
