Front Foot Sparing V Back Foot Sparing

[Looneyas]

I use to Spar a lot from the back foot, but over the last few months i have just used my front foot and the difference in sparing is great.

 

I get so many more hits from my front foor than my back foot.

 

who else believe in front foot sparing to back foot.

[karatekid1975]

*raises her hand* I came from an TSD background. They trained us a lot in front foot sparring/kicking. We did use our back leg, but I found it natural for me to use my front leg. It's much quicker and less telegraphed (for me anyways).

 

Eventhough I do Taekwondo now, I still spar with my front foot. In my school, that is a black belt thing. I didn't know it till my instructor said something LOL.

[koreantiger81]

Oh yes! Using the front leg is very very important in sparring. especially throwing that front leg side kick to jam your opponent. I probably use my front leg more than my back leg. I use my back leg to do counters. I just think the back leg really opens you up.

 

NOw i'm puzzled why the W.T.F doesn't use the front leg. Some say the front leg doesn't generate enough power, but I think i can knock someone out with my front leg if i wanted to.

[The Evil Betty]

 

In my studio, we use both front and back leg techniques, cross-over leg techniques, etc. I find both to be effective strategies. Or you can use the front leg to do a fake, then come in with the back leg. I also like bit cha ki's (diagonal kicks) - they're fairly sneaky.

[karatekid1975]

NOw i'm puzzled why the W.T.F doesn't use the front leg. Some say the front leg doesn't generate enough power, but I think i can knock someone out with my front leg if i wanted to.

 

Some do say that, but they should have seen me break (three boards) with a front leg side kick

[stl_karateka]

Can an Okinawan martial artists add her 2 cents???

 

Front leg is faster and more apt to get off without gettting jammed or clocked

 

Back leg:

 

CONS

 

- unless you are lightening fast you can see it coming and gives your opponent time to get out of the way

 

- you square your shoulders to your opponent, opening up your body to a reverse punch etc

 

PROS

 

- Can be great if used defensively. For example, someone is running in at you and you spin and catch them with a hook to the head, or spin side kick to the body --- SWEET!!

 

- Can be great in a combo....especially against runners and fanners. Fanners are those fighters that block at your leg instead of actually guarding there body. Anyway....backfist --- as they back up, square your hips are reverse punch -- they still moving back --- you are in perfect postition for a front kick to the body (and since your legs are longer than your hands you should have em there) --- no --- change that to a double kick --- front kick to the body and round kick to the head. Quicker than you can say BAM BAM!!!

 

Summary -

 

Front kicks are quicker, easier and safer (as in you less likely to get hit as a result of throwing one)

 

Back kicks also have their place

 

Thanks for listening!

 

Kita

[sano]

my school teaches both, but me i use my front leg to set an oponnent up and blast them with my back leg or punches. moves like front leg low kick into back leg high round house gets em every time.

[TangSooGuy]

I've always done both, as both have avantages

 

Mostly, front leg kicks are much faster and less telegraphed than back leg kicks, while back leg kicks are generally more powerful.

 

Note i say generally- example being my back leg wheel kick is actually a lot faster than some of my front leg kicks, but most of my front leg kicks are faster that their corresponding back leg kicks.

 

As for the issue of power: yes front leg kicks can be powerful, back leg kicks just tend to be more powerful. With a side kick, i could probably break 3 boards with front leg kick, but could probably do five with a back leg side kick. With a stepping side kick (cross over) I've broken six.

 

However, my true feeling on this is that they are best used in combnation, depending on the situation. Every kick has it'sown unique strengths, and by learning both types of kicks and using them, you will begin to develop an instincy for what types of kicks can be used most effectively in what situations.

 

I personally like to use a front leg kick to set up a bag leg kick, and will often use themin tandem.

 

At the same time, you can sometimes throw a back leg kick and then quickly bounce up and kick again using a different kick with the same leg, which is no a front leg kick.

 

Work with both, and you'll become a much more versatile fighter.

[tufrthanu]

I would like to add $1.50 worth. There is no such thing as a back leg side kick, unless you mean a reverse or spinning version, as once you have pivoted around it becomes exactly the same as a front leg side kick. As to the back leg kicks there are some that are great equalizers. My back leg round house for instance would break most peoples guards leaving them the only option to evade. It can also be used to horrible effectiveness as a sweep to the lower leg or as a break to the side or back of the knee. I also want to point out a bit of semantics that I havent seen mentioned thus far in the postings. And that is that there is a difference between a front leg forward stance and a strong leg forward stance. What I mean is that if your good leg is forward your going to hit harder than if your weak leg was forward and maybe if your weak leg was in the rear, depending on how good your good leg is, but not as hard as if your good leg were in the rear.

[TangSooGuy]

I would like to add $1.50 worth. There is no such thing as a back leg side kick, unless you mean a reverse or spinning version, as once you have pivoted around it becomes exactly the same as a front leg side kick.

 

Well, I'd argue that point, actually. Yes, you have to turn as you kick to execute a back leg side kick, but that doesn't mean it doesn't exist. And it is a much different kick then when done with the front leg, in my experience, primarily due to the amount of momentum that is generated in the process of lifting and thrusting the bak leg forward as well as that generated by pivoting the upper body forward...but I digress.

 

One thing ihate about message boards is not having the ability to demonstrate what I mean, so forgive me if I'm not explaining myself adequately.