"Don't be predictable", yes but how, here are a few tips:
1. When you are attacking, make random strafe directoins, but also, move back and forth simoustainly. The main thing here is "random".
Keep walking in and out of his kick range and/or his attack range also. One mistake i tend to make is, making a leftswing while walking to the right.
Good kickers can usually anticipade this, so always, do 3-4 feints WHILE change your direction.
2. Range. It is easy to say "stay out of their range", but it is hard to do, bacause the above step has to have been mastered first.
Furthermore, if you're fighting with a short weapon, this can impossible to do.
The best defence IMO is, to anticipate when he is going to kick you, so here are a few things I do, when I get conteniously beating by a good kicker:
1. In every fight, I try to see at which combos my oppenent tries to set up a kick. I have found out, that if I run straight at my oppenent, and attacks with a left/right swing,
he wil usually kick me, since he can get a kick in before my swing hits him. However, if I do the same thing EXCEPT this time, I feint and backpadle while setting up a thrust,
I can usually get a hit in. This maneuver can be difficult with a short weapon.
2. If my oppenent keeps backpadleing, and therefore keeps getting kicks in, I'll usually run out of his range and just follow him, until he gets frustrated and charges.
Also try not to be lured into a confied space, as he will kick spam you to death, since you have no space to manoeuvre.
3. Don't attack a two hander alone, get a buddy. If you have a buddy, then he can be ready to attack if/when you get kicked - this tend to work really well, and in every scenario.
4. When you meet your oppenent dont just charge right into him, this goes for duels also. IMO, it is usually in the first attack round that I get kicked, usually because I just
rushed in, and diden't have a plan. So take your time to see you oppenents play style, you got all the time in the world(In duels anyway).
5. Duel every good kicker you can. If you dont pratice, you will never get better, and learn how to defend yourself.
My 50. cents
