From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia:
(Front-kick / Mae-geri) We learn from our instructors in class by listening to their instructions on a front kick. Below you can read and visualize as you read below:
The front kick in martial arts is a kick executed by lifting the knee straight forward, while keeping the foot and shin either hanging freely or pulled to the hip, and then straightening the leg in front of the practitioner and striking the target area. It is desirable to retract the leg immediately after delivering the kick, to avoid the opponent trying to grapple the leg and (unless a combination is in process) to return to stable fighting stance.
Details of the technique:
In martial arts implying either barefooted combat or very light footwear, the strike is usually delivered by using ball of the foot (while pointing the foot toward the target area and keeping toes up to prevent injury) or by heel. When heavier footwear is used, there is an option using whole sole as a striking surface. It is also possible to kick with the top of your foot (the instep) in cases of striking at the groin or under the arm which can be very damaging.
Using ball of a foot is preferred in Karate and by many Muay Thai practitioners. This method demands more control of one's movement, but allows for narrow, penetrating strike. TKD practitioners utilize both heel and ball of the foot for striking. It is common to perform tempering exercises to strengthen ball of the foot, as many new practitioners are unable to exercise full-power front kicks on training gear, such as body bag. Various combat systems teach 'general' front kick using heel or whole foot when footwear is on. For example, martial art systems employed by military assume that a fighter wears heavy footwear, is generally less mobile than typically assumed in competition martial arts, and may have his/hers leg muscles severely fatigued. Properly executing fast 'snap' front kick while controlling one's foot direction may be difficult in said conditions. Less technically demanding kick utilizing sole of heavy footwear as a striking surface is easier to execute.
The front kick is typically performed with the straight and balanced upper body, but it allows for variety in motion of hips and body overall. Martial arts systems exploit this ability in different fashions. For example, a karateka may perform Mae-geri while standing upright, or lean somewhat back during the attack, intending to increase the reach of the kick. If a simple 'kick-punch' combination is executed, this slight lean allows for more momentum placed into the movement of upper body, thus the karate-ka will end with a more powerful body movement behind the punch. The opposite situation is exploited in some variations of Wing Chun, where stiff forward motion of both hands blocking/striking in upper area could be accompanied with a slight leaning forward and simultaneous front kick into groin/thigh, etc. Hips movement may be used to increase the reach and to thrust one's leg into the target, resulting in more powerful strike (a common practice in Tae-kwondo and some styles of karate).
Applications and counters:
Front kicks are typically aimed at targets below the chest: abdomen, thighs, knees or lower. Highly skilled martial artists are often capable of striking head-level targets with front kick (albeit rarely use it this way). Front kick is fast to do and involves little body motion betraying the technique's nature prior to actual execution. This makes a well-developed front kick an excellent asset in both offense and defense.
When defending, a front kick could be used to severely damage the lower area of the opponent who has started an attack, but has over concentrated on guarding head/upper body, and as a good tool to keep enemy from punch range. In offense, front kick could serve as an excellent opener for combination attacks, as it is fast, dangerous enough for opponent to switch attention to block/deflecting/evading the kick, but requires little deviation from the upright fighting stance, which is good to start punch attack from. Overall, there is a wide variety of situations where this kick could be exploited by a creative martial arts practitioner.
Common ways to counter front kick are deflecting it with hand, shin, etc., stepping away/sideways, or, given the kick is visibly pointed into abdomen/thighs area, shifting a body so it passes along. The last method is somewhat risky, as it relies heavily on defender's agility, with front kick being one of the fastest kicks possible. More exotic techniques of countering front kicks exist, like one incorporated in many different styles (referred to as kihons, or prearranged, kumite, in some schools). Said technique involves simultaneously pushing opponent’s leg away from one's center-line and attacking the leg with a downward elbow strike into the hip. However, this method is not recommended to beginners and as a general purpose one.
Also, although well-executed front kick is very fast, a careless execution present a defender with excellent opportunity for grappling, which could be disastrous for an attacker. Once the leg is grappled, a variety of attacks is available to defender, such as wrestling techniques resulting in pain compliance hold, immediate counterattack with punches, throws, kicks into lower area and combinations of all above. For this reason, 're-cocking' the leg after the kick is truly important, especially in real-life situations, where artificial rules common to many competition martial arts do not apply. However, executing front kicks to the waist and below is relatively safe and effective, given the leg is immediately retracted.