Martial Arts What Part of the Foot Do I Kick With

Martial arts technique

Front kick
A counter-attack with a front kick in burmese boxing
Korean name
Hangul	앞차기
Hanja	none
Transcriptions Revised Romanization ap chagi McCune–Reischauer ap' ch'aki
Japanese name
Kanji	前蹴り
Hiragana	まえげり
Transcriptions Revised Hepburn mae geri

The front kick in martial arts is a kick executed by lifting the knee joint straight forrad, while keeping the human foot and shin either hanging freely or pulled to the hip, then straightening the leg in front of the practitioner and striking the target area. It is desirable to retract the leg immediately afterwards delivering the kicking, to avoid the opponent trying to grapple the leg and (unless a combination is in procedure) to render to stable fighting stance.

The front kick described is the typical basic front kick of karate or taekwondo. Simply the forepart kick can also be defined more broadly as a straight forwards kick directly to the forepart, then include several variations from many different styles. A front kick can exist delivered forrad in a penetrating way (hip thrust), or upwards to set on the head.

Details of the technique [edit]

In martial arts implying either barefooted gainsay or very light footwear, the strike is commonly delivered past using ball of the foot (while pointing the human foot toward the target surface area and keeping toes upward to prevent injury) or by heel. When heavier footwear is used, at that place is an option using whole sole as a striking surface. Information technology is also possible to kick with the height of the human foot (the instep) in cases of hitting at the groin or under the arm which can be very damaging.

Using ball of a foot is preferred in karate. This method demands more control of i's movement, but allows for narrow, penetrating strike. Taekwondo practitioners apply both heel and ball of the human foot for striking. Information technology is common to perform tempering exercises to strengthen ball of the foot, as many new practitioners are unable to practice full-power front kicks on training gear, such equally body bag.

With specific techniques and in certain styles, the impact point of the front kick can exist more exotic. Certain Japanese styles have a front end kick more often than not used as a terminate-kick where the blade of the foot is used to connect, like for a side kicking (the foot blade forepart kicking). The heel is often used straight ( mae kakato geri ) or with the foot tilted (tilted heel front kick), especially in end-kicks, close kicks or high front kicks. Japanese nin-jitsu has variations using the straightened and hardened toes. Front kicks to the groin ( kin geri ) like the elevator kick or the up front kick ( mae geri keage ), utilize the top of the foot. The phantom groin kick uses the whole of the inside of the foot to connect very finer. Stop kicks oftentimes use the whole plant of the human foot to push abroad the opponent.^[ane]

Various combat systems teach 'full general' front kick using heel or whole foot when footwear is on. For example, martial art systems employed by military assume that a fighter wears heavy footwear, is generally less mobile than typically assumed in competition martial arts, and may take his/hers leg muscles severely drawn. Properly executing fast 'snap' front kick while controlling i's foot direction may exist difficult in said conditions. Less technically demanding kicking utilizing sole of heavy footwear as a hitting surface is easier to execute.

The forepart kick is typically performed with the direct and balanced upper trunk, just information technology allows for diverseness in motility of hips and body overall. Martial arts systems exploit this ability in different fashions. For case, a karateka may perform mae geri while standing upright, or lean somewhat back during the attack, intending to increase the accomplish of the kick. If a uncomplicated 'kick-punch' combination is executed, this slight lean allows for more than momentum placed into the movement of upper body, thus the karateka will end with a more than powerful trunk movement behind the punch. The contrary situation is exploited in some variations of Wing Chun, where stiff forward motion of both hands blocking/hit in upper area could exist accompanied with a slight leaning forward and simultaneous front end kick into groin/thigh, etc. Hips movement may be used to increase the reach and to thrust one's leg into the target, resulting in more powerful strike (a common practice in taekwondo and some styles of karate).

Applications and counters [edit]

Front kicks are typically aimed at targets below the chest: tum, thighs, groin, knees or lower. Highly skilled martial artists are often capable of hit head-level targets with front kicking (albeit rarely use it this fashion). The front kick is fast and involves little torso move betraying the technique'southward nature prior to execution. This makes a well-developed front kicking an first-class asset in both offence and defence force.

When defending, front kicking could be used to severely damage the lower area of the opponent who has started an attack, but has overconcentrated on guarding head/upper body, and every bit a skillful tool to proceed enemy from punch range. In criminal offense, front kick could serve as an excellent opener for combination attacks, as it is fast, unsafe plenty for opponent to switch attention to cake/deflecting/evading the kick, just requires trivial deviation from the upright fighting stance, which is proficient to commencement punch attack from. Overall, in that location is a wide diverseness of situations where this kick could exist exploited by a artistic martial arts practitioner.

Common means to counter a front kick are deflecting information technology with manus, shin, etc., stepping abroad/sideways, or, given the kick is visibly pointed into abdomen/thighs area, shifting a body so it passes forth. The last method is somewhat risky, as information technology relies heavily on defender's agility, with a forepart kick being i of the fastest kicks possible. More exotic techniques of countering front kicks exist, similar i incorporated in Wado ryu kihon kumite (referred to every bit yakusoku , or prearranged, kumite, in some schools). Said technique involves simultaneously pushing opponents leg away from one'south centerline and attacking the leg with a downwards elbow strike into the hip. However, this method is not recommended to beginners and as a general purpose one.

Too, although well-executed front kick is very fast, a careless execution presents an opponent with excellent opportunity for grappling, which could be disastrous for an attacker. Once the leg is grappled, a variety of attacks is available to a defender, such every bit wrestling techniques resulting in pain compliance agree, immediate counterattack with punches, throws, kicks into lower area and combinations of all to a higher place. For this reason, 'recocking' the leg after the kick is truly important, specially in real-life situations, where rules mutual to many competition martial arts do not utilise. Nonetheless, executing front kicks to the waist and below is relatively safe and constructive, given the leg is immediately retracted.

In Tae Kwon Do [edit]

In taekwondo, the front kick bears the proper noun ap chagi . It is distinct from the push kick ( mireo chagi ) in that the power should be delivered instantaneously. Since the leg moves forrad while the shin and foot naturally swing upward, the easiest awarding of this kick is that of directing one'southward energy upward, mayhap considering it a "kick to the groin". However, one can deliver massive force forrad with this kick too, which is considered its main application by well-nigh instructors. Directed forward, this is really one of the most powerful kicks in Taekwondo, and it is quite oftentimes used in exhibitions and board-breaking competitions where ability is demonstrated.

In club to not hurt ones toes while executing this kick, it is usually delivered through the front end base of operations of the foot ( ap chook ), if not with the flat upper side of the pes ( bal deung ). If performed with the bare foot then the ball of the foot is used on impact with the toes drawn up to foreclose injury. To strike with ap chook one has to raise one's toes so that their tips will not be the first contact point. Even when directed frontwards, this is not a kicking where the start contact point should be the base of operations of the heel, as is considered beneficial in another martial arts having a like kick. In Taekwondo, i would strike forwards with the ankle extended, and so that the upper side of the foot forms a directly line with the shin, and with the toes bent dorsum (pointing up). In other words, an " ap chook ap chagi ". Having the foot in whatsoever other position when directing this kick strictly forward would be considered highly unorthodox, and is a common error among beginners.

In add-on to being a kick in itself, the front kick is an practise used by many instructors to teach the principle of lifting ones knee before the rest of the kick commences, something which is considered important in taekwondo, where it is somewhat literally translated from the Korean ap chagi (앞차기), (and many kicking arts with the notable exception of capoeira). In competition fights (known equally "sparring" or " kyorugi ") this kick sees piddling actual utilize, except maybe as a component in an improvised kicking which is perhaps intended as an " an chagi " or " naeryo chagi ".

It is common to slightly curve the genu of the leg i is standing on when executing this kick, and pointing the human foot one is standing on somewhat outwards. Equally in all taekwondo kicks, 1 will as well try to go ones "hip into the kick", resulting perhaps in a slight shift of weight forward. In any case, this is a linear kick, and equally such one that one can get ones weight behind.

There be countless variations of this kick, and it can be used along with other kicks without i having to put ones kick foot down in between kicks. A very mutual variation is " ttwimyeo ap chagi ", a flying forepart kick which can reach an impressive elevation.

Some instructors refer to this kick equally the "wink kick". This is in tune with the line of thought which seems prevalent in the various taekwondo forms, where the ap chagi is used very extensively in combination with relatively brusque range hand strikes and blocks, mimicking situations in which it would accept to be performed quite apace.

Karate [edit]

The front kick, chosen mae geri in Japanese, is certainly the main kick in traditional karate of all styles. It is the most used kick in traditional kata forms and the most practiced kick in traditional kihon practice. The kick is a very strong and fast strike, and easier to master than less "natural" kicks. The kick mostly connects with the ball of the foot, under the toes, but other points of bear upon are sometimes used in the many variants existing in Japanese karate and other styles. It can be thrusting ( kekomi ) or snapping ( keage ), or somewhere in between. In its thrusting or kekomi grade the kicker pushes the foot into the target powerfully leveraging the momentum of his own body weight in guild to propel the opponent or target backwards. In its snapping or keage course the kicker emphasizes the extremely quick retraction or recoil or re-bedroom of the pes and the lower leg immediately subsequently bear on (thereby making information technology hard to catch or grab the leg by the opponent); The keage boot exhibits less pushing strength just more breaking touch than the kekomi form of the kick. It can exist delivered with hopping ( surikonde ) or jumping ( tobikonde ), and sometimes with a straight leg all-the-way ( mae keage ). It can be executed with the front leg, defensively or hopping forward, or the rear leg. Information technology can be executed with near square hips, or with hips lined sideways like the yoko geri of Wado-ryu Karate. There are many other variations, equally the boot tin can likewise be feinted, angled or delivered from the footing.^[2]

See also [edit]

• Boot
• Korean martial arts
• Standing leg press exercise

Notes [edit]

1. ^ De Bremaeker, M. et al., The Essential Book of Martial Arts Kicks: 89 Kicks from Karate, Taekwondo, Muay Thai, Jeet Kune Do, and others (Tuttle Publishing, 2010), p. 23. ISBN 0-8048-4122-5
2. ^ De Bremaeker, Chiliad. et al., The Essential Book of Martial Arts Kicks: 89 Kicks from Karate, Taekwondo, Muay Thai, Jeet Kune Do, and others (Tuttle Publishing, 2010), p. 25. ISBN 0-8048-4122-5

References [edit]

• Scott Shaw (2006). Advanced Taekwondo. Tuttle Publishing. p. 45. ISBN0-8048-3786-4.
• Woo Jin Jung (1999). Freestyle Sparring. Jennifer Lawler. p. 22. ISBN0-7360-0129-8.
• De Bremaeker, K.; et al. (2010). The Essential Book of Martial Arts Kicks: 89 Kicks from Karate, Taekwondo, Muay Thai, Jeet Kune Do, and others. Tuttle Publishing. pp. eleven–57. ISBN0-8048-4122-5.

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Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Front_kick

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