Yes — but only if you keep them low. Self-defense kicking is best when it stays below the waist. That is not an opinion. It is how Scott Sullivan teaches it in the How To Win A Fight With Kicks course, and the reasoning is simple.
Low kicks do not take as much strength to develop. They do not take as much time to learn. And they are significantly safer than throwing anything above the belt. Sullivan puts it bluntly: "All it takes is just one. One quick kick to the groin or a good shot or two to the thigh. It could be very well over."
Head kicks work if you have years of flexibility and timing training. Most people do not. And in a real fight on concrete, throwing your leg above your waist means standing on one foot on an unpredictable surface. That is a recipe for ending up on your back.
The smart approach is using your legs to attack the lower body — groin, thigh, knee — while your hands handle everything above the waist. Sullivan stresses this combination approach: "Use your lower-lying kicking ability to practice that a lot and work it out in combination. Most people don't know what to do when you start damaging them down there."
Your legs are the strongest muscles in your body. Use them on targets that end the fight. For the full self-defense kicking system including combinations and drills, check out our street fight training guide. Get the complete course in the How To Win A Street Fight bundle.