the front kick

[zDom]

Never said it couldn't hit before a roundhouse kick... I simple said if you use it normally what happens is the video I posted.. lol

and I would love to hear you take on a national level competior.. and would love to hear your experience fighting in that type of a venue..

Glenn

And I would love to see a national-level competitor defend themselves with all the bad habits they've picked up "gaming the game" of olympic tkd

FWIW, I'd love to mix it up with a national-level competitor. We could do one round of his style, and one round of mine (something similar to ITF rules, no chest protectors)

I've played the WTF game before, fwiw. Fought a guy who was about 6 inches taller and outweighed me by about 40 pounds. He wouldn't come back for a second round because I was punching him too hard, through his hogu. Of course it wasn't a national level competitor, but it was still fun.

Anyway, to bring it back On Topic, I think the lack of front kicking in olympic style tkd has less to do with "what works" and more to do with how judges score and what olympic style schools THINK work and therefore focus their training on.

Video of one well-timed (even though it was telegraphed) spinning kick doesn't prove anything other than the guy who caught it should have had his hands up blocking, wasn't able to see the guy was obviously about to spin-counter his technique. Oh, and that you don't know the difference between a front kick and a "roundhouse" (in quotes, because what WTF stylists CALL a roundhouse is ACTUALLY a different kick — what we call an "arc kick").

 

[FearlessFreep]

(in quotes, because what WTF stylists CALL a roundhouse is ACTUALLY a different kick — what we call an "arc kick").

I've heard it called a number of names, "round kick" "bondul" (although this one confuses me a bit because that's also the name often used for a 'crescent'), etc... but it's basically a kick halfway between a full roundhouse kick and a front snap kick. But that's what the guy in the video was throwing, not a front (snap) kick

 

[zDom]

it's basically a kick halfway between a full roundhouse kick and a front snap kick. But that's what the guy in the video was throwing, not a front (snap) kick

Yep. And don't get me wrong: this kick (what we call an arc kick) is a great kick. Very useful.

But those who call it a roundhouse and never learn/train a true roundhouse are doing themselves a dis-service. Both are useful tools. Both have their place.

Along with ...

FRONT KICKS

 

[Decker]

Just a little question:

When kicking using the ball of the foot, the intended action is a thrusting one right? (Along with the appropriate hip power, etc.)

I've seen from a karate book, a thrusting front kick is chambered with the foot perpendicular to the shin / parallel to the ground, with ball of foot facing target. When the knee is extended, the ankle maintains the foot's angle relative to the target, such that the general path of the ball of foot is a straight thrust into the target.

Do y'all do this?

I was taught a different method that seemed to make less sense (a video I use as reference does this too): the foot, with toes pulled back, is kept pointing downward during the chamber, such that the shin and instep are one straight line. On kicking, the ball of foot travels in an upward semicircle, along with the same forward thrust provided by the hip.

I find this sucks for low kicks as the toes reach the target first, due to the angle.
Am I doing something wrong here, or is the abovementioned karate method simply more sensible?

Thank you for bearing with me through this long and wordy post.

 

[Kacey]

Just a little question:

When kicking using the ball of the foot, the intended action is a thrusting one right? (Along with the appropriate hip power, etc.)

I've seen from a karate book, a thrusting front kick is chambered with the foot perpendicular to the shin / parallel to the ground, with ball of foot facing target. When the knee is extended, the ankle maintains the foot's angle relative to the target, such that the general path of the ball of foot is a straight thrust into the target.

Do y'all do this?

I was taught a different method that seemed to make less sense (a video I use as reference does this too): the foot, with toes pulled back, is kept pointing downward during the chamber, such that the shin and instep are one straight line. On kicking, the ball of foot travels in an upward semicircle, along with the same forward thrust provided by the hip.

I find this sucks for low kicks as the toes reach the target first, due to the angle.
Am I doing something wrong here, or is the abovementioned karate method simply more sensible?

Thank you for bearing with me through this long and wordy post.

It depends on the target. For low and middle kicks (middle of sternum and lower) I do the straight line technique you described, although I do it as a snap kick rather than a thrusting kick; this method only works up to the level you can raise your knee - after that, you have to do the other variation. For kicks above the middle of the sternum, I kick up, as in your second description.

 

[Daniel Sullivan]

I feel the front kick is not taken seriusly in TKD. Last tournament I saw the kick the competitors used 97% of the times was the roundhouse kick to the chest protector. The other day talking with a classmate he told me front kick scores cero points in tournaments for that matters it is not used. Don't know if this is real but I think the front kick is very good one and I'm talking about the trusting front kick.

With a well placed trust front kick you can send the foe to the ground easily and if target is the solar plexus a good KO is achivied, the false ribs can be broken and a gut kick can explode the viseras.

In SD a good front kick can be devastating.

Manny

Roundhouse kicks are the most popular, but you certainly can score with the front kick. I love the lead leg front kick; surprises the heck out of my opponents when I use it; I don't use it all that often. I also like lead leg side kicks.

Daniel

 

[FearlessFreep]

Just a little question:

When kicking using the ball of the foot, the intended action is a thrusting one right? (Along with the appropriate hip power, etc.)

I've seen from a karate book, a thrusting front kick is chambered with the foot perpendicular to the shin / parallel to the ground, with ball of foot facing target. When the knee is extended, the ankle maintains the foot's angle relative to the target, such that the general path of the ball of foot is a straight thrust into the target.

Do y'all do this?

I was taught a different method that seemed to make less sense (a video I use as reference does this too): the foot, with toes pulled back, is kept pointing downward during the chamber, such that the shin and instep are one straight line. On kicking, the ball of foot travels in an upward semicircle, along with the same forward thrust provided by the hip.

I find this sucks for low kicks as the toes reach the target first, due to the angle.
Am I doing something wrong here, or is the abovementioned karate method simply more sensible?

Thank you for bearing with me through this long and wordy post.

Not a problem. You are actually describing two distinct kicks, which often look very similar.

One is the front kick or snap kick (the second you describe) which involves pointing the knee at the target and then swinging the ball of the foot (or instep against low/horizontal targets such as the groin or the face of someone bent over) into the target.

The other is a 'push kick' in which you draw the knee up to the chest and then thrust the ball of the foot forward into the target. (one minor variation to the push kick I have heard called a 'thrust kick' which is almost the same except you push with the heel instead of the ball of the foot)

Two distinct kicks with distinct usages. However, when done under duress and speed, they often merge. Ideally, the push kick comes back to the chest as much as possible for maximum drive, but doesn't always when done in a hurry. Ideally the front kick should snap into the target, not push into it, but often does when done in a hurry

 

[kidswarrior]

I feel the front kick is not taken seriusly in TKD. Last tournament...

With a well placed trust front kick you can send the foe to the ground easily and if target is the solar plexus a good KO is achivied, the false ribs can be broken and a gut kick can explode the viseras.

In SD a good front kick can be devastating.

Manny

Don't know (and don't care) about tournaments, but in SD, you're absolutely right. Legs are also target rich for a quick *shadowless* front kick as well.

If the Youtube vid on this thread is the one I'm thinking of, it shows a great takedown off a straight kick to the knee (Cna't watch the vid where I am now ).