Front Kicks.

[arnisador]

Uechi-ryu karate, which is essentially a Southern kung fu style, uses the knuckles of the toes in its front kick. That is, the toes are curled down and the kick hits with the bent joints on the top of the toes. Some kung fu styles kick with the ends (tips) of the toes. Most karate styles however use the ball of the foot for the front kick (as well as the heel, which tends to be slightly more emphasized in Okinawan systems). Isshin-ryu and other systems also have a "fish kick" that uses the top of the foot to strike the groin; in one version the toes are pointed up (as for a ball of the foot front kick) after impact and used to rake back across the groin after the initial hit as the foot is retracted. The fish kick however is not the principal front kick of the system, whereas the Uechi toe-knuckle kick is.

Are there are any other karate styles that front kick with something other than the ball and/or heel of the foot?

 

[D.Cobb]

Originally posted by arnisador

Isshin-ryu and other systems also have a "fish kick" that uses the top of the foot to strike the groin; in one version the toes are pointed up (as for a ball of the foot front kick) after impact and used to rake back across the groin after the initial hit as the foot is retracted.

This sounds much like the scoop kick from American Kenpo. You kick up and under, but also slightly beyond your target, and retract whilst applying pressure in an upward motion.
--Dave

 

[Shinzu]

none that i know of unless you are doing a groin kick wich uses your instep. there is one in kung fu that is called a monk's spade it is a scooping groin kick..very painful. you use the tips of your toes when pullng he kick back and hooking your opponents groin area.

 

[arnisador]

Originally posted by Shinzu

there is one in kung fu that is called a monk's spade it is a scooping groin kick..very painful. you use the tips of your toes when pullng he kick back and hooking your opponents groin area.

I think this is the same as the Isshin-ryu fish kick I mentioned.

Ryukyu kempo uses some single-toe kicks (the big toe, pointed out to hit just one spot).

 

[wldct1998]

Hey, I'm new to the forum and thought I'd post. I'm liking it so far.

Anyway, since I'm a Muay Thai practitioner, it's good for me to read about other arts. Kind of makes me glad I am a muay thai practitioner, because we don't have groin kicks! I don't know if that's a good thing or not. I guess sport-oriented arts do limit you a lot that way, as I'm seeing here.

Anyway, just had to interject. Sounds painful.

 

[Rob_Broad]

I had an instructor who used hi big toe for kicking targets, his favorite threat was that he would give you sphincter klemp. He'd someone right at the anus and it would be painful for days.

In American Kenpo we use a scoop kick where rakes the toes along the under side of the groin, also very painful.

And never forget the difference between the snap kicks and the thrusts.

 

[arnisador]

Originally posted by Rob_Broad

He'd someone right at the anus and it would be painful for days.

I understand that there are Chinese finger ripping techniques along these lines.

And never forget the difference between the snap kicks and the thrusts.

Yes, a good point. In my experience the Okinawan systems like upward-directed thrust kicks; the Japanese systems strongly prefer the snap kick. Both kicks are in both sets of styles of cousre (though I don't recall a thrust kick in Uechi, which is always the exception).

 

[Cthulhu]

In Okinawa-te, we make a strict distinction between thrust kicks and snap kicks in both their delivery and their respective uses. In general, our front kicks are delivered with the ball of the foot, though we occasionally practiced with the toe for when we would be wearing shoes. I just got around all that by usually wearing steel-toed shoes. I figured as long as some part of the front of the shoe connected, it'd hurt

Cthulhu

 

[Rich Parsons]

The Front Kick is done with the knuckles of the
foot?

Is the kick only done to a soft area? and in an
upwards direction? Or it done is thrust?

How do you hold your toes so that they do
not break?

Curious ?!? Very Curious ?!?


Rich Parsons

 

[arnisador]

It is done to soft areas, and there are exercises for strengthening the toes. But it's weird!

 

[sweeper]

why isn't the instep used more?

 

[meltdown51]

In Goju I was taught to kick with the toes with certain targets, for example if throwing a round house kick at the Quad muscle in the leg you would use the toes as you are trying to tear the muscle from the bone. There are other times also when I would use the toes.

Thanks

Joe

 

[vin2k0]

Originally posted by Shinzu
none that i know of unless you are doing a groin kick wich uses your instep.

This is the only type of front kick with the toes curled forward that i know of, also. :shrug:

 

[vin2k0]

Originally posted by sweeper
why isn't the instep used more?

Insteps break... the ball of the foot doesn't. Maybe this is why? ...unsure. But it all depends on the target area, the front kick with the instep couldnt be applied to the opponents stomach if faced straight, on unless the opponent was bent over. The instep kick would have to come from underneath and be driven straight up... to kick the groin. the instep could be used to kick the stomach but only from a roundhouse kick.

 

[Zepp]

Originally posted by vin2k0
Insteps break... the ball of the foot doesn't. Maybe this is why? ...unsure.

That's about it. The instep is fine for kicking someone in the groin, but against a harder target, like the jawbone or the knee for instance, you'd want to use a part of your body with more natural padding, like the ball of your foot.

In TKD (which we know was heavily influenced by karate) our primary front kick is a snapping kick with the ball of the foot.

 

[Sauzin]

I knew a Uechi-ryu stylist who practiced a toe kick that was done by placing the index toe on top of the big toe. The striking surface was the re-enforced big toes tip. He was able to position this very quickly, a trick I've never been able to duplicate. He also used this for soft and muscle tissue. He greatly enjoyed certain targets on the inside thigh.

-Sauzin

 

[D.Cobb]

Originally posted by Sauzin
I knew a Uechi-ryu stylist who practiced a toe kick that was done by placing the index toe on top of the big toe. The striking surface was the re-enforced big toes tip. He was able to position this very quickly, a trick I've never been able to duplicate. He also used this for soft and muscle tissue. He greatly enjoyed certain targets on the inside thigh.

-Sauzin

Damn, he must have double jointed toes.

--Dave

 

[angrywhitepajamas]

ueichi kicks run the gammut from toe kicks to ball of the foot to heel kicks. It depends on the sensei's preference and whetere or not he has trained either in okinowa. (the okinowan's and floridians seem to prefer the toe kick more)

There also seems to be an association preference involved. In addition the front kick is (in the cali area) typically not used as a damaging technique but as a delay or a block in its own right.

 

[Shuri-te]

Arnisador,

Here is a picture of Nagamine's toe-kick from his 1976 text, "The Essence of Okinawan Karate-Do".

In Seikichi Iha's web site (www.ihadojo.com), he says the following:

"All shorin-ryu kicks are done with the toes. Sometimes the second toe wraps itself around the big toe to reinforce it for kicking."

Although I have not seen it, a peer of mine has witnessed Iha Sensei skipping rope on the toe knuckles of his foot. While it may seem strange at first glance, we all know that ballerinas condition their feet to walk on their toes.

Perhaps the oddest thing about Iha's kicks is that they don't extend. He says the kick should extend no further than the punch, and when his students kick, their hips are back and do not extend at all.

 

[arnisador]

Now that you mention, I have seen this one before!