Basic Martial Arts: Front Snap Kick

A common technique in the martial arts is the front snap kick

. While not as flashy as some kicks, this technique has a lot going for it: it gets the job done, it fairly easy to learn, and when delivered with precision it can be incredibly fast and powerful. This article will explain what you need to do in order to perform a proper front snap kick. (Note: The front snap kick is often referred to as simply the front kick or the snap kick.)

What is a front snap kick? A front snap kick is a move in which you raise your knee up and then quickly snap your foot forward into your target. The direction of force for this move is straight in front of you, and the area that you strike with is the ball of the foot, the tough spot right behind your toes on the underside of your foot. It is a good general-purpose kick that can be used in board breaking, fighting, and is a common sight in forms (kata, poomse) as well. The kick can be delivered to the groin, stomach, chest, throat, face, or any other target that presents itself.

To deliver one of these kicks, assume your fighting position. The front kick can be performed with either the front leg or the back leg, but for now let's work on the back leg. The first movement is to shift your weight off your back foot and onto your front foot and then to lift up your knee and bring it in front of you. As you lift, bend your knee so that your thigh is up in front of you and your lower leg is coiled up underneath it, with your foot as close to your buttocks as you can get it. This preliminary movement can be thought of as the "chamber" of the kick: just like pumping a round into the chamber on a firearm. Once your knee is up, you are ready to fire.

Now, with your knee as high as you can get it, snap your foot, which is tucked in under your thigh, forward into the target. You are kicking at something straight in front of you. The part of your foot that you strike with on this kick is very important: an average beginner, trying out this kick for the first time, will have his foot in the same position it would be in if you were standing on the ground: the foot forming a ninety degree angle with the leg, looking basically like an L. That's not the correct way to do it. In a proper front kick, at the moment of impact, the entire leg, from the hip joint down to the toes, will make a straight line. You ankle should be extended, and your toes should be curled back so that you are striking with the ball of the foot. Hit with your toes, and you may find yourself in the hospital nursing a broken foot.

There is, in fact, quite a bit to this technique, and the more you practice it the more you will be able to absorb the finer points of it and incorporate them into your technique. For now, though, just stick to the basics: bring your leg up, chamber, and snap your foot into the target. The rest will come to you in time.

by: Jay A. Jenkin

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