Front kick

[Lachrymosa]

It seems I have a problem with my front kick and I would like to know if you guys have any idea on what exercises I could do to help correct it.

I can not fully extend my leg when doing a front kick. Just in case not everyone does the front kick the same way, we do it by lifting the knee to waist level or higher and extend the lower leg.

My sensei tried to support my leg and lifting it horizontally and I did not feel any stretching pain either in the back of the knee or the butt area. Then my instructor said that it was probably my muscle that lift my leg that are not train / strong enough to support my leg standing horizontally and allow it to extend.

What type of exercises would be good to help strengthening those muscles? Or maybe you guys have other idea on why I can not do it.

If any of this not clear, do not hesitate to ask.

[Dobbersky]

Running. Skipping and Swimming are good ways to strengthen the legs also if you can do squats with or without weights.

If you have access to a heavy bag this can help.

Also if you break the front kick down to 4 component parts doing them slowly with full kime you may fine it will all fall in

Finally Stretching will assist with the 'straightening' of your legs.

Your instructor will give you the correct stretches to do; you need to practice them daily until you get them right then every other day etc.

Osu!!

[Shoto4Life]

Lunges and jump roping.

[tenshinka]

Hello Lachrymosa,

This is the exact problem I was used to facing with many of my own students, in teaching Tang Soo Do (which is known for its high, dynamic kicking techniques). I found that many of my students could not initially perform a front kick to our standards.

Basically, our job as teachers is to first, and foremost aid the student in gaining pugilistic ability. Throwing sloppy front kicks is not going to aid in "fighting skill". If we analyze the technique, we know that like all power techniques, it follows the same theory of power generation: Power Moves From The Largest Joint (Hip) to the smallest join (in this case toes) in order, without interruption. The second joint in the front kick is the knee, which is a hinge joint...It only bends one way, that is, the same way it bends when we walk or run, or whatever.

With this in mind, I teach the technique initially to my students, not as a kick, but rather in the form of a front knee strike (ap mu roop chagi). The front knee strike is basically an exaggerated walking movement (thus the muscles, and the movement itself are already partially developed). Because this is already a familiar movement, it also is more practical for initial students defensive needs.

So is you practice front knee strikes, aim for the soler plexus level on your opponent, and just practice with both legs over, and over...It helps develop and stretch the muscles and tendons, and aids in developing balance. When you become proficient at the knee strikes, all you have to do is start unfolding the knee, curl back your toes, strike with the ball of the foot, and you have a VERY good front kick.

best wishes in your training.

[Lachrymosa]

So is you practice front knee strikes, aim for the soler plexus level on your opponent, and just practice with both legs over, and over...It helps develop and stretch the muscles and tendons, and aids in developing balance. When you become proficient at the knee strikes, all you have to do is start unfolding the knee, curl back your toes, strike with the ball of the foot, and you have a VERY good front kick.

best wishes in your training.

I can lift my knee at my solar plexus level, but its the unfolding the knee that cause problem. I can extend it if I snap but I can not keep my leg fully extended the knee just fold back. Also if I do it in slow motion I just can not unfold my knee completely. I just don't know which muscle and what exercise to do train. Would knee strikes help with this?

Also when you say ball of the foot, do you mean the heel, or the area just below the toes?

[DWx]

I can lift my knee at my solar plexus level, but its the unfolding the knee that cause problem. I can extend it if I snap but I can not keep my leg fully extended the knee just fold back. Also if I do it in slow motion I just can not unfold my knee completely. I just don't know which muscle and what exercise to do train. Would knee strikes help with this?

I actually have a similar problem. For me its a flexibility issue. Loosening up your hamstring and gastrocnemius may help in your case as it did in mine.

[tenshinka]

I can lift my knee at my solar plexus level, but its the unfolding the knee that cause problem. I can extend it if I snap but I can not keep my leg fully extended the knee just fold back. Also if I do it in slow motion I just can not unfold my knee completely. I just don't know which muscle and what exercise to do train. Would knee strikes help with this?

Also when you say ball of the foot, do you mean the heel, or the area just below the toes?

Its not lifting your knee so much, as it is lifting it with power (a strike). There is another consideration for you to keep in mind, is that you actually want to avoid fully extending, and snapping your knee joint, same goes for blocks, and punches. When I started I actually got some elbow injuries from gedan barai (hadan mahkkee)...

Your issues, sounds as though you will have to work extra hard on the conditioning...Try doing bicycle exercises (laing on your back, and "pedaling"), as well as squats, and stretches.

Also, work on the front knee strike, with power. Since you are already doing OK on that, continue the motion with the kick, just do it slow, as far as you can, and hold it for a few seconds. Be sure to train equally on left and right sides...Its just going to take practice, and perseverance my friiend (which is what MA is all about)...As an example, I can throw great spinning hook kicks with my left leg, and can barely do one with my right...We all have "things" we must work on harder than others. The key is to train with intelligence (do not engage in senseless or reckless practice), and keep at it...Don't get discouraged, and don't give up

And oh, the ball of the foot is the "pad" right below the toes.

take care,

[joesteph]

I can not fully extend my leg when doing a front kick. Just in case not everyone does the front kick the same way, we do it by lifting the knee to waist level or higher and extend the lower leg. . . .

What type of exercises would be good to help strengthening those muscles? Or maybe you guys have other idea on why I can not do it.

Although we do a certain amount of stretching exercises at the beginning of class, my instructor will add in, before we concentrate on kicks, "swing kicks," in which we shoot that leg straight up for a full stretch--flexibility rather than muscle, the root of the swing in the hip, and the muscles called upon to keep the leg straight.

We usually partner-up, taking turns doing (non-contact, of course) kicks "against" one another, to give us a frame of reference. But we start with swing kicks. Next to me was a fourteen-year-old first dan who asked me, right after we did swing kicks, if I realized that my right leg shot up straight, but my left leg had a small bend in the knee. I had no idea, but he's a dan member and no matter what his age, he knows his stuff and caught it. I then spent more time on swing kicks with the left leg, and I feel it's been helpful for power and height.

Another person who posted, tenshinka, cautioned about locking out the knee and other joints. My instructor cautioned us about this as well, and I've discovered that striking a target is easier on the joints than against air. I even kick better when striking a target, not being off-balance but with better balance despite (because of?) impact. You would think that going against air--in a sense, "nothing"--would be easier on the body, but it just doesn't work that way.

Good luck with that front kick.

[bushido_man96]

I think the swing kick stretches and some static stretches with your leg up on the back of a chair, keeping the leg straight and stretching it out. From there, you can work on having someone pull the chair out from under your leg, and focus on keeping it locked straight and held up as high as you can for between 5 and 10 seconds per rep.

And, while we're all plugging our workout ideas, I posted an article that may give you some more ideas to look at on your front kick: Front Kick Class.

[Lachrymosa]

Thanks for all the great posts regarding my issue.

I will try various of your workout idea and I will continue to work my front kick .