Paul Zaichik's explanation of a hybrid front kick

[Vladko]

I think this presentation of the front kick is very useful. Paul shows why regular front kick is hard to use and why push front has it's issues.

He calls a combination of the two a "hybrid front kick" Very good explantion by one of the better kickers.

[joesteph]

What I like about this, Vladko, is that the presenter realizes that many (most?) people don't have that ideal flexibility that we're frequently told "keep doing stretching" to attain, when we're doing all that our bodies can.

It's funny that we're most often told to use the ball of the foot for a front kick, and with me, the flexibility of the ankle and toes is such that it's more natural for me to go with the heel, feeling the flat of the foot against the target as ball and heel make contact. I imagine it's not the way to break boards, but I'm more concerned about self-defense, meaning a human opponent, not a pine board.

[bushido_man96]

I like the hybrid version shown here. He makes a very good point about the trajectory of the front snap kick. If you are going to kick to the body with the front snap kick, it is hard to get good results. You have to get some thrust in there. Your results will get better with the front snap kick if it is low, or high, like to the chin.

Joesteph, I think that you could break boards with your heel on a front kick without any problem, especially if you try to get that thrust in it.

[doug_kissaki]

What this guy demonstrates as a "hybrid" kick is what I had always learned as a regular front kick. As I understood things coming up, the hip extension is necessary for power in a good kick and it's always bad to have your front kick simply traveling up using your knee as a fulcrum.

[Rateh]

I agree with doug. Although I have heard it called a "thrusting front kick". I only teach this version.