Performing the Front Kick in Kempo Karate

Video Transcript

"It helps you to keep your balance. You'll notice that it is hard to keep your balance when you have your leg way out there for a long period of time. By bringing it back, you've got your center of gravity back where it belongs. Then you just recover and step down. To generate more power, you'll want to kick with your back leg. This is where you'll stand in a modified front stance, in a fighting stance. A lot of Taekwondo or Korean styles that rely on kicking will have a more narrow stance because it allows them to kick faster. Japanese styles that rely on a lot of punching and basic kicks will stay lower because they feel that having a solid base is stronger and better. So, their kicks are slower in execution, but they will have a lot of power. This is based on body types, preference and whatever you learn. So, again, if you want to generate more power, you want to kick with the back leg. Place the leg back, slightly. It is the same routine, chamber, kick, back and recover. You can also jab with the front leg. Again, chamber, kick, back and recover. Similar to a boxer, right, one, two, you will have your one and two. Now, if you are going to do kick combinations, you do not want to hit in the same spot. Why? Your opponent gets smart; he blocks. He knows where the kick is coming. You'll want to vary it. You might want to jab high and then kick low. Or, you might want to go low and then fake him out by going high. You always want to look in a general direction. Look through your opponent. You do not want to only focus on where you are kicking because that kind of keys them in on where it is coming. You just want to continue to look in a general direction, so that they just do not see where it is coming. That's where timing comes in, which we'll discuss in a later topic. That is your basic front kick. Remember the routine, chamber, extend your leg and flex the ankle. Curl your toes back so that you hit with the ball of the foot. Re-chamber and recover."