Front kick (Maegeri)

[sensei8]

After I ask this question, I'm going to just hate myself for even asking, but...

As a shoto-ka you would probably perform a yoko keagi here. By definition, this is a side rising kick.

Rising? Don't you mean...side snap kick? Ohhhh, I'm already hating myself for even asking this, but, I just couldn't resist the temptation.

Edited October 15, 2009 by sensei8

[sensei8]

Yoko geri! Now, there's a kick that's so misunderstood, especially by beginners. Please forgive me because I know that this topic is speaking about the front kick, but, somewhere on page #3 of this thread, we started talking about the side kick, and I just couldn't resist in adding my two cents on the side kick. Sorry!

We, instructors, know the direction in which the yoko geri is suppose to go: out to the side. But, our students have a different idea. More often than not, they'll throw out the wonderful Mawashi Yoko Geri...otherwise known as the roundhouse side kick, which doesn't exist, at least not in Shindokan. No matter how much we and how carefully we explain, show, and teach our students where the "side" actually is, our students will still throw out the crazy roundhouse side kick.

Our students try! This I'll give them! But what is in the mind of our students that causes them to throw out the frustrating roundhouse side kick. We know that our students know where their side is, or at least we hope that they do.

For anyone just now learning the Yoko geri (side kick), please let me lay it out to you as easy as I can...remember this...KNEE JOINT! Don't worry about anything else, just PLEASE go to your immediate side ONLY!

In Keage (snap kicks) the knee of the kicking leg is pointed at the target before the lower leg fires out. The knee joint is fixed in position acting as a pivot. The kick is smoothly and rapidly whipped out, and back, precisely along the same trajectory.

In Kekomi (thrust kicks) the knee joint drives from behind the kicking foot and likewise, it recoils it back, exactly following its outward trajectory.

Both of these SIDE KICKS are GOING TO THE SIDE, TO THE VERY SIDE, TO YOUR IMMEDIATE SIDE. Not at any angle, not towards your immediate front before it turns to your immediate side, and not towards your immediat rear before it turns to you immediate side...TO THE SIDE!

Teaching the side kick to look like a side kick is one of the hardest basic kicks that we instructors tackle.

Edited October 15, 2009 by sensei8

[rogue2257]

Yoko geri! Now, there's a kick that's so misunderstood, especially by beginners.

We, instructors, know the direction in which the yoko geri is suppose to go: out to the side. But, our students have a different idea. More often than not, they'll throw out the wonderful Mawashi Yoko Geri...otherwise known as the roundhouse side kick, which doesn't exist, at least not in Shindokan. No matter how much we and how carefully we explain, show, and teach our students where the "side" actually is, our students will still throw out the crazy roundhouse side kick.

Our students try! This I'll give them! But what is in the mind of our students that causes them to throw out the frustrating roundhouse side kick. We know that our students know where their side is, or at least we hope that they do.

For anyone just now learning the Yoko geri (side kick), please let me lay it out to you as easy as I can...remember this...KNEE JOINT! Don't worry about anything else, just PLEASE go to your immediate side ONLY!

In Keage (snap kicks) the knee of the kicking leg is pointed at the target before the lower leg fires out. The knee joint is fixed in position acting as a pivot. The kick is smoothly and rapidly whipped out, and back, precisely along the same trajectory.

In Kekomi (thrust kicks) the knee joint drives from behind the kicking foot and likewise, it recoils it back, exactly following its outward trajectory.

Both of these SIDE KICKS are GOING TO THE SIDE, TO THE VERY SIDE, TO YOUR IMMEDIATE SIDE. Not at any angle, not towards your immediate front before it turns to your immediate side, and not towards your immediat rear before it turns to you immediate side...TO THE SIDE!

Teaching the side kick to look like a side kick is one of the hardest basic kicks that we instructors tackle.

That is the exact problem I was mentioning.

[sensei8]

Yoko geri! Now, there's a kick that's so misunderstood, especially by beginners.

We, instructors, know the direction in which the yoko geri is suppose to go: out to the side. But, our students have a different idea. More often than not, they'll throw out the wonderful Mawashi Yoko Geri...otherwise known as the roundhouse side kick, which doesn't exist, at least not in Shindokan. No matter how much we and how carefully we explain, show, and teach our students where the "side" actually is, our students will still throw out the crazy roundhouse side kick.

Our students try! This I'll give them! But what is in the mind of our students that causes them to throw out the frustrating roundhouse side kick. We know that our students know where their side is, or at least we hope that they do.

For anyone just now learning the Yoko geri (side kick), please let me lay it out to you as easy as I can...remember this...KNEE JOINT! Don't worry about anything else, just PLEASE go to your immediate side ONLY!

In Keage (snap kicks) the knee of the kicking leg is pointed at the target before the lower leg fires out. The knee joint is fixed in position acting as a pivot. The kick is smoothly and rapidly whipped out, and back, precisely along the same trajectory.

In Kekomi (thrust kicks) the knee joint drives from behind the kicking foot and likewise, it recoils it back, exactly following its outward trajectory.

Both of these SIDE KICKS are GOING TO THE SIDE, TO THE VERY SIDE, TO YOUR IMMEDIATE SIDE. Not at any angle, not towards your immediate front before it turns to your immediate side, and not towards your immediat rear before it turns to you immediate side...TO THE SIDE!

Teaching the side kick to look like a side kick is one of the hardest basic kicks that we instructors tackle.

That is the exact problem I was mentioning.

Aha! So what I posted was a good thing then?

[rogue2257]

Yoko geri! Now, there's a kick that's so misunderstood, especially by beginners.

We, instructors, know the direction in which the yoko geri is suppose to go: out to the side. But, our students have a different idea. More often than not, they'll throw out the wonderful Mawashi Yoko Geri...otherwise known as the roundhouse side kick, which doesn't exist, at least not in Shindokan. No matter how much we and how carefully we explain, show, and teach our students where the "side" actually is, our students will still throw out the crazy roundhouse side kick.

Our students try! This I'll give them! But what is in the mind of our students that causes them to throw out the frustrating roundhouse side kick. We know that our students know where their side is, or at least we hope that they do.

For anyone just now learning the Yoko geri (side kick), please let me lay it out to you as easy as I can...remember this...KNEE JOINT! Don't worry about anything else, just PLEASE go to your immediate side ONLY!

In Keage (snap kicks) the knee of the kicking leg is pointed at the target before the lower leg fires out. The knee joint is fixed in position acting as a pivot. The kick is smoothly and rapidly whipped out, and back, precisely along the same trajectory.

In Kekomi (thrust kicks) the knee joint drives from behind the kicking foot and likewise, it recoils it back, exactly following its outward trajectory.

Both of these SIDE KICKS are GOING TO THE SIDE, TO THE VERY SIDE, TO YOUR IMMEDIATE SIDE. Not at any angle, not towards your immediate front before it turns to your immediate side, and not towards your immediat rear before it turns to you immediate side...TO THE SIDE!

Teaching the side kick to look like a side kick is one of the hardest basic kicks that we instructors tackle.

That is the exact problem I was mentioning.

Aha! So what I posted was a good thing then?

Absolutely. The biggest problem for me trying to teach the kick is getting people to understand the difference between the body mechanics of the two actions. The way we practice, we pivot the bottom foot similarly, but the round kick is a more sweeping action, where the side kick is a stomping one.

[Wa-No-Michi]

Hello,

In direct translation, Keage does not mean snap kick.

Ke = Kick

age= rise

Keage=rising kick.

where the side kick is a stomping one.

Just a stomping kick?

WNM

[tallgeese]

I've always used it as a stomping motion alone, no matter where it was targeted or at what height. To me, the side kick is a stomping motion. To this, most of mine are low.

[rogue2257]

Hello,

In direct translation, Keage does not mean snap kick.

Ke = Kick

age= rise

Keage=rising kick.

where the side kick is a stomping one.

Just a stomping kick?

WNM

I never said anything about a rising kick.

At our schools there is no differentiation between yoko geri (as a stomping side kick) and any other side kick, because we do not practice any other side kick.

[Wa-No-Michi]

You didn't, sensei8 did.

WNM

[Wa-No-Michi]

I've always used it as a stomping motion alone, no matter where it was targeted or at what height. To me, the side kick is a stomping motion. To this, most of mine are low.

Well maybe you have learnt something new.

Not all side kicks are the thrusting type.

WNM