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The front kick in
In martial arts implying either barefooted combat or very light footwear, the strike is usually delivered by using ball of the foot (while pointing the foot toward the target area and keeping toes up to prevent injury) or by heel. When heavier footwear is used, there is an option using whole sole as a striking surface. It is also possible to kick with the top of the foot (the instep) in cases of striking 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 one's movement, but allows for narrow, penetrating strike. Taekwondo practitioners utilise both heel and ball of the foot for striking. It is common to perform tempering exercises to strengthen ball of the foot, as many new practitioners are unable to exercise full-power front kicks on training gear, such as body bag.
With specific techniques and in certain styles, the
martial art
Martial arts are codified systems and traditions of combat practiced for a number of reasons such as self-defense; military and law enforcement applications; combat sport, competition; physical, mental, and spiritual development; entertainment; a ...
s is a kick
A kick is a physical strike using the leg, in unison usually with an area of the knee or lower using the foot, heel, tibia (shin), ball of the foot, blade of the foot, toes or knee (the latter is also known as a knee strike). This type of a ...
executed by lifting the knee
In humans and other primates, the knee joins the thigh with the human leg, leg and consists of two joints: one between the femur and tibia (tibiofemoral joint), and one between the femur and patella (patellofemoral joint). It is the largest join ...
straight forward, while keeping the foot and shin either hanging freely or pulled to the hip, and then straightening the leg in front of the practitioner and striking the target area. It is desirable to retract the leg immediately after delivering the kick, to avoid the opponent trying to grapple the leg and (unless a combination is in process) to return to stable fighting stance.
The front kick described is the typical basic front kick of karate
(; ; Okinawan pronunciation: ) is a martial art developed in the Ryukyu Kingdom. It developed from the indigenous Ryukyuan martial arts (called , "hand"; ''tii'' in Okinawan) under the influence of Chinese martial arts, particularly Fuj ...
or taekwondo
''Taekwondo'', ''Tae Kwon Do'' or ''Taekwon-Do'' (; ko, 태권도/跆拳道 ) is a Korean form of martial arts involving punching and kicking techniques, with emphasis on head-height kicks, spinning jump kicks, and fast kicking techniques. ...
. But the front kick can also be defined more broadly as a straight forward kick directly to the front, and then include several variations from many different styles. A front kick can be delivered forward in a penetrating way (hip thrust), or upwards to attack the head.
Details of the technique
In martial arts implying either barefooted combat or very light footwear, the strike is usually delivered by using ball of the foot (while pointing the foot toward the target area and keeping toes up to prevent injury) or by heel. When heavier footwear is used, there is an option using whole sole as a striking surface. It is also possible to kick with the top of the foot (the instep) in cases of striking 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 one's movement, but allows for narrow, penetrating strike. Taekwondo practitioners utilise both heel and ball of the foot for striking. It is common to perform tempering exercises to strengthen ball of the foot, as many new practitioners are unable to exercise full-power front kicks on training gear, such as body bag.
With specific techniques and in certain styles, the