Front kick (Maegeri)

[bushido_man96]

I would classify it as a different kick, but that is just me.

[Wa-No-Michi]

I would agree with Bushido_man.

As I see it Axe kick is not so much a kick forward but a Kick in a downward direction.

In Japanese it is referred to "Otoshi Geri" literally drop kick.

WNM

[rogue2257]

I don't disagree with that. And to be honest I don't like the argument to begin with, but some of the Shihans in my system would argue that any kick to the front is a "front kick", or similarly, any kick to the side is a "side kick"

Now the classic example that gets used is a mae geri performed not straight ahead, but rather to the side of the body. It is argued that such a kick should be classified as a "side kick," a notion that has some merit.

Myself, on the other hand, I'd rather keep it simple and not overly confuse the concept. A mae geri is a front kick, a yoko geri is a side kick, a mawashi geri is a round kick, etc. Again, don't particularly agree or like the argument myself, but I just thought I'd share the thought process there.

[Wa-No-Michi]

I don't disagree with that. And to be honest I don't like the argument to begin with, but some of the Shihans in my system would argue that any kick to the front is a "front kick", or similarly, any kick to the side is a "side kick"

Now the classic example that gets used is a mae geri performed not straight ahead, but rather to the side of the body. It is argued that such a kick should be classified as a "side kick," a notion that has some merit.

Myself, on the other hand, I'd rather keep it simple and not overly confuse the concept. A mae geri is a front kick, a yoko geri is a side kick, a mawashi geri is a round kick, etc. Again, don't particularly agree or like the argument myself, but I just thought I'd share the thought process there.

How would you refer to a kick executed to the side but done with the ball of foot and toes upward?

WNM

[rogue2257]

I don't disagree with that. And to be honest I don't like the argument to begin with, but some of the Shihans in my system would argue that any kick to the front is a "front kick", or similarly, any kick to the side is a "side kick"

Now the classic example that gets used is a mae geri performed not straight ahead, but rather to the side of the body. It is argued that such a kick should be classified as a "side kick," a notion that has some merit.

Myself, on the other hand, I'd rather keep it simple and not overly confuse the concept. A mae geri is a front kick, a yoko geri is a side kick, a mawashi geri is a round kick, etc. Again, don't particularly agree or like the argument myself, but I just thought I'd share the thought process there.

How would you refer to a kick executed to the side but done with the ball of foot and toes upward?

WNM

That would be the classic example I referred to (classic in the sense that it's what the Shihans always use to demonstrate the point), a mae geri performed not straight ahead, but off to the side of the body where a yoko geri is normally done. At the conceptual level something like that is referred to as a "side kick" because it is done to the side.

Now me, I'd just as soon keep the call the kicks what they are traditionally labeled. I'm of the opinion that overly convoluting the names of the techniques is unnecessary. It's just one school of thought on the matter.

Edited October 13, 2009 by rogue2257

[Wa-No-Michi]

IMO such a kick done to the side is a side kick, irrespective of what position your foot is in.

I think your Shihans are right by the sounds of it.

WNM

[Wa-No-Michi]

Thats probably why they are your Shihans?

[rogue2257]

Haha, you know, one of them recently told that being a Shihan just meant that "you know how to make things up."

[Wa-No-Michi]

Well, I guess at the end of the day, if he/she has enough depth of knowledge the made up stuff should be sound.

As far as kicks to the side (in Maegeri foot position) they are not making it up, it is a Yoko geri.

In this JKF Video of Pinan Yondan you will see that the kick at 0:27 is labelled as Yoko geri.

It is defined as such because of its directionality, rather than foot position.

WNM

[rogue2257]

I think there's plenty of merit to the argument. If I'm the head of my own school, realistically, I can call the techniques whatever I want to.

If I think that a jumping double front kick should really be called the Flying Spaghetti Kick, who can say that I'm wrong?

My point is, you can call the kick whatever you like. A kick is a kick is a kick. When it comes down to it, how important is classifying it and debating it?

For the sake of trying to avoid too many headaches from the subject, I'm at the point where I'd just as soon keep the front kick as "that one you do to the front where you hit with the ball of the foot," and the side kick as "that one where you stomp out to the side of the body."

I don't disagree with the argument, by any means, but I'd rather just do the kick than sit around debating what it should be called. But that's just me.