Foot or Shin

[47MartialMan]

To be honest, I've *never* thrown a kick in a fight. I've thrown thousands training, against a bag, playing around with friends, putting holes in walls, etc. But never not once during a fight. Huh.


I voted foot.

I had...and it was as hammer suggested. But, yeah, kicks are hardly thrown.

 

[Kenpodoc]

Assuming round house kicks (since I'd have to amputate my foot to kick with the shin with a front, back or side kick.) I voted shin. But in reality as I think about it, shin with inadequate footwear, foot with a good pair of boots.

Jeff

 

[bdparsons]

Depends on your intent and your target. I tend to favor the foot due to the varied surfaces I can use and the principle of "penetration vs. dissipation".

Respects,
Bill Parsons
Triangle Kenpo Institute

 

[47MartialMan]

Depends on your intent and your target. I tend to favor the foot due to the varied surfaces I can use and the principle of "penetration vs. dissipation".

Respects,
Bill Parsons
Triangle Kenpo Institute

Yeah, not to mention that a good boot, per steel toe, will hurt more.

 

[mj-hi-yah]

Mostly the foot utilizing different parts depending on the type of kick I am throwing. For a roundhouse kick I am working towards using the ball of the foot more and throwing them lower than when I first began to save the hip.

 

[terryl965]

I voted shin for the TKD influence but the Karate influence is foot, you neede to put both in one I would have picked both.

 

[47MartialMan]

I didnt vote, because I have to know the application/situation first

 

[Eldritch Knight]

I voted foot. Personally, I use the round kick as a quick, long-distance kick that serves to either batter down or distract an opponent's defense as I close and follow with a stronger combo. For that, I prefer the extra distance that using the foot provides.

 

[clfsean]

Shin...

 

[Bammx2]

I try to avoid the instep as much as possible.

Even if going for the "nards".
I usually go for the shin or the top of the ankle(between the shin and instep).
I know it sounds funny...
But I have fairly strong ankles and always have and I would rather have bruised tendons over a broken instep any day.
But thats MY personal prefference and it also depends on the situation and footwear.
When I teach,I show all: shin,ankle,instep and the ball of the foot just to give more options.

 

[Adept]

Whichever tool best fits the job, really.

 

[47MartialMan]

Perhaps the shin was considered because of MT influences or thought

 

[mantis]

did somebody already say it depends on the kick?
but foot
foot
foot!

 

[FearlessFreep]

I would go with foot for myself. Mostly for two reasons

1) Extra range - Kicking with the foot adds extra distance you can reach from. Stand up and stickyour leg out and stick your arm out...the shin is about the same range as your fist. Your foot sticks out quite abit from there, another foot (12") or so.

2) Extra speed - the extra range means that when your weapon hits he target, your weapon, the foot, is moving faster

3) Conditioning - I've never been comfortable with the idea of kicking with the shin, at least not unless you spend a lot of time conditiong and stregthening the bone there. Reason being is that the directionof force when you impact with your shin is not along the length of the bone ut across it and I don't think that's an axis of strength for the bone, that the bone is really designed to take a lot of force and impact from that angle. When you kick with the foot your at least striking with a weapon that is on a joint designed to provide some flex. Most other MA strikes you are usually hitting such that the force goes back along the long length of the bone


That's just personal preference, the first two points are a matter of your own tactics in terms of why you are kicking and what you hope to accomplish with the kick.

 

[jdinca]

Depends on the kick, the target and the distance.