Where do you land your lead front kick?

[isshinryuronin]

Old style Okinawan combat karate normally had hold of the opponent's arm prior to a lead foot kick (which can be seen in many kata). Four reasons:

1. Keeps him from using that hand for defense/counter.
2. Stabilizes you while on one leg.
3. Allows you to pull him in, adding power to a relatively weak kick.
4. Sets you up to further continue the attack after the kick, already having control of him.

Useful without the grab to the groin and to the inside of the thigh if you can get the angle. Both these are just in preparation for continued attack. Going straight into the knee is not effective, IMO, as Kung Fu Wang pointed out, it's a small target and if bent, is well protected against injury. Also useful to feign attack low to set up high.

I don't put value on it as a distance manipulator. A kick is too much effort (and some extra a risk) to use for this, there being better ways, IMO.

As far as push kicks, we have in kihon a front thrust/push kick striking with the heel. But again, it's applied holding the opponent in place with both hands, preventing backward motion of his body that would allow absorption/dissipation any of the kick's penetration power.

 

[wab25]

Going straight into the knee is not effective, IMO, as Kung Fu Wang pointed out, it's a small target and if bent, is well protected against injury

Its not actually that small of a target. Its bigger than the solar plexus... bigger than the temple.... about the same size as the jaw... about the same as the liver.... The point is that we regularly target things that are roughly the same size.... then claim the knee is harder to hit, because of the small size. Practice accuracy.

It is only well protected when it is bent and then only from straight on. JowGa talks about attacking at an angle (or from an angle). Once you get off that straight line, the knee has little support. If he has his weight on that leg, it will keep his foot from moving.... It is a myth that the knee only bends in one direction.... while it prefers the one direction, it will bend in all directions.

If you do hit it from an angle, it should disrupt their structure, even if there is no permanent damage. If you miss a bit high or low, you can still disrupt the structure, still cause pain and may even still damage the knee. If you are using a snap kick.... you shouldn't even lose balance when missing.... (we call those feints... )

 

[Kung Fu Wang]

Going straight into the knee is not effective, IMO, as Kung Fu Wang pointed out, it's a small target and if bent, is well protected against injury.

The knee kick is to sense where your opponent's leading leg is. When you kick at your opponent's leading leg knee, at that moment, he cannot kick you. Your goal is not to injury your opponent but to move in safely.

 

[Fungus]

I have ended up training mainly doing two versions.

1. Front heel kick with full trust typically heel right into target solar plexus. (stop kick, to compare with stop punch into the chest). No snap. It's follow through, exactly as if you try to kick down a door.

2. Snappy version, almost always to it like a mawashi geri hybrid, angled, to hit the lower ribs with the ball of the foot. This is not a stop kick, it is to inflict local pain when they raise the hands and expose ribs. But I use this sparsley as I dont want to kick elbows.

I used version 2 more in sparring, version 1 is to harsh, and is harder to do gently. But I do it every week in the heavy bag at full force. Unlikely to use in sparring, only defense or perhaps full contact competition. If not blocked or evaded it is a likely KO.

I don't practice jodan level alot, doe to my back. But I could get it up there if i have to in an emergency, but i avoid repeating it.

 

[isshinryuronin]

It is only well protected when it is bent and then only from straight on

This is normally the case. Even if you can get an angle, a kick with the blade, or sole, depending on position, (maybe you don't have those kicks in your system) gives you a bigger striking area with less chance of sliding off, better than a front kick with the ball.

Your goal is not to injury your opponent but to move in safely.

After a kick with the lead leg, once you put it down, aren't you still at the same distance as you started?

 

[Kung Fu Wang]

After a kick with the lead leg, once you put it down, aren't you still at the same distance as you started?

Distance is judged by where your front foot is.

Right leg forward.

1. Move left leg next to right leg (this is 1 step).
2. Kick right leg out.
3. Land right foot forward (this is also 1 step).

In this kick, you have moved in 2 steps forward.

 

[Badhabits]

Does no one else like to pop a snapping front up and through someone's guard to their chin? Alot of people never even see it coming.....

 

[kyukpado]

Does no one else like to pop a snapping front up and through someone's guard to their chin? Alot of people never even see it coming.....

If they're open enough, sure thing. Lots of people I face tend to either have a close guard or a more sideways stance though, so they naturally have their arms in the way.

Usually if I'm sending a snapping front kick in, it'll be to the lower ribs. Other than that, it's a thrusting kick to the torso to stop momentum. Very occasionally I send a real tightly chambered thrust kick to the face - they expect and guard the front kick, so the thrust kick gets over their arm. Not always the best strategy though, since I'm practically begging them to grab my leg if I miss.

 

[JowGaWolf]

If I attack, I will use my front kick to disable my opponent's kick (such as kick his knee), bate him to drop his guard, so I can punch his face. Since knee is a very small target, front kick accuracy training is required (such as to kick on a small tree).

If my opponent attacks, I want him to run into my front kick, has broken ribs, and drop down.

My target is:

- knee, if I attack.
- chest, if my opponent attacks.

Similar concept for me. Not always but definitely the majority of the time. It's a very reliable concept and the person will never have to worry about the kick not reaching.

Does no one else like to pop a snapping front up and through someone's guard to their chin? Alot of people never even see it coming.....

Not me. Most people are taller than me so a kick like that means that I have to kick higher than I really should. Most techniques are based on people who are the same height as you or smaller. It will vary from person to person. Taller people or people with long less will have that option more than someone shorter or someone with shorter legs.

 

[JowGaWolf]

If they're open enough, sure thing. Lots of people I face tend to either have a close guard or a more sideways stance though, so they naturally have their arms in the way.

Usually if I'm sending a snapping front kick in, it'll be to the lower ribs. Other than that, it's a thrusting kick to the torso to stop momentum. Very occasionally I send a real tightly chambered thrust kick to the face - they expect and guard the front kick, so the thrust kick gets over their arm. Not always the best strategy though, since I'm practically begging them to grab my leg if I miss.

I have a front kick that I use for the purpose of baiting someone to grab my leg. It starts off horizontal but as soon as they grab it, I change the angle of the kick downward into the thigh. I like it because the height of the kick and the weight of the downward kick destroys their structure.

 

[Wing Woo Gar]

I almost always kick knees with outward horizontal heel kicks. If I get it, it creates an unhappy triad in the knee joint. It hurts, it stops forward momentum, it may limit mobility, it may cause the opponent to hesitate with the lead leg. If they are too close, then I attack rear leg ankle or foot sweep. It depends…

 

[Wing Woo Gar]

The knee kick is to sense where your opponent's leading leg is. When you kick at your opponent's leading leg knee, at that moment, he cannot kick you. Your goal is not to injury your opponent but to move in safely.

I have kicked the knee, then set my foot to spring his leg. The patella was truly dislocated ( not sub luxated ) as a result. This was fight ending, he could not straighten his leg after.

 

[Wing Woo Gar]

Does no one else like to pop a snapping front up and through someone's guard to their chin? Alot of people never even see it coming.....

I use that. It’s good if your retraction is fast and forceful.

 

[Wing Woo Gar]

If they're open enough, sure thing. Lots of people I face tend to either have a close guard or a more sideways stance though, so they naturally have their arms in the way.

Usually if I'm sending a snapping front kick in, it'll be to the lower ribs. Other than that, it's a thrusting kick to the torso to stop momentum. Very occasionally I send a real tightly chambered thrust kick to the face - they expect and guard the front kick, so the thrust kick gets over their arm. Not always the best strategy though, since I'm practically begging them to grab my leg if I miss.

If they frame up high guard I put my heel in the solar plexus or bladder instead. I don’t typically kick above the waist except for exercise and mobility unless there is a solid opportunity.

 

[Kung Fu Wang]

I almost always kick knees with outward horizontal heel kicks.

That's the famous "搂臂迎门踢 arm pulling front door kick".

I believe this kick should be integrated into Taiji "Lu - pull back" to make "Lu - pull back" to be more effective (integrate leg skill into Taiji).

 

[Wing Woo Gar]

That's the famous "搂臂迎门踢 arm pulling front door kick".

I believe this kick should be integrated into Taiji "Lu - pull back" to make "Lu - pull back" to be more effective (integrate leg skill into Taiji).

Funny you say that, I use it for that.

 

[Monkey Turned Wolf]

Does no one else like to pop a snapping front up and through someone's guard to their chin? Alot of people never even see it coming.....

I used to do this. Twice I've gotten caught with the person catching on (they'd probably seen me do it before), and doing a high block to get it out of the way. First time, I fell over. Second time, they held it (unintentionally, I don't think they realized what they were doing) and I could feel my leg muscles start to strain until I found a way to retract it.

 

[Kung Fu Wang]

Does no one else like to pop a snapping front up and through someone's guard to their chin? Alot of people never even see it coming.....

It's easier to do when you are still young.

It's not so easy for the old age.

 

[Badhabits]

I've got a pretty high success rate snapping up to the chin. But I'm short and have short legs, I think being able to pop it up there at a closer range makes it sneakier. It comes up almost from underneath their guard. When someone does catch it I use the retraction to pull myself into the person while throwing punches. Surprisingly, not many people think to go low and take out my other leg when I pull into them.