roundhouse - instep or ball of foot

[bushido_man96]

I find it much harder to kick with shoes on (except the lightweight MA type shoes)

When I kick with footwear on, especially work boots, I just lower my kicks, especially to the thigh area. I just use that extra weight to add a little bit more momentum to my kick. And my legs are heavy as it is.

[RobA]

My Sensei teaches both and states it depends on the situation, barefoot the ball is very effective, while in shoes the instep will be more natural.

[KNOCKuOUT]

Kick with the instep only to the groin area. Anywhere else and damage could be done to he foot. For all other kicks anywhere else. I use the shin.

[TraditionalDan]

Anywhere else and damage could be done to the foot

Do you mean damage to the foot? If so, I disagree. The ball of the foot can take and do great damage if trained properly.

[Montana]

Kick with the instep only to the groin area. Anywhere else and damage could be done to he foot. For all other kicks anywhere else. I use the shin.

The groin area, certainly. But also the inside/outside of the thigh, inside/outside/back of the knee, stomach, ribs...all are "soft" targets and can bet kicked with the instep without hurting your foot. The shin is for more closeup techniques generally. Ball of the foot is to get around an arm, or to penetrate more into the torso.

[AngryDelldo]

We're taught to use all 3.

Instep for sparring mostly.

Ball of foot in street, or real world applications. Our reason's for this is because depending on what shoe's you are wearing it can be difficult to point your toe's.

Shin's are more of a real world use, but while using your shin your losing reach, so we are taught to use this when already in very close proximity with the attacker.

My 2 cent's.

[evilgollum]

As far as I am aware, In shotokan the ball of the foot is the striking surface. I have seen the top of the foot in TKD style kicks, and the effectiveness of each can (and probably will) be debated endlessly without sufficient evidence, testing, and scientific proof. In other words, the shotokan way it with the ball of the foot. When you are free-sparring it ends up being your own personal preference.

Pro-instep kickers warn about how you can break your toes if you don't kick with the instep, but if you pull your toes back (which might take practice to de enough) no harm will come to your toes.

I have found that kicking with the instep hurts my ankle, because the intense shock bends it back farther than is comfortable, but this is only my personal experience, and is probably due to my poor technique with instep kicking. I'm sure a practiced TKDer would have similar qualms about kicking with the ball of the foot.

[bushido_man96]

I have found that kicking with the instep hurts my ankle, because the intense shock bends it back farther than is comfortable, but this is only my personal experience, and is probably due to my poor technique with instep kicking. I'm sure a practiced TKDer would have similar qualms about kicking with the ball of the foot.

Even being a TKDer, I do a lot of board breaking with the ball-of-the-foot round kick. I really wind it up, though. I do most of my sparring with the instep, but I land more with the middle of the foot area, as opposed to closer to the toes. Try that, and see if that changes anything for you.

I find that kicking with the ball of the foot is heavily reliant on the angle of attack that you have. Many times, when sparring straight up, you don't have that angle, unless you get it with some footwork (which is a good idea, if you have the strategy to set it up).

[Justin Treadaway]

I am 99% of the time going to use the instep. Instep is more natural, has better reach, and is faster. I here people saying its easily broken if you kick a hard spot, such as the knee, but I never intend on roundhouse kicking someone in the knee, thats just stupid with whatever part of your foot you use. If i am going to kick to the knee its going to be a thrust kick or a dragon kick.....

[mimi]

our sensei has us practice using ball of the foot for any basic exercise (even with partners) but once we cross-over into a more sparring exercise he tells us to use instep just for safety in case you lose control (we should also be able to use ball of the foot).