PKL 2021: From Lion Jump to Dubaki, All Kabaddi moves fans need to know ahead of Pro Kabaddi League season 8 – Pro Kabaddi League season 8 is all set to take place after a long game of two years due to Covid-19. The exciting auction took place last month were more than 400 players went under the hammer and many record-breaking bids were placed by all 12 teams. As we gear up to welcome our indigenous sport let us have a look at some of the key factors in the game. The beauty of this sport lies in the fact that players require a certain set of skills to perform proficiently, whether played on a mat or mud. Kabaddi players are now regarded as icons and heroes by the young generation who aspire to become the next Rahul Chaudhari or Pardeep Narwal.
An agile body, sharp mind, fearless attitude and attention to small details makes one a world-class kabaddi player. Fitness is another crucial aspect that helps the players to overcome tough spells in kabaddi. But fitness alone doesn’t define success in kabaddi, players must possess special skills to stand out from the lot. Here’s a list of the fundamental skills of kabaddi that you must know as a genuine fan.
Offensive Skills
Raiders perform offensive skills in the opponent’s half to touch the defenders and score points for their team. A few of the most popular offensive skills in the sport of kabaddi are toe touch, running hand touch, lion jump, back kick, sidekick and dubki.
Back Kick: Back kick in kabaddi is one of the cleverest skills in which the raider deceives the defence by showing his back and tries to kick backwards to receive a touchpoint. It is also called a ‘mule kick’ in some parts of the world.
#TuesdayTactics – @DeepakHooda5555 showing the way to practice for those perfect back kicks! #JaipurPinkPanthers #JPP #Jaipur #Kabaddi#ProKabaddi #VivoProKabaddiLeague#ProKabaddiLeague #India #VivoProKabaddi#LetsKabaddi #KhelKabaddi #PKL #LePanga #StarSports#Panther pic.twitter.com/enjuIIxdn0
— Jaipur Pink Panthers (@JaipurPanthers) February 5, 2019
Dubki: A move that requires exceptional timing and sharp instincts to be pulled off is a Dubki. In a dubki, the raider evades the chain tackle while ducking below the stretched arms of the defenders and scoring a point.
Pankaj with his signature ‘Dubki’ – Just impossible to catch!
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.#PuneriPaltan #BhaariPaltan #GheunTak #Kabaddi #KabaddiIndia #StayHome #StaySafe pic.twitter.com/o5srNS9dqF— Puneri Paltan (@PuneriPaltan) July 18, 2021
Also Read: Pro Kabaddi League 2021: Pro Kabaddi League season 8 likely to be held in Bangalore
Hand Touch: Hand Touches are one of the primary kabaddi attacking skills for any raiders which test their pro-activeness and reflexes. Stooping hand touch, turning hand touch and running hand touch in kabaddi are the few moves that a raider in kabaddi should master.
Only a real kabaddi fan can know this touch! Is it,
A.) Hand Touch
B.) TouchPoint
C.) Lock
Write your answers in the comments below.#VivoProKabaddi #MeMumba #HowsTheJosh #Mumboys #UMumba pic.twitter.com/4L8iP7OMZg— U Mumba (@U_Mumba) November 19, 2019
Lion Jump: Popularised by Pawan Sehrawat in Vivo Pro Kabaddi, Lion Jump requires unbelievable power and thrust generated from the legs of the raider. A kabaddi raider tries to jump over the defenders to escape and reach the midline in a lion jump. This move is widely considered the most athletic move in the game and is incredibly difficult to perform, let alone master.
Watch this beautiful lion jump executed by Siddhu Kamerkar in slow motion! 😍#LionJump#KabaddiVideo#Kabaddi360 pic.twitter.com/FeewGwh2xR
— Kabaddi360 (@Kabaddi_360) March 12, 2020
Sidekick: The sidekick is another highly effective kabaddi technique for raiders in which the raider attempts to touch the defender by kicking sideways without losing his balance. A raider requires having practised this to perfection to maintain his body balance and centre of gravity to perform this move successfully.
Toe Touch: Toe touch in kabaddi is one of the most popular kabaddi skills in the raider’s arsenal in which the raider tries to touch the defender using his toe and grab a point. The success of this move relies majorly on the speed and unpredictability of the raider to perform it before the defender anticipates the move.
Running hand touch or toe touch, what do you think Gangadhari Mallesh will go for from this position?#RoarForPanthers #JaiHanuman#JaipurPinkPanthers #JPP #Jaipur #Kabaddi #ProKabaddi #VivoProKabaddiLeague #ProKabaddiLeague #India #VivoProKabaddi #LetsKabaddi #KhelKabaddi pic.twitter.com/FEDIsRzKJk
— Jaipur Pink Panthers (@JaipurPanthers) October 31, 2018
Defensive Skills
Defending in kabaddi is not only about brute force, core strength and fearless tackles. There are certain kabaddi moves that the bunch of defenders try to execute to grab the raiders. Defensive skills of kabaddi like ankle hold, thigh hold, waist hold, block, dash and chain tackle demand good timing and strength to perform it cleanly.
Ankle Hold: Star defenders like Ravinder Pahal and Surender Nada have shown the world how to pull off an exquisite ankle hold. Ankle hold and diving ankle hold is all about the timing and anticipation by the defender, who tries to grab the raider’s ankle and stop him from crossing the midline.
Kabaddi Skills: Deconstructed
Precision, strength, speed, teamwork – that’s what defending in kabaddi is all about. Here, Surender Nada demonstrates the skills to the utmost. Watch as we break down his ankle hold and show you defending that’s inescapable. pic.twitter.com/gXBeMWZLO1— ProKabaddi (@ProKabaddi) October 12, 2018
Block: The move that not only requires strength of body but also of a mind to commit themselves to this high-risk, high-reward move. The defender waits for the raider to go deep inside the half and then blocks his way with his entire body. The key for the defender is to be in the right position before unleashing the block.
Which #Panther makes the block here? Comment your answers down below!#GuessYourPanther #PantherSquad #Panthers #TopCats #JaipurPinkPanthers #JPP #Jaipur #Kabaddi #ProKabaddi #LetsKabaddi #KhelKabaddi#PKL #LePanga #StarSports pic.twitter.com/QF0ReMjeDj
— Jaipur Pink Panthers (@JaipurPanthers) May 5, 2019
Chain Tackle: Chain Tackle is one of those kabaddi techniques that need a combination of defenders to stop the raider from crossing the midline. Two or more defenders try to coordinate and then pounce on the raider to perform a successful chain tackle. It requires coordination and teamwork to execute this move successfully.
Dash: Dashing out a raider off the court or lobby remains one of the most eye-catching skills of kabaddi. This kabaddi move demands a defender to use his brute force and strength to push the raider out of the court and bag a point for his side. It is usually the Cover and Corner defenders who try to effect this skill on the mat.
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Thigh Hold: As the name suggests, in this defensive skill of kabaddi, the defender tries to get hold of the raider’s thighs and stop him before he crosses the midline. Precision is the key in this move when the defender attempts to hold the thighs of the raiders with both his hands.
Waist Hold: Another defensive skill of kabaddi which requires sheer strength by the defender. Waist hold is one of those kabaddi tricks when the defender tries to lift the raider mid-air by grabbing his waist and pinning him down on the mat. Much like Rann Singh and Sandeep Narwal are the classic examples who showcase this kabaddi skill from time to time.
-Inputs from PKL website
